Event Recaps
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Small Projects for Big Wins: A Practical Way to Ship Marketing Analytics
Event Recaps May 10, 2026During the 2026 ANA Masters of Data Conference, Lily Herron, marketing analytics manager on the performance analytics team at ADT, argued that analytics teams can create faster business value by planning and delivering small, modular data projects instead of waiting to complete large initiatives. She outlined why small projects reduce operational friction, how component-based planning makes pivots survivable, and a four-step framework to connect technical work (such as MTA and MMM) to real marketing operations goals.
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Culture, Community, and a Timely, Timeless Playbook for Brand Growth
Event Recaps May 6, 2026During the April 29, 2026 ANA Brand Strategy Committee meeting, members explored how culture fuels growth and how brands can activate in culture without losing their core identity. The session included takeaways from ANA's Brand Practice on defining culture, GUT New York's "Timely Timeless" framework for long-term brand building, and a case study on how Girl Scouts of the USA and Linqia amplify girl-led community impact through creators and content.
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Creators at Scale: The Next Phase of Marketing Growth
Event Recaps May 5, 2026During a session at the 2026 ANA Creator Marketing Conference, leaders from the ANA and Unilever examined how creator marketing has moved from an experimental tactic to a core growth engine. With global spending reaching an estimated $37.1 billion in 2025, the discussion focused on operating models, transparency, and measurement — and what brands must do next to unlock sustainable value from creators.
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How Children's Miracle Network Is Using Creator Marketing to Expand Awareness and Impact
Event Recaps May 4, 2026During a session at the 2026 ANA Creator Marketing Conference, Hayley Virta outlined Children's Miracle Network's brand evolution and creator marketing strategy, inviting participants into a first-ever Hackathon for Good designed to increase awareness, consideration, and fundraising impact.
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Inside Walmart's Creator-Powered Retail Strategy
Event Recaps May 4, 2026Walmart is reframing social platforms as a primary engine for commerce discovery, using creators, visual search, and fast delivery to collapse the path from inspiration to purchase. The strategy highlights how intent signals, shoppable content, and measurement models may reshape retail media effectiveness.
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How Quest Scales Creator Content to Drive Retail Results
Event Recaps May 3, 2026During a session at the 2026 ANA Creator Marketing Conference presented by Pinterest, Lyle Stevens of Later and Grace Niu of Quest Nutrition explained how Quest uses creators as a growth channel that extends beyond the social feed. The speakers outlined how retailer-specific briefs, cross-channel usage rights, and digital asset management make creator content scalable across paid media and retail touchpoints.
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How 7-Eleven Turned Car Culture into a Brand Growth Engine
Event Recaps May 2, 2026During a session at the 2026 ANA Creator Marketing Conference, Marissa Eddings explained how 7-Eleven built a creator-led fandom strategy rooted in car culture. By listening boldly, investing in community credibility, and building a flywheel from UGC to IRL participation, the brand turned a niche passion into scaled relevance and brand growth.
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How Brands Can Reduce Waste and Build More Effective Influencer Programs
Event Recaps May 2, 2026At the 2026 ANA Creator Marketing Conference, leaders from the ANA Influencer Marketing Working Group shared early findings from an invite-only, client-side initiative focused on eliminating waste in influencer marketing. The session examined where inefficiencies occur across influencer selection, vetting, agency models, briefing, governance, media activation, and measurement — and offered practical steps brands can take to optimize investment.
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Client versus Creator: Turning Tension into Better Influencer Work
Event Recaps May 1, 2026At the 2026 ANA Creator Marketing Conference presented by Pinterest, a high-energy, game-show-style session brought brands and creators face to face to debate common assumptions in influencer marketing. Hosted by Linqia's Finola Austin, the discussion unpacked where client and creator perspectives match, where they clash, and how agencies and marketers can turn early tension into partnerships that actually work.
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How MGM Turns Creator Content into Full-Funnel Creative
Event Recaps May 1, 2026At the 2026 ANA Creator Marketing Conference, Derek Schoen, VP of integrated media strategy at MGM Resorts International, explained how MGM treats social media as the starting point for creator content and then scales those assets across paid media, owned channels, and on-property environments.
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How Purpose Built Brands Grew Market Share by Leaning into the Fundamentals of Marketing
Event Recaps May 1, 2026Green Gobbler knew it represented a better, safer solution for families and the environment than the competition, and it boasted a distinctive asset — its Green Gobbler character. Learn how PurposeBuilt Brands made Green Gobbler the guy people turn to when they have a clog.
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How AI and Creators Are Reshaping Commerce Discovery and Retail Media Performance
Event Recaps April 30, 2026Artificial intelligence is reshaping brand discovery, and creator content is redefining retail media performance. Marketers may need to rethink both content structure and creative strategy to stay visible and competitive.
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How Nissan Revamped Its Media Strategy to Drive Business Results
Event Recaps April 30, 2026Nissan rewrites its media strategy after efficient buys stop translating into sales, cutting spend while improving performance. CMO Allyson Witherspoon explains how AI, data ownership, and algorithm-aware planning are reshaping automotive media effectiveness.
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These Five Tectonic Shifts in Society Will Drastically Change How Business Works
Event Recaps April 30, 2026We are no longer in transformational times. We are in tectonic times. Rishad Tobaccowala shared the five tectonic shifts we are all going through, how the mediascape is being ruptured, and how marketing is being reshaped. Most importantly, Rishad shared how we can all thrive and lead today.
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Why Retail Media Is the Future of All Media
Event Recaps April 30, 2026Andrew Lipsman argues retail media is becoming the future of all media, reshaping how brands think about reach, effectiveness, and growth. His 2026 ANA Media Conference session shows how closed-loop data, incrementality, and in-store display could redefine media strategy.
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AI, Answer Engines, and the Future of B2B Marketing Strategy
Event Recaps April 29, 2026AI answer engines are reshaping how B2B buyers discover and trust brands, as marketers face a shift from clicks to citations. Insights from the ANA B2B Committee explore AI visibility, zero-click search, and decision systems that could redefine strategy and measurement.
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Adapting to AI Shoppers and Improving Personalization
Event Recaps April 28, 2026As AI agent shoppers reshape buying decisions, marketers must rethink loyalty and personalization — optimizing machine-readable signals, behavioral data, and agile activation to stay visible and relevant.
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From Crisis to Blockbuster: How Penguin Random House Made "James" a Bestseller
Event Recaps April 28, 2026How Penguin Random House turned Percival Everett's James into a No. 1 bestseller, using creator trust, pre-order momentum, and sustained word-of-mouth to drive cultural and commercial impact.
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How to Build, Measure, and Communicate Brand Health
Event Recaps April 28, 2026Senior marketers outline how brand health becomes a measurable business asset, from cultural partnerships to financial valuation. Lessons from the ANA Brand Value & Measurement Committee suggest clearer ways to quantify brand value, communicate ROI, and align marketing with enterprise strategy.
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Dr. Marcus Collins: Why Culture, Not Products, Moves People
Event Recaps April 26, 2026Dr. Marcus Collins explains why culture, not product features, drives behavior — and how brands that lead with meaning, ideology, and community outperform those chasing trends.
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