At Advertising Week Europe 2025, most brand sessions centered on scale, spend, and safe bets. Burger King UK, on the other hand, showed up with postpartum hunger, hospital room selfies, and an unapologetically human campaign that sparked a national debate.
At Advertising Week Europe 2025, the question wasn’t whether influencer marketing works—it was whether it’s gotten too powerful. And if you were in the packed audience at this headline session, you know one thing for sure: no one held back.
While many sessions at Advertising Week Europe 2025 buzzed with the usual talk of performance metrics and AI-driven innovation, one quieter, more intimate discussion delivered something rarer: a blueprint for building brands that don’t just include disabled consumers—they center them.
Education-led marketing is a smarter way to connect with buyers, build lasting relationships, and drive real results. Ultimately, brands that make this shift don’t have to fight for attention. They stand out because buyers seek them out.
As content creation abilities and consumer expectations continue to evolve, it’s becoming ever more essential for brands to be bolder and embrace a new approach.
Without the right information, education and level of engagement, sustainability will always just be a buzzword that’s thrown around as a supposed point of difference for brands.
The good news? Retail shopping neared pre-pandemic levels this past holiday season, meaning spending is happening across the country, with 89% stating plans to spend at least as much as they did pre-pandemic.
The overarching theme of the new endemic era for the year ahead is agility. As we anticipate what to expect in 2022 and beyond, it is clear that the ability to adapt to the ever-evolving demand of consumers will be the key to success.
As stringent rules become the new normal, brand marketers should aspire to replicate the framework that regulated industries have perfected.
In a period of such comprehensive change, it can be difficult to assess the impact of a single trend. However, one overarching shift can help to explain many of the other changes taking place in retail and commerce: the convergence of media and retail.
Ultimately, consistency and authenticity are what will set brands apart. All experiences should reflect the brand’s values and aesthetics. And interactions should feel the same regardless of the device a customer is using.
By Todd Hedberg, The Lacek Group Every parent knows a contest or game can transform…
Although regulations for influencer marketing are still being defined, the industry would welcome more robust guidelines and is taking steps toward implementing this for the benefit of brands, audiences, and content creators.
The anxiety and fear are normal. But through the fog of uncertainty, there are many reasons to maintain calm and stay the course.
By Gökçe Nur Oguz – CEO and Co-Founder of Playable Factory The mobile games industry…
Content has been hailed as king for what seems like forever. And while the phrase itself has certainly gotten stale, the role of content in any B2B company’s success cannot be stressed enough.
The race for Black Friday spending may be more frenetic than ever this season, but businesses of all sizes have an opportunity to change direction. By identifying what matters most to them, brands lay the groundwork for lasting brand affinity and positive change.
Most would probably know the Star Wars opening theme. However, only the diehard fans would be able to sing Leia’s theme, or even the more widely used, Force Suite.
