AW SHORTS – BRANDS + MARKETERS

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.

DMEXCO has undergone an identity change in recent years, from Cologne’s answer to Cannes Lions with all the global hubbub it attracts, to a European-focused, business-first conference.

This era won’t be defined by commercial breaks or rented space alongside this new wave of entertainment — it will be about helping co-create it.

Instead of asking “what’s the minimum we can do to get this out the door?”—ask “what’s the sharpest, most emotionally resonant idea we can build a world around for our brand?”

Experian’s Debbie Oates explains that there’s help on hand to understand the new tectonic shifts in the make-up of the average UK household, so marketers can avoid being left behind.

The bridge between marketing and finance isn’t built on a false sense of certainty, but on honest, measurable uncertainty that both teams can plan around.

Once you define the problems you solve and for whom, your people can show-up as focused experts not hopeful generalists.

Brands need to move from risk aversion to value alignment. Stop worrying about backlash and start focusing on why you’re showing up.

The goal for any business should be to capture today’s demand while projecting and protecting a go‑to‑market narrative that is both clear and consistent.

If you’re a major brand or large agency considering starting an internal production offering, I see two main roads ahead of you.

Gaining consumer attention is a must for any brand, but in a more and more fragmented media world, the industry must seek fresh approaches to break through all the noise and clutter.