_Editorial

Can Brands Fill The “Belief” Gap?

Whether knowingly or not, these brands are tapping into the power that shared beliefs have in drawing people closer together in the name of something bigger than themselves.

The Grammar of the Present Perfect

Understanding the present, systematically, professionally, and deeply catching its trends will become increasingly vital for any company or entrepreneur.

The Most Underrated Advocacy Channel? Your Letterbox

By combining insights into community influence with precise mail targeting, brands can convert human trust into commercial outcomes, proving that traditional channels still have a role to play in a modern, data-driven marketing strategy.

SaaS Is Not Dead. Lazy SaaS Is

That is where the next era of enterprise software is going. Not the end of SaaS. The end of SaaS that never earned the right to exist in the new world.

The Next Era of Marketing

The next era of marketing won’t be defined by automation alone, but by the intelligence that comes from understanding what to automate, what to measure, and what to humanize.

The Agency of the Future

The forces reshaping agencies are not simply cost-cutting measures, they are a response to how brands market and how consumers behave.

Are New Tools Redefining Creativity?

We asked industry leaders if they are expanding their thinking, or shifting it away from craft and judgement towards systems, speed and scale.

Agentic AI and the Next Evolution of AdTech

The real shift isn’t that machines replace humans. It’s that the way performance decisions are made changes. AdTech taught the industry how to automate buying and selling.

How CMOs Get Super Bowl Measurement Wrong

With game day just around the corner, now’s the time to pressure-test whether your measurement setup reflects how marketing actually works: in spikes of attention, shifts in timing, and campaign effects that ripple across channels.

How Brands Can Shape the Platforms That Shape Them

Brands that build assets with these models in mind, and supply them with consistent, well-defined signals, are more likely to appear accurately and consistently as AI-first experiences expand.

How Agentic Buying Will Rewrite the Agency Business

Agentic buying won’t change agency economics because it’s innovative. It will change them because, built on better data and tighter publisher connections, it delivers outcomes the old stack simply can’t.

Q5: The Hidden Season Where Loyalty Is Actually Won

Q5 offers an opportunity to move beyond one-size-fits-all discounting. Instead of rewarding everyone simultaneously, brands can reward those who truly deserve it, for the work they do to better our communities.

Do You Know These Tree Mascots?

What comes to mind when you think of nature’s greatest mascots? Odds are pretty good you’ll refer to animals like Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl.

AI. The Elephant in the Room. And Your Pocket

Steve Stretton, Executive Creative Director for global marketing activation partner, HH Global, explores shifting attitudes towards AI and a new opportunity for brands that need to promote AI capabilities

The Next CTV Battleground: Outcomes

Pinterest saw these forces clearly. Others will follow. The main question now: Who will adapt quickly enough to lead in the Outcomes Era? 

Four Forces Reshaping Digital Marketing in 2026

If 2025 was a year of change in the marketing world, 2026 will be even more transformative. We can anticipate significant leaps in AI, which will extend to creative decision-making, media targeting, and influencer marketing.

Challenges and Opportunities for Business in 2026

In this collection of perspectives from agency and consultancy leaders, a clear throughline emerges: the businesses that win in 2026 will be those that use technology to amplify — not replace — human insight, creativity and leadership.

Meet Dr. Squatch’s Brand Mascot

We were lucky enough to chat with John Ludeke, SVP of Global Marketing at Dr. Squatch, who explains the surprising reason why their mascot is a sasquatch, the one question fans can’t stop asking him, and where we might see the mascot land next in 2026.

Why Voice Commands are Giving CTV its Wonka Moment

CTV advertising is one of the fastest-growing areas of marketing worldwide, and voice commands are the new frontier. It’s not a chocolate bar coming through your TV, but it’s getting pretty close.

Certainty Is the New Creative Catalyst

As AI accelerates and marketing budgets tighten, creativity is thriving in chaos, but only when guided by clarity. The boldest ideas are coming from brands that turn evidence into conviction and use data to bring creative freedom.

In Defence of Tradition

As human beings we tend to romanticize the past. A harkening back to times when the world was less complicated.

Sports Will Win Big with the Retail Media Network Playbook

The franchises that find success won’t just be fielding a team to compete; they’ll become a publisher and media platform in their own right. The blueprint for success is already out there. Now is the time for the leagues and franchises to take the ball and run.

IAB Framework Shows Advertisers Still Struggle to Get Gaming

Gaming isn’t just a category to consider, it’s a cultural phenomenon that intersects with fashion, music, film, and more. The good news is it’s not too late – brands can show up authentically with custom in game experiences.

Can’t B2B Branding Just Be… B2C?

While brands are unwilling to relinquish hard-won cohesion, there’s some movement toward pushing against monolithic rigidity, in favor of a more flexible, realist’s approach.

OOH Wins the Last Mile

OOH doesn’t just accompany the journey, it moves it. The channel’s strength is simple: physical context that prompts real action, right now.

Why Programmatic OOH Is the Unsung Hero of Omnichannel Campaigns

As commerce and retail initiatives take centre stage, PrOOH is uniquely placed to drive measurable outcomes – whether that’s influencing purchase intent, reinforcing key messages close to point of sale, or boosting ROI when paired with other channels.

Gen Z Shopping Behaviors Prove that In-Store Still Matters

It’s important we remember the store isn’t just the finish line. It’s still a touchpoint where influence is still up for grabs. Gen Z won’t be won over by clutter or noise, but with unified, consistent experiences.

A Pointless Prompt?

If AI is a new engine of creative output, the (human) creative must become the emotional alchemist whose role it is to transform raw data into gold.

Five Ways to Win in Advertising’s Outcomes Era

By focusing on these five areas, advertisers can unlock the full potential of the open internet. In so doing, they can make every impression, every signal, and every dollar deliver real business value. 

Main Character Energy: Building Brands’ Gen Z Follows

With over half of the Gen Z population now shopping inside social apps — and Gen Alpha, raised on ad-free streaming and algorithmic curation, rarely encountering traditional ads at all — the rules of brand engagement are due for a reset.

The Next Wave of Performance: Redefining CTV, AI, and Cross-Screen Advertising

As TV, digital, and mobile continue to converge, performance marketing is entering a new era — one powered by CTV, AI, and cross-screen connectivity. In this conversation, Jay Freedman, VP of Sales at Viant, explores how connected TV has evolved from a branding play to a measurable performance channel and what this shift means for marketers building strategies across every screen.

Leveraging Moments to Create Moments

This panel will share lessons from a Panera, Digitas, and Variety influencer-driven campaign around one of pop culture’s biggest nights with fashion, style, and croissants.

The Checkout Moment: Where Trust Meets Transaction

This interview explores how the most overlooked part of the consumer journey — the point of payment — can become a powerful lever for building trust and loyalty through seamless, secure experiences consumers can count on.

Creative Risk Meets Real Results: Fidium’s Journey

Join the senior marketers from Fidium and creative hot-shop Bray & Co as they share how their partnership has in a short time produced record results for the Fidium business, all centered around a creative approach that broke the category mold and produced one of the most effective campaigns of the year.

From Oops to OMG; How a TikTok Mishap Sparked Sweet Loren’s Success

Join Loren Brill Castle, founder and CEO of Sweet Loren’s, in conversation with digital media coordinator Ryan Weitz to explore the brand’s swift pivots and creative approach to a recent TikTok naming mishap that resulted in millions of views, a massive sales jump and huge increase in followers. It’s a Sweet Loren’s + RYAN collab.

A Conversation With Hit-Boy

Grammy-winning producer Hit-Boy opens up about his newfound creative freedom, the upcoming projects, and how artists can stay ahead as music and culture evolve.

Building a Hospitality Brand for the Long Haul

Today’s dining and hospitality space sees thinner profit margins, decreased diner presence, and skyrocketing costs, making it more challenging to not only establish a standout presence, but build a noteworthy brand for the long haul.

Brand Performance: The Future of Advertising

Smart brand marketers know that in today’s data-driven landscape, emerging platforms such as mobile apps and new AI tools are becoming essential for modern advertisers– and will only be more prevalent in the future.

How to Capture & Engage In-Market Buyers Before Competitors

The MQL isn’t dead – it’s just incomplete. Today’s most effective B2B marketers are supplementing traditional inbound with proactive ABM motions, reading a richer mix of buying signals to reach prospects before they raise their hand.

October 9, 2030

The media landscape is evolving faster than ever, reshaping how audiences discover, consume, and interact with content.

Under the Spotlight

In our ‘Under the Spotlight’ series we invite top business leaders for an honest, no holds barred conversation in a relaxed and intimate setting.

Creators, Culture, and the AI Challenge

In this fireside chat, we’ll explore the intersection of creators, brands, and AI, unpacking what authenticity looks like when technology can mimic creativity, how cultural movements are sparked in the digital age, and why the future of brand building depends on collaborating with creators who can turn audiences into communities.

I am Different

An open and honest conversation that pushes past surface-level inclusion and explores how we can truly shift narratives when we question what we show, how we show it and who gets to tell the story.

Unveiling: The Creator Economy Map

Media Cartographer / provocateur Evan Shapiro and Creator Pied Piper Shira Lazar are joined on stage by one of the founders of creator platform and film distributor, FilmHub, to unveil their Map of The Creator Economy – sizing the landscape of the next generation of Media.

Social Media for Social Good: Can Kindness Scale?

Hunter Prosper, the storyteller behind Stories from a Stranger, joins fellow creators and brand leaders to explore how emotionally resonant, human-centered content can break through the noise—and why advertisers should take notice.

Building Real-Time Brands with Data-Driven Precision

In today’s real-time world, driving long-term brand perception shifts requires designing creative campaigns for media optimization – where every new act of creation becomes an act of data insight creation.

AI Founder Interview: Vivek Vaidya

The Rise of Agentic Marketing: Learn about the future of agentic AI and how it will transform marketing from a pioneer in enterprise data & AI – Vivek Vaidya.

The AI Reality Check

A journalist, an AI lawyer, a PwC partner, and an AI startup founder walk into Advertising Week — and cut through the noise.

CMO Corner: How to Capture Consumer Attention in a Cost-Conscious Economy

In today’s volatile economic climate marked by inflation, rising interest rates, and tariffs, consumer behaviors are rapidly evolving. Shoppers are seeking more value, and they’re increasingly selective about where they spend their money. Learn how these leading brands attract customers, drive sales, and build long-lasting loyalty, and how you can too.

Beyond Spanish: the transcultural power of Top Creators

Join digital stars Chingu Amiga, Paco de Miguel, and Nico Botero from “Los Chicaneros”, alongside Pati Giemza (CEO of StayOnSocial, a leading talent management agency for creators in LATAM), for a dynamic conversation on creating content that speaks to the heart of Latin America and captivates the Hispanic market in the U.S. Discover how their cultural authenticity, bold storytelling, and savvy content strategies are breaking borders, building loyal communities, and inspiring cross-cultural connections.

How agencies can thrive in the age of generative AI

Generative AI allows agencies and advertisers to amplify their creative vision like never before. In this session, industry experts will discuss how agencies can leverage generative AI in their daily workflows to maximize results, and how they can become leaders in the space while building toward the future.

Changemaker: From Advertising Change to World Change

Transformational change isn’t just possible—it’s probable according to Jacqueline Corbelli—pioneering AdTech founder, UN changemaker, and author of Changemaker: A Modern Playbook for Creating Personal Impact and Transformational Change.

From a Patterned Past toward a Modern Future: How to Reintroduce a Heritage Brand

With roots tracing back to an initial investment of $500 back in 1982, Vera Bradley has long been known for its iconic patterns and deeply loyal fanbase. But in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape, how does a heritage brand evolve to remain relevant and still resonate with its original generation of fandom perennially?

The Agency Model of the Future

As the advertising industry continues to evolve, brands are increasingly looking for ways to push creative boundaries while achieving measurable business growth. Creative and media agencies have operated separately and together. What works best??

The State and Future of Media

A discussion on the state and future of journalism, during a time of unprecedented disruption from political shifts, funding challenges, and the growing impact of AI.

Gen Alpha: the secret to unlocking the next generation

Born entirely in the 21st century, Gen Alpha is the largest generation ever and the first generation to grow up fully immersed in digital technology, interactive media, and connection via social media from day one.

Leading Transformation at the Speed of Culture: CMOs on What Actually Works

Modern consumer expectations don’t wait for enterprise transformation timelines. While traditional change management moves in years and quarters, cultural shifts happen in weeks and hours, creating an unprecedented challenge for today’s most iconic brands. A conversation with marketing executives from Alaska Airlines, General Motors, Brooks Running, and goop, all of whom are rewriting the playbook for enterprise transformation in the AI era.

Byron Allen in Conversation with Bill Carter

As the traditional players decamp from late-night television, comedian turned media mogul Byron Allen is seizing the opportunity, forging a new business model for the time period–one that promises to be a win-win for all involved.

Beyond Buzz: Immersive Storytelling and The Lyft Effect

Lyft Ads isn’t just connecting top brands with relevant moments – we’re creating them with exclusive, buzz-generating solutions that bridge digital to IRL, deliver product innovation to reach the right audiences and can only be found on Lyft.

Game On: The Future of Fandom

In this conversation, Adrian Sutherland and Jeremi Gorman will unpack how displaced fans, shifting loyalties, women’s sports, and even the rise of athletes over celebrities are changing the playbook for marketers.

Moments That Matter: Building Brand Trust Across Every Touchpoint

Connection today is built in the moments that matter—across screens, shelves, and shared culture. This conversation explores how brands are creating emotionally resonant, consistent experiences that inspire trust and loyalty, meeting consumers where they are—from retail shelves to digital screens.

Doja Cat: The Business Behind The Brand

Today, the world’s bigger stars are no longer just entertainers, but multimillion or even billion dollar brands themselves, as meticulously managed as the media conglomerates that power them.

Transformation With Integrity

A candid, future-forward session where Horizon Media’s founder and visionary Bill Koenigsberg and Bob Lord, President of Horizon Media Holdings, unpack the future of media, technology, and business transformation.

The ROI Revolution: Moving B2B Marketing from Vanity to Value

78% of CMOs state proving ROI has become more important in the last two years. But as sales cycles grow more complex, traditional attribution models built for B2C often miss the mark. Faced with mounting pressure to show the impact of every campaign, marketers need clarity on where and how to invest to drive tangible revenue impact.

Passion to Performance: Unlocking the Power of Sports, Fandom, and Measurement

Sports are a key stronghold for engaged, appointment-based viewing —and with that comes unmatched opportunities for brands. We’ll unpack how advertisers are tapping into the emotional intensity of fandom, using advanced measurement tools to quantify impact across platforms for full-funnel outcomes. From real-time engagement metrics to breakthrough attribution strategies, discover how sports marketing is evolving to deliver both cultural relevance and business results.

The Ochocinco Brand Playbook

From electrifying fans on the field to building a powerful presence as a creator and media brand, Chad Ochocinco has redefined what it means to be an athlete in today’s sports economy.

Woj on the Future of College Sports

St. Bonaventure’s GM Adrian Wojnarowski sits down with Pat O’Toole, CMO of Unleashed Brands, to unpack the future of college sports in this era defined by NIL, athlete creators, and the ever-changing collegiate landscape.

Unrivaled Partnerships That Move Culture

Success in today’s crowded sports economy is about more than logos on jerseys, it’s about tapping into cultural moments that deepen fan connections and drive business growth.

Brand Building in the New Sports Economy

From creator-led ventures to breakthrough performance products and established household names, the business of sports has never been more diverse—or more dynamic.

Meet Ollie, the OtterBox Mascot

OtterBox announced their brand mascot Ollie, a fun-loving otter, had gone missing. The brand put out an SOS on Instagram and encouraged OtterBox fans to join in the search via social media in the “Find Ollie” sweepstakes.