Brands & Marketers

Sessions

• The Future of Retail Growth: How Unified Measurement Powers Profitability

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Tom GregoryGlobal VP of Platform & PartnershipsLifesight

  Learn how Unified Marketing Measurement is transforming the future of retail growth in a privacy-first world. In this session, Tom will walk through the evolving buyer and media journeys, expose the inefficiencies of traditional attribution, and show how methods like Causal MMM, Incrementality Testing, and Causal Attribution can unlock real profitability. Through real-world examples and actionable insights, He will also share how brands can turn marketing into a predictable, measurable growth engine, proving ROI, optimising media spend, and aligning teams around sustainable success.

  Mon 10/6 • 5:50AM EDT30minIn person

• Trust as the New Currency: Navigating Brand Loyalty

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Adam ShlachterUS Client PresidentWPP Media
  • Amanda ForthHead of Partnerships, Sales and MediaFabFitFun
  • Arielle SheridanDirector of Consumer MarketingInstacart
  • Lauren GriewskiManaging Director, Head of Sales & PartnershipsChase Media Solutions

  In modern marketing, trust is the new currency that drives brand loyalty and growth. With numerous channels available, marketers face unprecedented opportunities-and challenges-in shaping consumer perceptions. The ability to convert consumers into brand evangelists and repeat customers hinges on how effectively marketers manage these interactions. This panel will explore the strategies and insights employed by marketers and agencies to build trust in a multi-channel world.

  Mon 10/6 • 6:30AM EDT30minIn person

• BODYARMOR: Fueling Culture. Owning the Moment.

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Kristina LutzEVP, MarketingGSTV
  • Sara WeaverVP, Brand MarketingBODYARMOR

  What does it take to move with culture, adapt to shifting consumer habits, and stay unapologetically real? In this fireside chat, Sara Weaver, VP of Marketing at BODYARMOR Sports Drink, and Kristina Lutz, EVP of Marketing at GSTV, unpack how the brand raises the bar by showing up where culture and convenience collide. It’s not just about hydration- it’s about fueling the next generation of athletes and lifestyle-driven on-the-go consumers. Learn how BODYARMOR cuts through the noise to meet consumers where they are.

  Mon 10/6 • 7:10AM EDT30minIn person

• Creative that Lasts: Making the Most of Every Impression

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Edwin RodriguesGlobal Marketing Research ConsultantHewlett Packard (HP)
  • Leigh BakerManaging DirectorSix+One
  • Stephanie LancasterManager, Brand and Consumer StrategyThe Wendy's Company
  • Tina DeSarnoChief IA OfficerMarketCast

  In a time of shrinking budgets and sky-high expectations, marketers are under pressure to deliver better creative that goes the distance – breaking through with impact, clicks, and sustaining them over longer periods of time. We’ll explore real-world campaigns, categories, and brands that achieve long wear-in and lasting impact – and what they’re doing right.

  Mon 10/6 • 7:50AM EDT30minIn person

• Beyond Clicks: Cracking the Code on Growth and Trust in Ad Tech

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Katie IngramDirector of EuropeAdvertising Week
  • John PicconeRegional President, AmericasAdform

  Right now, 40% of internet users are essentially invisible to advertisers-browsing on cookieless platforms where impressions vanish and budgets waste away. That’s not just a tech problem; it’s a growth problem.

  In this conversation, John Piccone, Regional President – Americas at Adform, breaks down what it takes to win in this new reality. Forget chasing clicks-growth today means aligning media to business outcomes, finding the audiences others can’t, and building trust in an industry where transparency is everything. John will share how smart brands are doing more with less, turning fragmentation into opportunity, and unlocking the other 40% of the internet.

  Mon 10/6 • 8:30AM EDT15minIn person

• From Noise to Noticed: Attention in the Age of Doom Scrolling

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Chris NortonSVP MarketingMarriott International
  • Andrew GuendjoianHead of Ad SalesDuolingo
  • Mark ManningHead of Product Marketing – Direct to StudentAdobe
  • Tara McCallumHead of MarketingIntrepid Travel

  We’re living in a scroll-happy, skip ahead world; where attention isn’t just scarce, it’s skeptical. So how do you stand out without turning people off?

  In this session, leaders from Marriott Bonvoy, Adobe, Intrepid Travel, and Duolingo share how they’re creating ad experiences that stand out and people actually enjoy. You’ll hear how purposefully placed, delightfully unexpected creative can cut through the chaos, and how understanding your audience’s mindset might be the ultimate cheat code to getting noticed.

  Presented by

  Mon 10/6 • 9:10AM EDT30minIn person

• Power in Play: Gaming’s Rise as the New Language of Identity and Belonging

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Pete BasgenVP, Strategy, North AmericaLivewire

  Gaming is the most powerful social connector of our time, a space where identity is expressed, communities are forged, and culture is remixed daily. “Power in Play” reveals how gamers across geographies and backgrounds see play as core to who they are. This session will exclusively unveil insights from Livewire’s proprietary research and explore the implications for culture, creativity, and brand storytelling in a world where gaming is the new cultural lingua franca.

  Mon 10/6 • 9:50AM EDT15minIn person

• Premium Video’s Exponential Traffic Growth…w/ One Flaw: Defective Currency

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Sean CunninghamPresident and CEOVAB

  The bold-line proof of premium video’s unmatched power to drive exponential traffic into Google Search, DTC e-commerce, and across the full funnel grows stronger each quarter. VAB’s stats and insights show scaled audiences converting into motivated buyers in dramatic ways. But 2025 revealed one critical weakness: a “new” currency from a legacy provider showing steep declines in premium video impressions-believed to be data defects, not real audience loss. VAB uncovers the truth in this compelling “state of” traffic-driving.

  Presented by

  Mon 10/6 • 10:05AM EDT15minIn person

• Marketing at the Speed of Culture: Bold Brands, Fast Moves, Real Impact

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Alison WeissbrotExecutive EditorAdweek
  • Jess SpauldingChief Marketing OfficerPepsiCo
  • Leslie MalcolmVice President MarketingMolson Coors Canada
  • Sean McDonaldGlobal Chief Strategy Officer, PartnerRethink

  In today’s fragmented attention economy, the brands winning hearts (and headlines) aren’t just reacting to culture; they’re co-creating it. From Doritos’ new Golden Sriracha launch, an over-the-top spicy-sweet parody that plays with nostalgia and humor, to Coors Light’s viral “Lights Out” moment-turned-marketing-magic, brands can harness everything from real-time internet chatter to long-simmer cultural trends to stay relevant.

  Presented by

  Mon 10/6 • 10:30AM EDT30minIn person

• Rethinking Purpose for a More Skeptical World

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Amy WilliamsCEO and FounderGood-Loop
  • Amy DunhamChief Communications OfficerHabitat For Humanity
  • Cristina TazzaGlobal Chief Strategy OfficerDesign Bridge and Partners
  • Leslie BlountSenior ReporterCampaign

  The signals of “doing good” aren’t landing like they used to. While nonprofits and brands operate in different contexts, they face the similar challenges: how to build trust, credibility, and community in an increasingly skeptical landscape.

  What if a brand told its story like a nonprofit asking for support? What if marketers had to earn trust with less spin and more clarity? And what happens when purpose-driven companies stop trying to be the hero and start showing up in ways that earn trust instead of demand it?

  Presented by

  Mon 10/6 • 11:10AM EDT30minIn person

• A Slam Dunk in IRL: Becoming Unskippable and Unignorable

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Brad AlperinHead of Brand SolutionsOUTFRONT
  • Jo FoxSenior Vice President of MarketingESPN

  The brief was simple: how does ESPN score big and become unignorable for its first-ever DTC launch? The answer: IRL media at the heartbeat of New York – the subway. Join Jo Fox, SVP of Marketing at ESPN, and Brad Alperin, Head of Brand Solutions at OUTFRONT, as they share learnings from the ESPN app launch, including an E train takeover by NYC’s most iconic mascots. They’ll show how real-world activations cut through, connect, and create cultural moments nationwide.

  Mon 10/6 • 11:50AM EDT30minIn person

• The New Era of Sports & Entertainment Marketing

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Inna KernVice President, Media Strategy and PlanningESPN
  • Chris FlexnerHead of Verticals, Entertainment, Telco,& RegulatedSnap Inc.
  • Diana LucasNorth America Marketing Science DirectorMeta
  • Ria SekhawatEntertainment & Technology Lead, Marketing ScienceSpotify
  • Scott NagyVice President, Commercial PartnershipsSamba

  Marketers deserve proof that their investment across platforms is driving audiences to watch. They need insights on performance and efficiency and have confidence in the measurement of each. This guide to modern measurement will outline how to effectively track and attribute tune-in and other critical entertainment and sports outcomes across screens. Walk away with clear, actionable strategies and data-driven best practices for proving ROI and making smarter, more holistic media decisions.

  Mon 10/6 • 12:30PM EDT30minIn person

• How to Give Your Brand the X Factor

  Insights Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Jon EvansChief Customer OfficerSystem1
  • Kate PricePartnerProphet
  • Ken FavaroChief Strategy OfficerBERA.ai
  • Lexi WolfHead of AdvisoryWARC Americas
  • Mike MenkesGroup Senior Vice PresidentAnalytic Partners

  Integrating brand and performance advertising is vital for CMOs who want to deliver the best results. Achieving that in practice, however, is where marketers often fall short.

  Building on The Multiplier Effect, a smash-hit study published in early 2025, WARC is once again partnering with Analytic Partners, BERA.ai, Prophet and System1 to offer practical advice on making an integrated approach to brand and performance a reality.

  Mon 10/6 • 1:10PM EDT30minIn person

• ADDING A NEW SESSION

  Creativity Stage

  • Brands & Marketers

  • Ruth MortimerCEOAdvertising Week

  Presented by

  Tue 10/7 • 9:00AM EDT40minIn person