AW SHORTS – BRANDS + MARKETERS

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.

When leveraged ethically and insightfully, social norms tap into the deep emotional wellsprings of behavioral change —creating room for people to feel more seen and aligned with their values.

The underbelly of programmatic has always had issues like these. Right now, this double game appears to be a remarkably common state of affairs among ad platforms and their clients, and I think it’s time we all looked at it a bit harder.

Products (and charismatic CEOs for that matter) alone won’t protect businesses from the inevitable moments when something goes wrong – when tech falls behind, when consumer preferences change, or when market conditions evolve.

In 2025, 80% of women still can’t correctly identify a vulva on a diagram. That is a mind-blowing stat, and it’s frankly dangerous that we know so little about ourselves.

Brands are more successful when they integrate naturally throughout the process, instead of just popping in and feeling like an ad drop.

Misinformation isn’t just a problem for users anymore — it’s a branding crisis. As media platforms scale back moderation, advertisers are being forced into the role of risk manager—whether they like it or not.

Before your brand ever said a word, it could have dropped a beat. Not just any beat — the beat.

We still call it social media, but the way people use these platforms today has nothing to do with being social.

From creative and strategy to experiential and digital, here’s how key voices from across the industry are interpreting the latest findings, and what they believe marketers must prioritise to navigate the road ahead.

Whether it’s a last-second game winner, a viral TikTok trend, or a breakout Twitch stream, the path to relevance is no longer about reach alone. It’s about resonance.