Explore every episode of the podcast Ad Age Insider

Agentic shopping is already shaping holiday 2026, even though most consumers aren't ready to let an AI agent use their credit card. Brandon Doerrer, media reporter at Ad Age, explains how AI shopping agents like Muse and ChatGPT Dots handle product discovery and consideration, and why brands that ignore them could vanish from gift searches. He covers where to start with product feeds, inventory details and agent access to your website, plus how agentic commerce overlaps with answer engine optimization (AEO), branded conversations and retail media networks.

Host Parker Herren and Doerrer dig into what marketers can act on now including giving agents richer product detail, planning for every agent instead of just one and building on the AEO work you already have. Doerrer also explains why agentic media buying is still more hype than reality. Follow Ad Age Insider so you don't miss the next conversation.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~How brands should prepare for an agentic holiday shopping season

~Amazon launches Branded Conversations at Unboxed 2026—what buyers think

~Media channels are changing rapidly—how to strategize for AI search, social commerce, total TV and IRL

~Enter the 2026 Ad Age CMO Impact Awards

~Listen the the Marketer's Brief podcast

Hertz, Subaru and Liquid Death are building pet-focused campaigns and products to tap into surging pet spending, but marketers warn against forcing the fit. Plus, Chemistry acquires design agency Colossus; Apple's iOS 27 update blocks The Trade Desk's ad tools on Safari; mid-size brands drop follower counts and reconsider linear TV; Herb Light launches ScareBnB, a Halloween contest for cannabis horror stories.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating category entry, independent agency consolidation, identity-free measurement and outdated metrics. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~2030 advertising predictions—tracking potential hits and misses, and what's too early to call

~How brands are winning over dog and cat lovers—even when they don't sell pet products

~Chemistry acquires Colossus in an expansion to Boston, which it sees as ripe for a challenger

~Apple blocks The Trade Desk—what marketers must know about renewed anti-tracking push

~Why mid-size brands are rethinking long-established marketing and media strategies

~Herb Light turns cannabis horror stories into 'ScareBnB' stays for Halloween

In the AI era, company culture is the real differentiator. Ad Age's Senior Editor Adrianne Pascarelli breaks down the workforce gap nobody's solved, the AI overhype she's most suspicious of and the influencer disclosure loophole about to blow up in brands' faces. She also shares the three words marketers put in a live word cloud when asked to sum up the moment (humanity, insanity, never-ending change), and the one workforce question she's still trying to get answered.

Listen to the full conversation from Ad Age Insider wherever you're currently listening.

Rich Silverstein is stepping down as co-chairman of Goodby Silverstein & Partners after 43 years, with an AI hotline trained on his voice now fielding creative pitches in his place. Plus, Burger King turns its own product failures into ad material; Meta's Muse and Anthropic's Claude Commerce Blueprint push brands toward agentic holiday shopping prep; CampStudios, Pufferfish and StudioB pull creator-led work into agency rosters once reserved for traditional shops.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating agency succession, AI's expanding role in creative work, transparency as a trust-building strategy and the shift toward agentic commerce. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Rich Silverstein steps away from Goodby Silverstein & Partners—inside the art director's storied career

~Rich Silverstein's unfiltered wisdom lives on in the AI-powered 'GPT Rich'

~Burger King's CMO on why the chain keeps turning failures into ad campaigns

~How brands should prepare for an agentic holiday shopping season

~Where creator-led agencies are winning work from traditional shops

Marketing budgets are tight across the board, but mid-size brands—companies roughly between $50 million and $1 billion in revenue—have been finding ways to make theirs work harder. Adrianne Pasquarelli, senior editor of CMO strategy and commerce at Ad Age, digs into how these brands operate with fewer resources, fewer layers of approval and a lot more speed. She breaks down what's driving bolder creative risks, how AI is showing up in unexpected ways and what bigger brands could actually learn from smaller ones.

Parker Herren talks with Pasquarelli about why mid-size CMOs are willing to take creative swings that bigger legal departments would shut down, how one baby food brand built an internal AI tool to keep its marketing on-brand without slowing anyone down and why leaner teams often mean less data and more gut instinct. It's a look at what happens when constraints force creativity instead of killing it. Subscribe to Ad Age Insider so you don't miss the next conversation.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Introducing the 2026 Ad Age Mid Size Brand Leaders

~How mid-size marketers are turning budget constraints into a competitive edge

~What 15 mid-size brand leaders are prioritizing—and cutting—right now

X&O co-founders Brett Banker and Eric Segal play a game of overrated or underrated, dishing on the holding company vs. independents debate, spec work, content creators and more. Check out Ad Age's full conversation with the duo in the first episode of Agencies on Record, a new quarterly podcast from Ad Age.

 Don't miss the full conversation with Brett Banker and Eric Segal

Develop the strategic idea, then step back—the client can take it in-house, hand it to another agency or bring X&O back to build it themselves. That's the split that co-founders Brett Banker and Eric Segal say powers their sprint model: five-to-six-day timelines, a top-to-top rule that puts C-level talent in the room from day one and a hard "no" on pitching for free, even against a strong prospect.

In Agencies on Record, Ad Age's new quarterly podcast, the pair also break down how their model scales into more complex categories, including an eight-week version built for healthcare's regulatory hurdles. Banker and Segal explain why they've stayed deliberately small—capping the agency at roughly 50 people—even as revenue climbed from $4.2 million in 2024 to more than $8 million in 2025, driven by fixed-fee project work with clients including Coca-Cola and Verizon and talent like Heated Rivalry's Connor Storrie. 

The duo weigh in on Dentsu's move into the sprint space with its relaunched 360i unit, the challenges of maintaining focus inside a holding company, and why they've trademarked their own answer to the traditional agency-of-record model: what they call "answers on repeat." They also explain their hard line against speculative pitching, even when a prospective client all but promises the win.

Dig deeper

~Read the Small Agency Playbook

~Why agencies are adopting sprint models and how they work

~How small agencies choose the right pitches—and prepare to win

~Agency reviews in 2030—24 leaders predict what the marketing pitch process will look like

~CMO Survival Guide: What CMOs want from agencies—3 ways to improve relations

Creative studio Basura's satirical "Adopt a Data Center" campaign imagines AI data centers as rescue animals. Plus, Applebee's names BBDO Chicago its new creative agency as CMO Michelle Chin looks to reverse falling same-store sales; Subway casts Will Arnett as America's tempted subconscious in its first campaign from new AOR Martin; OpenAI rolls out chat-based ad formats, tightening advertising's ties to its enterprise business; Parke offers lessons in community-based brand building.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating skepticism toward AI infrastructure, legacy brand reinvention and community-first retail growth. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Cuddly toy emits the hum of an AI data center in biting satirical campaign

~Applebee's turns to BBDO Chicago in a bid to regain growth

~Subway casts Will Arnett as your 'SUBconscious'—inside the campaign with CMO Jeff Klein

~How OpenAI is connecting ChatGPT ads to its enterprise business—and what it means for brands

~How DTC brand Parke is turning its social-first community into retail growth

Creators aren't just making content anymore—they're getting pulled into the actual strategy conversation. Ad Age social and influencer marketing reporter Gillian Follett explains how creators are shaping product decisions and campaign direction with brands, not just showing up in the final cut. She also weighs in on the branded-series gold rush (and why most of it isn't landing), a friend-group content format quietly gaining traction, and the one question about AI companies and creator partnerships she's still trying to get answered.

Listen to the full conversation on your favorite podcast platform.

Viral videos of influencers disrupting US Open matches exposed how many brands still lack clear systems for briefing talent, picking the right creators or vetting whether an event even fits their brand. Plus, WPP is set to retain Coca-Cola's global media, data and technology business but won't compete for its North America media pitch; KFC's new Open House concept restaurant joins a wave of experimental formats as quick service chains test menu, pricing and design ideas before rolling them out at scale; Amazon Ads becomes ChatGPT's biggest ad tech partner, letting marketers reserve ad inventory inside the chatbot; and QuikTrip's Home Bun activation drew more than 230 million views.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating creator accountability, agency fragmentation, experimental innovation and the rise of conversational advertising. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~WPP is set to win Coca-Cola's global agency review

~Inside fast food's big bet on experimental restaurant concepts

~Amazon becomes a new funnel for buying ChatGPT ads

~3 creator event mistakes the US Open exposed—and how to avoid them

~How QuikTrip dreamed up its viral in-stadium MLB hot dog game

Gillian Follett, social marketing and influencer reporter at Ad Age, breaks down how brand-creator partnerships have evolved in 2026, from creators taking on strategic roles in product development and marketing decisions to equity deals reshaping the influencer economy. The conversation covers creator advisory boards at holding companies, the rise of creator-founded agencies producing social-first branded content and the growing use of livestreaming creators in brand campaigns. It also gets into an emerging trend: brands working with creators to optimize content for AI search tools.

Host Parker Herren digs into where traditional, one-off sponsored posts still fit, why influencer fatigue is pushing brands toward more selective partnerships, and what's overhyped in the scripted branded-content boom right now. Subscribe to Ad Age Insider for more conversations that turn Ad Age's reporting into strategy marketers can implement now.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Subscribe to The Creator Brief by Ad Age!

~A new creator agency with an advisory board model gives talent a seat at the strategy table

~How four friends built a creator business—and landed 30 brand deals in four months

~OpenAI's creator trip fallout—what to do before signing an AI brand deal

~Inside the rise of creator-brand equity deals—and how they're reshaping creator marketing

~4 ways creator-brand partnerships are evolving

Planters named Martin, the agency behind the Geico Gecko, its creative agency of record without running a formal review, betting on character-driven branding to sharpen Mr. Peanut's point of view. Plus, Callaway ended its Good Good Golf partnership after a controversial ad, exposing gaps in how brands vet creator-made content; The Trade Desk overhauled Kokai with more visibility into automated ad buying OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Microsoft and Google are marketing AI to two audiences at once, exposing a marketing dilemma; and new sunscreen brand Pasty Man is targeting men with a an elderly dancer's backside.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating agency hiring strategy, creator content oversight, ad tech transparency and AI trust building. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Planters hires Martin to help Mr. Peanut win the protein wars

~Callaway controversy reveals gaps in how brands review creator ads

~The Trade Desk is overhauling its ad-buying platform—here's what marketers need to know

~Why AI CMOs have a problem that goes beyond advertising

~Pasty Man uses a 90-year-old butt to make its case for sunscreen

Catch the full conversation: https://adage.substack.com/p/ai-is-all-over-earnings-calls-ai

Ad Age's senior tech editor Garett Sloane joins Parker to answer the question everyone's asking: is the AI bubble about to pop, or are we still just getting started? They get into AI search (AEO), the OpenAI-vs-Google power struggle, and why Garett thinks holograms are the next big sleeper trend—plus a chatbot customer service story gone hilariously wrong.

YouTube is doubling the watch time and engagement thresholds creators need to qualify for its Partner Program starting February 2027, a shift that matters less than it sounds since brands are already striking direct deals with creators regardless of their eligibility status. Plus, The Variable acquired Gen Z and Gen Alpha-focused agency Carson+Doyle; Athleta launched "My World, My Rules," aiming to reverse a sales decline; Nielsen will begin applying Latency Adjusted DASH Universe Estimates to its Big Data Plus Panel currency, changing how TV and streaming viewing gets weighted; and Spotify and Uncommon New York turned real user playlist titles into outdoor ad headlines across New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating creator partnerships, agency M&A, TV measurement shifts and brand repositioning. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~The Variable acquires a Gen Z marketing agency—behind the move

~Athleta's first campaign with Invisible Dynamics underscores its female-first brand identity

~Nielsen announces latency tweaks for DASH universe estimates

~How YouTube monetization is changing for the platform's smaller creators

~Spotify features users' playlist titles as headlines in witty OOH campaign

Ad Age senior tech editor Garett Sloane unpacks why AI dominates earnings calls at companies from Meta and Google to Colgate-Palmolive, Amazon and Booking Holdings even if it's not yet moving the bottom line for most. The conversation covers AI search and chatbots reshaping consumer discovery, ChatGPT's ad business outlook, agentic commerce experiments and the slow, standards-limited rollout of agentic ad buying across PubMatic, Criteo and Magnite.

Sloane and host Parker Herren discuss where the AI hype-to-results gap is widest, and why even the companies racing forward are still working with incomplete data on what's actually working. They dig into why ChatGPT ad spend remains experimental, what a real agentic buying breakthrough would take and the state of the "AI bubble" conversation. Subscribe to Ad Age Insider for more conversations that turn Ad Age's reporting into what marketers actually need to know.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~AI is reshaping ad infrastructure but hasn't boosted company results just yet

~ChatGPT beefs up ad measurement, but gaps remain for buyers

~Amazon's AI shelf—what brands must do to compete for visibility

This week: PepsiCo is running a global agency review focused on building out AI marketing capabilities, with Omnicom, Accenture, Deloitte, and Publicis Sapient all vying for the assignment. 

Plus, Google enlists creatives Susan Credle, Tiffany Rolfe and Jayanta Jenkins to make AI-generated ads using Flow and Gemini to shift industry sentiment on AI; OpenAI's CMO for business argues ChatGPT is letting non-marketers like engineers make ads; Kick launches Kick Ads with tiered brand suitability controls, betting advertisers will trust its content moderation despite past controversy; and Garage Beer and Liquid Death team up on a music video and pee-collection stunt urging fans to help cool AI data centers, with Jason Kelce starring.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating AI's shift from hype to operational strategy, creative trust in generative tools, platform brand safety and the culture war brewing around AI. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~PepsiCo is conducting an AI marketing transformation review

~3 top creatives made AI spots with Google—will they help ease the stigma?

~OpenAI's business CMO says with ChatGPT everyone's a marketer

~How Kick is addressing brand suitability for cautious buyers

~Garage Beer and Liquid Death want you to cool AI data centers—with your pee

Dollar Tree named independent agency Tombras its first-ever creative agency of record ahead of a September brand campaign—what it reveals about the shift from performance marketing to full-funnel brand building. Plus, Quality Meats co-founders launched cannabis beverage Herb Light, using retro beer nostalgia to help THC drinkers understand dosage before they try it; OpenAI expanded ChatGPT's ad infrastructure with new partners including Kochava, though brand safety and independent verification tools are still missing; creator economy veterans launched JERi, a new agency built to give creators a seat at strategy and planning instead of just execution; and Columbia Sportswear closed its eight-month flat earth campaign with adam&eve/TBWA, handing out consolation gift cards after no one could prove the earth is flat.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating full-funnel brand building, emerging ad measurement channels, and the creator economy's shift toward strategic partnership. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Dollar Tree chooses Tombras as its first creative agency of record

~Quality Meats founders move into cannabis—inside their Herb Light launch

~ChatGPT beefs up ad measurement, but gaps remain for buyers

~A new creator agency with an advisory board model gives talent a seat at the strategy table

~Columbia Sportswear calls off 'Expedition Impossible' but has consolation prizes for Flat Earthers

Erika Wheless, consumer culture and brand behavior reporter at Ad Age, breaks down the consumer trends shaping the back half of 2026, and how they connect to the brands gaining the most ground with Gen Z. The conversation covers why credibility is starting to matter more than authenticity, with audiences favoring "frontline authority" voices—actual employees and experts—over traditional influencer marketing, plus AI's growing role in that shift. It also digs into Gen Z's renewed appetite for physical ownership, from DVDs and game cartridges to novelty popcorn buckets and dumb phones, and why that's less nostalgia than a response to rising costs.

Host Parker Herren presses Wheless on what's driving purchase decisions among older Gen Z shoppers now managing real budgets, and which brands—AliExpress, Aldi, Longhorn Steakhouse among them—are winning by leaning into affordability and collectible, shareable experiences. Subscribe to Ad Age Insider for more conversations translating Ad Age's reporting into insight you can actually use.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~4 consumer trends for brands to watch in the second half of the year

~20 brands catching Gen Z's attention right now and how they are doing it

~20 brands catching millennials' attention right now

~Movie marketing for the TikTok generation—how theater chains are trying to reach Gen Z

~Buy tickets to Ad Age's Business of Brands conference

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: McDonald's opens up about how an overloaded promotional calendar, stacking a K-pop Demon Hunters tie-in, value messaging, beverage launches, and a FIFA World Cup push, confused customers and dragged down second-quarter sales, and what it reveals about the real cost of promotional saturation and the discipline brands need to know what to cut. Plus, the Martin Agency wins Subway's creative account after pitching a single "brutally simple" idea in its final review; Yahoo Sports leans on Robert Griffin III and BBDO for a college fantasy football push as part of its broader brand revival; Japan Airlines starts running paid ads on ChatGPT and adopts "share of model" as a new visibility metric as AI search reshapes travel discovery; and Lemonade and Cash Studios reward safe drivers in Texas with a message board that only lights up for cars going the speed limit.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating promotional overload, long-term brand platforms versus campaign-by-campaign thinking, authentic talent partnerships, and the shift from clicks to AI visibility as a marketing metric. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~McDonald's rethinks crowded promotional calendar

~Martin wins Subway's creative account

~Inside Robert Griffin III's back-to-school Yahoo College Fantasy Football ad

~How Japan Airlines will track its new ChatGPT ad strategy

~Lemonade's 'Slow Sign' salutes the 10% of Texans who drive the speed limit

~Vote for the best campaign of July 2026

This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: creators like Alix Earle are increasingly chasing equity stakes instead of traditional brand deals, and what it reveals about creators becoming long-term business partners rather than just marketing assets. Plus, Popeyes names Stagwell's Anomaly as its new U.S. Creative Agency of Record following a sales decline and roster overhaul; Equinox pulls an AI-generated out-of-home ad after Asian creators call out racist and sexist stereotypes; Apple quietly expands its ad terms to run beyond its own properties and rolls out an AI-powered bidding tool; and Lego and Olivia Rodrigo launch a global scavenger hunt built around Lego vinyl records.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating creator ownership models, AI representation risks in campaign production, agency roster overhauls, and the tension between privacy positioning and ad revenue growth. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Inside the rise of creator-brand equity deals—and how they're reshaping creator marketing

~Popeyes names Anomaly its US creative agency as part of a broader roster overhaul

~Equinox pulls AI ad after creators call out racist Asian stereotypes

~How Apple's ads business could move beyond the App Store and its other properties

~Lego and Olivia Rodrigo send fans on a brick-built vinyl treasure hunt

The leaders of the 2026 Ad Age Small Agency Awards—Judy Pollack, Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin—break down what actually separated this year's winners from the pack. They dig into why small shops are ditching billable hours for outcomes-based and equity models and how agencies like Conscious Minds and Zambezi rebuilt their entire structures to compete at scale. They also talk about why social-first, technology-driven creative work, from CAPTCHA microsites to intern jackets, is what's winning clients over right now. Tune in for the full breakdown of consolidation, reinvention and what clients are actually paying for in a leaner ad economy.

Host Parker Herren presses the judges on where the industry goes next: expect more shops merging into "super indies," pitches built around certainty rather than promises and creative-first agencies pushing into media and production to avoid getting boxed into one lane. Listen to hear what it takes to survive—and win—as a small agency in 2026. Subscribe to Ad Age Insider so you don't miss what's next.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~See the winners of Ad Age's 2026 Small Agency Awards

~Read Ad Age's Small Agency Playbook

~Apply to join Ad Age's Small Agency Network

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: Taco Bell's Cyclospora outbreak and what it reveals about crisis communications, food safety, and brand trust. Plus, four Madwell alumni launch independent agency Five Cherries; ChatGPT's advertising platform shifts toward conversion-based pricing; creators Grant Gibbs and Ashley Gill talk brand partnerships without sanitizing their content; and Plato's Closet's immersive back-to-school campaign with agency Tombras.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating food safety and crisis response, the shift toward senior-led independent agencies and creator partnerships built on trust over reach. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~How the cyclosporiasis outbreak is testing Taco Bell's brand

~Four former Madwell executives launch their own agency

~How ChatGPT advertising works now—and what marketers still need

~'A Twink and a Redhead' on landing brand deals without sanitizing their risqué comedy

~Plato's Closet built a high school hall inside a store for kids to test their outfits

This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: Starbucks leans into culture over explanation with its 'Pink Energy' platform, built around the fan-favorite Pink Drink. Gary Vaynerchuk takes a personal stake in affiliate marketing agency Paul Street. Forward deployed engineers are embedding directly in agencies for AI development. Bayer tests predictive AI targeting that outperforms standard demand-side platform benchmarks. And the 2026 Emmy nominees for Outstanding Commercial include Apple, Nike, Adidas, Coinbase and Levi's.

Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating AI adoption, affiliate marketing growth and culture-first branding. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Starbucks builds a summer platform around Pink Drink

~Gary Vaynerchuk on why he's investing in an affiliate marketing agency

~How brands get more from AI with forward-deployed engineers

~How Bayer's head of media is using AI-powered predictive targeting and navigating AI search

~Adidas, Apple, Coinbase, Levi's and Nike earn Emmy nominations for best ad

Ad Age Media Reporter Brandon Doerrer gives a midyear check-in on 2026 ad spend, and breaks down the insights behind the data. He gets into why budgets are holding steady despite the economic pressure, what's happening in the upfronts (Disney's ask was a lot higher than buyers wanted to pay) and why streaming—not linear—is the thing keeping TV's growth numbers alive.

Hear more on growth in gaming advertising, Netflix and Omnicom's new AI targeting partnership and the complex shift in search. Plus, how World Cup marketing spend has impacted 2026 budgets.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~More on third quarter media buying trends

~How brands are using AI to solve data challenges

~EA's head of ads on video game brand integrations

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: how two indie agencies—Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and Canvas Worldwide—beat holding company giants Stagwell and Publicis for California Lottery's $550 million account. Plus Meta's marketing shake-up as Chief Marketing Officer Alex Schultz moves into a new chief data officer role and Denise Moreno takes over amid Meta's AI race against Google, Microsoft, Amazon, OpenAI and Anthropic. And why brands are underestimating 50-plus consumers; how e.l.f. Beauty, L'Oréal and Tarte are winning at AI adoption; and Windhoek Beer's anti-AI ad campaign.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~BSSP and Canvas land California Lottery's $550 million account

~4 ways to reach older consumers

~Meta switches CMOs

~Why beauty brands are ahead of the curve with AI

~Man born with extra fingers stars in anti-AI campaign

In Ad Age Insider's July 2 Weekly Report: inside Alex Cooper's pitch to brands at Cannes Lions; why Mr. Clean is going after beauty creators; how brands are combating conquesting on ChatGPT; how Q3 ad budgets are being spent; and iShowSpeed's collaboration with Expedia.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Read Ad Age's Q&A with Alex Cooper

~Inside Mr. Clean's beauty influencer campaign

~How conquesting is taking over ChatGPT ads

~What media buyers are prioritizing right now

~IShowSpeed and Expedia's shoppable stream

On this week's episode of Ad Age Insider, host Parker Herren recaps the news, trends and takeaways that have emerged from the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Hear reactions and pitches from companies including Tubi, Microsoft, EA, Google, OpenAI and Anthropic.

From how the AI conversation has shifted to how agencies are approaching creator marketing and emerging ad formats, catch up on the industry buzz that will set the tone for the rest of the year.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~See all the Cannes Lions winners here

~How AI has shown up at Cannes

~Inside OpenAI's Cannes ad pitch

~Why Microsoft is connecting with creators in Cannes

~What Ad Age's conversations in Cannes reveal about AI, agencies and creators

~Why gaming ad spend still lags

~Listen: Everything marketers need to know about microdramas

~Cannes Lions entries drop more than 25%

Agency reporters Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin break down the key topics, trends and questions to watch at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. From how industry mergers including Omnicom-IPG will shift agency priorities to the rise of independent agencies, they describe what factors are impacting the awards, events and conversations on the ground this year.

Plus, they discuss why the presence of social media creators is on the rise, how sports marketing is showing up and the top questions they're seeking answers to at Cannes.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Everything to know about Cannes Lions 2026

~Cannes Lions 2026 schedule

~The Cannes Lions creator playbook

~Enter Ad Age's 40 Under 40 by July 23

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

Watch this episode and see additional resources for marketers at AdAge.com/cmo.

In the first episode of the Ad Age CMOs on CMOs series, Andrea Collins, CMO of Hippo, and Liz Vanzura, CMO of Solo Stove, break down how they're implementing AI into team workflows, and how marketers can start discussing AI implementation with teams mindfully. They also dig into grassroots marketing tactics and the power of bringing your brand to consumers.

CMOs on CMOs is a new series from Ad Age. Each episode will feature two marketing leaders, discussing the trends, changes and trials of their work. Stay tuned for more episodes in the coming months.

For years, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been must-buy media inventory for marketers. But numerous controversies as well as the bigger-than-ever nature of the soccer games have presented new challenges and considerations for brands. 

Creativity Editor Tim Nudd and Senior Marketing Reporter Jon Springer discuss trends that have emerged across World Cup creative, sports marketing trends on the rise versus on the outs and how recent fan disruptions from ticket prices to geopolitical disruption have impacted brand plans.

Plus, they reveal the first-ever Ad Age Insider World Cup Marketing Award winners, including the most unique work, best brand strategy and best World Cup campaign. Listen to discover which brands took home trophies.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Everything brands need to know about World Cup marketing

~How brands are using access to break through World Cup clutter

~See Coca-Cola's unique AI activation

~See Air Transat's pricing-themed OOH campaign

~Watch Adidas' campaign starring Timothee Chalamet

~Inside Nike's star-studded World Cup spot

~See McDonald's World Cup collectors' cups

~These brands nailed World Cup work this year

~Enter Ad Age's 40 Under 40 by July 23

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

Senior Technology and AI editor Garett Sloane breaks down Publicis Groupe's acquisition of LiveRamp, including why it matters for brands and first steps for auditing your ad tech stack. He discusses the impact of data ownership on future AI development, how to leverage greater transparency with ad tech partners and the meaning of a composable ad tech stack.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Publicis-LiveRamp deal reshapes data landscape—what it means for rival agencies and the industry

~Publicis-LiveRamp deal sparks agency scramble for alternatives

~How to lock in your ad tech stack before the Publicis-LiveRamp deal closes

~How to submit for the 2026 Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

The industry is transforming in real time as AI growth impacts workflows, output and career paths from one moment to the next. Industry leaders are continually refining uses of AI platforms, best practices for prompting and how to communicate new tech initiatives to teams. As Ad Age honors trailblazers in innovation with the 2026 Tech Power List, reporters and editors share their tips for where AI use can go right and wrong in marketing.

This ICYMI roundup features Tech Reporter Asa Hiken, News Editor E.J. Schultz, Creativity Editor Tim Nudd, Influencer Reporter Gillian Follett and Senior Agency Reporter Lindsay Rittenhouse. They offer tips and tricks for topics ranging from consumers' primary AI fears to worst-case brand scenarios and the new talent pipeline conundrum.

Listen to each episode in its entirety:

~Your AI ad playbook: red flags, hard lessons and brand wins, with Asa Hiken

~What's driving marketing impact: lessons from award-winning campaigns, with Tim Nudd

~Decoding 2026 hype vs. reality for marketers, with E.J. Schultz and Adrianne Pasquarelli

~'Fruit Love Island' brand lessons: skip this viral trend, with Gillian Follett

~Agency hiring in the AI era: What grads need now, with Lindsay Rittenhouse

The checklist for effective marketing leadership has grown exponentially more complex—balancing trust and efficiency, growing loyalty in an age of skepticism and ensuring transparent agency relationships. Ad Age reporters share advice on all of these topics, and more, in this special edition of Ad Age Insider, which surfaces critical insights for CMOs across recent episodes.

This ICYMI roundup features Creativity Editor Tim Nudd, Reporter Erika Wheless, News Editor E.J. Schultz,  Senior Reporter Brian Bonilla, Reporter Ewan Larkin and Executive Editor Judy Pollack. Together, they make the case for why the power of the idea is more important than ever in an AI-saturated market, what Gen Z brand loyalty actually requires from marketers and what questions every CMO should be asking their agency right now.

Listen to each episode in its entirety:

~What's driving marketing impact: lessons from award-winning campaigns, with Tim Nudd

~Winning Gen Z brand loyalty—quality, service and community, with Erika Wheless

~Decoding 2026 hype vs. reality for marketers, with E.J. Schultz and Adrianne Pasquarelli

~How to win new business in 2026, with Brian Bonilla

~What are media rebates? Agency transparency in the hot seat, with Ewan Larkin

~How to win the Ad Age A-List, with Judann Pollack

Consumer Trends Reporter Erika Wheless discusses the top factors that influence brand loyalty with Gen Z—including product quality, sustainability and customer service. Plus, the brands Gen Z considers luxury from Coach, Louis Vuitton and Gucci to Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, Amazon and Target. She breaks down tactics brands are using to translate product quality into marketing, brand missteps that have been called out by young consumers and tips for building brand loyalty with Gen Z.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~The data on how brands can build loyalty with Gen Z

~How brands have successfully implemented product quality messaging

~How rising gas prices are impacting brands

~Get tickets to Ad Age's Small Agency Conference

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

Media Reporter Brandon Doerrer breaks down the trends defining this year's TV upfronts, including top questions to look out for from NBCUniversal, Disney, Amazon, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery and more. He discusses how factors from outcomes-based measurement to agentic AI buying tech and short-form video formats in streaming will play into negotiations. Plus, how CMOs can ensure transparency around principal media buying in dealmaking.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~2026 TV Upfronts calendar

~What agentic AI means for upfront negotiations

~TV measurement changes impacting the upfront

~Magnite's agentic media buying test with Disney

~What to ask about media transparency and the upfront

~Apply for the Ad Age Mid-Size Brand Leaders award

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Senior Agency Reporter Lindsay Rittenhouse breaks down the complex entry-level job market, with examples of how agency leaders are rethinking junior work as AI automates tasks traditionally done by early-career hires. She digs into what skills recent grads need on their resume right now, the gap employers are finding in formal marketing education and how to stand out as the number of applicants far outweighs opportunities in the current market.

Plus, data that shows why the ad industry isn't struggling as much as Wall Street thinks it is, and how the CEO-CMO relationship has evolved.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~How agencies are reshaping junior-level roles and training in the AI era

~How to land a junior ad agency job—what leaders say works as roles change due to AI

~Listen to Ad Age Insider's 2025 episode on AI and entry-level roles to hear how much has changed

~Get tickets to Ad Age's Small Agency Conference

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

Creativity Editor Tim Nudd breaks down trends and lessons from award-winning campaigns for Nike, The New York Times, ChatGPT, Anthropic and more. From comedy's comeback to experimental experiential and a focus on exceptional craft, he reveals what CMOs need to know from the 2026 Ad Age Creativity Awards. And he shares a few close-calls that led to surprising prizes awarded by this year's juries.

Plus, why brands like Ugg, Owala and Claude are gaining equity with Gen Z. And how to win Ad Age's new Mid Size Brand Leaders award.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~See Ad Age's 2026 Creativity Award winners

~See Ad Age's 2026 A-List winners

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

Tech Reporter Asa Hiken gives a vibe check on how advertisers are feeling about OpenAI two months after it launched ads on ChatGPT, and how the AI company is stacking up against competitors Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude. Plus, he gives advice for developing a brand AI strategy as products develop, and reacts to a live test of how paid ads may influence organic chat results.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~The state of ChatGPT ads post-launch

~Why ChatGPT's Instant Checkout faced challenges

~Lessons from OpenAI sunsetting Sora

~Listen: AI search strategy 101

~Apply for Ad Age's Mid-Size Brand Leaders award

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Senior Engagement Editor Mark Fischer interviews Ad Age's communities and Substack strategy leaders Sabrina Sanchez and Parker Herren on how brands are turning consumers into brand builders. Learn how brands are meeting audiences where they are, designing repeatable, low‑lift interactions and choosing platforms that teams can sustain. 

Sanchez and Herren also outline first steps for marketers and agencies: audit existing audiences, prioritize trust and feedback loops, and treat community as a long‑term distribution and relationship strategy.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Subscribe to Ad Age's Substack

~More on Ad Age's The List community

~If you're an early-career professional and want to sign up for Ad Age's NextGen community, send an email to nextgen@adage.com

~Applications for Ad Age's Small Agency Network will reopen this summer. Stay tuned at AdAge.com for more information

~Read Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Playbook

~How brands can help Gen Z find fulfillment beyond curated feeds

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

Brain rot content has become a staple of virality on TikTok. But brands eager to jump into trending conversations should be wary of "Fruit Love Island" and similar AI-generated posts. Users will be far less kind to corporations than their peers. Influencer and Social Media Marketing Reporter Gillian Follett breaks down the "Fruit Love Island" trend, why it's become so popular and what it reveals about brands on social media. Plus, the shift of content toward entertainment and brands that have successfully tapped into emerging formats.

And, what you need to know about Kristen Cavallo's return to the ad industry as well as CVS Health's creative and media agency reviews.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~What brands need to know about "Fruit Love Island"

~Creator takeaways from this year's NewFronts

~Submit for Ad Age's Small Agency Awards

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

Senior Reporter Jon Springer breaks into the rise of identity marketing, including how soda brands like Poppi, Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke are winning with Gen Z. Plus, how all marketers can incorporate better social listening and fan engagement to turn their branding into cultural currency.

And why ChatGPT's Instant Checkout ad product flopped, and Apple's plans to bring brands to Maps.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Why the drinks people carry matter more to marketers now

~Takeaways from Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Playbook

~Behind the rise of alcoholic sports drinks

~Summer alcohol marketing trends to know

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

As the industry gears up for a week of presentations from YouTube, Meta, TikTok, Tubi and more, Ad Age reporters break down the topics trending at this year's NewFronts, from AI and agentic tools to creator amplification. Hear how to decipher hype from reality, how digital ad dollars are being spent in 2026 and why these presentations matter to the industry.

Plus, why Publicis is calling out the Trade Desk.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~2026 NewFronts trends

~2026 NewFronts calendar

~Inside Q2 media budgets

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Executive Editor and editorial lead of the Ad Age A-List Judann (Judy) Pollack talks the value of industry awards, and tips for climbing Ad Age's annual list of top agencies. She describes what defines success despite industry challenges, what judges look for in award submissions, the dos and don'ts of a good entry and trends to watch for next year's A-List.

Plus, DraftKings' new creative agencies. And what Milan Cortina Winter Olympics marketers learned about brand safety, and how to apply those lessons to the FIFA World Cup.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~See 2026 Ad Age A-List winners

~Attend Ad Age's Editors Roundtable on March 26

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Senior agency reporter Brian Bonilla goes deep on the current new business marketplace, including how government policy, tech and AI innovation and industry consolidation are impacting agency account reviews. Bonilla shares current brand needs, explains how those are different from recent years, and provides tips for brands to get a leg up in pitches. Plus, tips for marketers overwhelmed by the review process.

Plus, the lesson for brands in McDonald's cringe CEO taste test and what ChatGPT's first third-party ad tech partner means for brands.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~What separates agencies winning 2026 reviews

~How agencies are helping clients become more self-sufficient

~Inside agencies' new self-service platforms

~What are media rebates? Agency transparency in the hot seat

Agency reporter Ewan Larkin decodes a recent lawsuit against WPP Media that has made agency transparency the industry's buzziest topic. Larkin defines media rebates and principal media buying, explaining how agencies aggregate billions in client ad budgets to negotiate volume deals with platforms such as Google, Meta and Amazon, and how those arrangements can create conflicts over who benefits from discounted or proprietary inventory. He describes potential red flags in these practices and lists what questions marketers should be asking their agencies to protect their marketing budgets.

Plus, Estée Lauder's media agency shakeup, and a shocking agency executive exit.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Inside the lawsuit against WPP Media 

~Acadia's CEO on media rebate transparency

~Get tickets to Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Ad Age Tech Reporter Asa Hiken chronicles the evolution of generative AI use in major brands' advertising, the common mistakes that upset viewers and the checklist every marketer needs to know if they plan to scale generative AI use. 

Plus, why agencies are rushing to get their clients on ChatGPT, including the benefits they predict will come from being a first mover. And Raymour & Flanigan's new media agency.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Subscribe to Ad Age's Emerging Tech newsletter

~See AI generated work from Coca-Cola, Google, Progressive, Svedka, McDonald's and Kalshi

~Register for Ad Age's AI-focused Editor's Roundtable

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

Ad Age reporters and editors share their top Super Bowl takeaways that indicate elements of winning Big-Game strategies. From the downfall of celebrity slop to the best uses of social media and the risks brands take when they play it safe, take notes on what hit and missed last Sunday so that your brand can get ahead on its 2027 plan. 

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Ad Age's Super Bowl ad review

~How brands plan for the Monday after the Super Bowl

~Agency winners from Super Bowl LX

~Ad Age's Super Bowl diversity report

~Super Bowl advertisers fall behind on Hispanic representation

The countdown to Super Bowl Sunday is on. Creativity Editor Tim Nudd and Senior Marketing Reporter Jon Springer discuss the formula for a timeless Super Bowl ad, how marketers are approaching televised events amid political and cultural upheaval, emerging trends across Olympics and Big Game campaigns and whether AI slop has infiltrated the industry's biggest night.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Track all of this year's Super Bowl ads

~Watch Olympics ads from Visa and Hershey's

~Watch Super Bowl ads from Grubhub, Squarespace, Instacart, Budweiser, Bud Light, Pringles and Svedka 

~Throwback to sports marketing work from P&G, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Nike, Tide, Coinbase, CeraVe, E-Trade, Budweiser and Coors Light

~How advertisers are handling political upheaval at the Super Bowl 

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Ad Age's Gillian Follett redefines going viral for 2026, from how to pivot marketing strategies to the new metrics measuring social media success and emerging platforms brands should dig into. Plus, how to win with subcultures, manage fractured virality and avoid cringe.

And the chaos behind the scenes of TikTok's ownership transition, why auto brands are skipping the Super Bowl and Home Depot's agency shakeup.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Universal viral moments are over—what brands need to know

~Inside social trends: Jet2 holiday, 2016 throwback, Brat Summer, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

~Lessons from Taylor Swift's viral engagement

~Buy tickets for the Ad Age NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Creativity and media innovation reporter Brandon Doerrer breaks down the recent surge of long-form marketing and how brands are tapping into the microdrama surge. From measurement and performance, to platform strategy and this see-what-sticks mentality, learn what branded entertainment means for media strategy, and takeaways for marketers, even if they don't have a Hollywood budget.

Also, OpenAI has begun testing ads in ChatGPT. Hear Ad Age's reporting on how much it costs to be first to market and strategy takeaways. Plus, how to win the Gen Z 2016 social trend.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Inside brands' long-form ad experimentation

~Watch long-form work from Maybelline, Gushers and Doritos

~Buy tickets for Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast