By R. Larsson, Advertising Week
The countdown is on for Advertising Week New York, and the industry is buzzing with anticipation. Each fall, the global marketing and media community descends on Manhattan to trade ideas, spark collaborations, and set the tone for the year ahead. But this year feels different. Marketers aren’t just showing up to hear the latest buzzwords—they’re coming with clear expectations. From sharper takes on AI and measurement to fresh strategies in retail media, streaming, and cultural storytelling, the conversations at AWNewYork 2025 are expected to go beyond the hype and dig into what really drives growth. With a marketplace in constant flux, brand leaders are looking to Advertising Week as the place to separate signal from noise, reconnect with peers, and walk away with insights that will actually move the needle.
Here’s what a pair of industry leaders had to say:
Adam Charles, Chief Growth Officer, Sparks
As we look ahead to this year’s AWNY, a few themes feel especially relevant to where the industry is heading. I will be watching out for the following topics.
Trust as the new currency: In an era of high-quality fakes and AI-generated content, consumers are asking what’s real. Trust is becoming the most valuable brand currency. We are predicting that live experiences and their amplification through trusted influencers are going to be an ever more important channel to truly connect to consumers.
The rise of authentic influence: Influencers aren’t new, but the expectation of authenticity has never been higher. The creators who earn trust by staying true to their voice, not just shilling the next product, will become the most powerful marketing partners.
Experiences as an antidote to digital fatigue: Consumers, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha, live on screens yet they crave real-world connection. Live experiences offer an antidote to digital fatigue, creating deeper, more memorable brand engagements that also carry powerful social currency.
Dory Ellis Garfinkle, Chief Marketing Officer at global brand consultancy Siegel+Gale
This year at Advertising Week New York there is one theme that stands out above all others: relevance in a world where every move is under the microscope. Recent headline-grabbing rebrands, from Cracker Barrel to Jaguar, show that a new logo or tagline isn’t enough to make a lasting and positive impact. Today, rebranding is a high-stakes investment, where every choice is decoded through internal and external cultural, social, and generational lenses.
Attendees can expect conversations about the risks and rewards of marketing decisions where cutting through the noise is particularly challenging. The brands that endure are the ones that dare to invest in discovery and use change as a chance to clarify, not just refresh. That means honoring history while signaling the future, and making sure your narrative makes sense to customers, employees, partners, and investors alike.
When the future feels uncertain, brands should keep it simple. Simplicity isn’t about stripping things back to basics; it’s about distilling what matters most and telling a story people can instantly connect with. At Siegel+Gale, we believe clarity and authenticity aren’t just nice to have; they’re essential. Brands that succeed in times of change are those that accurately diagnose the real problem, measure what truly matters, and distinguish between signal and noise. The lesson I believe will come out of this year’s Advertising Week New York? In a crowded, complex world, clarity is your greatest competitive advantage.
