26 APR 2024 · Dr. Anastasia Kārkliņa Gabriel believes that brands reflect culture and actively shape societal norms and values. Her new book, Cultural Intelligence for Marketers: Building an Inclusive Marketing Strategy, demonstrates how marketers can create programs that resonate effectively with audiences and meaningfully impact society.   Her book is devoted to helping marketers view culture more critically and act on that cultural knowledge to find answers for their own brands and businesses. Dr. Gabriel says her goal is to enable brands to “ignite cultural innovation and leverage the power of media for good.” Our discussion focuses on the framework of Cultural Intelligence for Marketers, social responsibility, and the future of marketing strategy.

7 APR 2024 · Few can boast of a professional life that includes investment banker, equity research analyst, long-time agency executive, and developer of two of the global advertising industry's most widely relied upon data sets.  Brian Wieser has devoted much of his career to understanding trends in media spending, its overall effect on advertising budgets, and what this means not only to marketers but to investors.  His strategic advisory firm, Madison and Wall, is just over one year old, and Brian is raising his expectations for the advertising industry in 2024 by forecasting ad growth at 5.6%.  While he explains clear risks and opportunities, he currently sees an upside in ad spending as far out as 2028.  In looking at specific media, he sees strength in commerce media and weakness in TV advertising.

23 MAR 2024 · https://www.seeher.com/ is the ANA’s global initiative to champion the positive representation of women and the leading global movement to eliminate gender bias in marketing, media, and entertainment.  A new edition of the report, https://www.seeher.com/resources/seeher-dentsu-global-perceptions-of-progress-on-gender-equality/?st3=240320internationalist&utm_medium=email&utm_source=internationalist&utm_campaign=initiative2403, conducted by SeeHer in partnership with dentsu, showed some surprising results, including disillusionment in the U.S. market. While 90% of Americans believe media and marketing can create change by helping shape gender roles, they perceive barriers to still exist. The report found that 30% of Americans see women in ad messages as leaders, compared to 48% in 2021, and 70% believe women are being portrayed as caretakers, compared to 52% in 2021. SeeHer President, Christine Guilfoyle, addresses these issues and offers several next steps..

23 MAR 2024 · As a leader in self-regulation, the ANA, through the Center for Ethical Marketing, helps businesses build brand and consumer trust through best practices, guidelines, guidance, compliance services, and committees. The Center seeks to educate, elevate, and advance accountability for the industry and mediate consumer complaints.  Senny Boone, Senior Vice President of the Center for Ethical Marketing, has three decades of communications law experience spanning marketing, fundraising, and privacy issues, including innovative technology and consumer protection. She has said repeatedly that “Marketing suffers from a lack of trust in the marketplace, leading to heavy regulation and less growth for brands.”    We discuss these issues and answer what marketers can do when brands face ethical dilemmas.

27 FEB 2024 · Liz Kneebone has spent much of her career focused on environmental, social, and governance issues, as well as playing an active role in stakeholder engagement and change management. Today, as , an ANA initiative, she believes sustainable, inclusive marketing practices are a significant growth driver for all organizations across every industry. Liz advocates that marketers and their supply chain partners are responsible for driving a positive impact on people and the planet alongside business results. Today, she talks about how marketers can motivate customers to move from mere concern for sustainability to adopting sustainable behaviors and purchasing sustainable goods and services.

27 FEB 2024 · Martin Puris believes we are approaching a second Creative Revolution in Advertising. He plans to be part of it—just as he was instrumental in the first Creative Revolution during the Golden Age of Advertising when he founded Ammirati & Puris with his partner Ralph Ammirati in the 1970s. Famous for finding the right words to convey the Big Idea, Martin Puris, as a copywriter, coined such iconic brand concepts as “The Ultimate Driving Machine” for BWM and “The Antidote for Civilization” for Club Med, as well as “UPS, We Run The Tightest Ship in the Shipping Business” and “Schweppes, The Great British Bubbly.” He continues to believe, “Great ideas move the world.” Today, he talks about what should matter in marketing, the elements of memorable advertising, and why he believes he can help today’s clients see what they’re missing.

11 FEB 2024 · The AEF is the ANA Educational Foundation, and its mission is to connect today’s advertising and marketing communities with academia. AEF educates and inspires the next generation of talent while advancing the understanding of marketing and advertising in society. According to Gord McLean, President & CEO of AEF, “Our future marketing and advertising leaders are not just looking for a job, they are looking for a meaningful career that will make a positive impact on society." Today we discuss the future of marketing leadership, a “curricula for modern marketing,” and how marketers can connect with professors and students to ensure that the next generation is inspired to enter the business… and literally make a difference.

11 FEB 2024 · Fifty-two percent of Americans have experienced online hate. And violence attributed to hate speech has increased worldwide. Expressions of racism, homophobia, xenophobia, misogyny, and other forms of targeted harassment against vulnerable groups and individuals can make the connectedness of social media become toxic. Anita McGorty, Executive Vice President of Engage Responsibly, talks about how this ANA-led nonprofit dedicated to online hate education provides resources for businesses and consumers so that anyone can be part of the solution to create a safer and more inclusive digital environment.

2 FEB 2024 · Sir Martin Sorrell possesses the exceptional ability to seamlessly integrate macro geopolitical issues and technological trends with his deep understanding of marketing, advertising, and media. Plus, he has decades of experience interpreting the significance of an industry’s evolution, first-hand. Certainly, one of the many things that drives him as a CEO is being forthright about current realities. Following his annual January visits to both CES and the World Economic Forum, he shared his views on the complexity of world events in 2024 and how they impact brand building and business growth in a complicated “post-digital” era where the efficiencies of tech are now central to running any company. As always, his thoughts are well worth consideration. And while he can be scathing at times, particularly when discussing agency holding companies or even Gen Z, Sir Martin Sorrell continues to navigate with an abundance of information and expresses his views unambiguously and without false optimism.

21 JAN 2024 · Marla Kaplowitz has spent a long career at ad agencies…. And now as CEO of the 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies), she is helping her members navigate the constantly changing agency world. She sees her role as ensuring that agencies remain relevant, compete successfully, and have the resources to flourish. Today, she anticipates how events in 2024 will impact the business, interprets the milestones of the past year, and shares several insights from critical 4A's research and recent reports as the business moves forward.