Industry Insights
-
How to Create Team Processes That Improve Consistency and Efficiency
Leading Edge February 18, 2026Improving organizational and team efficiencies does not just hinge on technological advancements but also stems from structural and creative strategy. While it may be tempting for team leadership to enhance consistency and optimization through artificial intelligence and martech solutions, fostering and developing an agile team is key.
view -
Authentic Female Portrayals Outperform Across Every Creative Metric
Leading Edge February 17, 2026Research from SeeHer and Ipsos reveals that ads featuring multidimensional female representation deliver a 10 percent lift in media value and a 21-point boost in creative effectiveness.
view -
True’s Co-Founder Cos Mingides on Creative Storytelling in B2B
Pulse February 16, 2026Denise McDevitt, SVP of award programs at the ANA, connects True’s Co-Founder and head of effectiveness, Cos Mingides to spotlight their award winning work “Reimagine the Possible” for Exel Composites, a fearless B2B campaign turned technical materials into an emotional growth engine — and expanded an entire category in the process.
view -
Marketing Is Food and Beverage Retailers’ Biggest Challenge
Leading Edge February 13, 2026While inflation certainly remains a concern, particularly for grocery stores and bottle shops, the elevation of marketing to the No. 1 challenge signals a fundamental shift in how independent retailers view their competitive landscape. Let’s look at why this concern has emerged so strongly and what food and beverage retailers can do to better compete.
view -
Why Martech Success in 2026 Depends on Organizational Readiness, Not Technology
Leading Edge February 13, 2026Preliminary survey data shows martech barriers stem from organizational capacity — data silos, weak collaboration, and limited bandwidth — rather than technology gaps.
view -
2026: The Year Media and AdTech Myths Finally Collapse
Leading Edge February 11, 2026AI has dominated every annual round of predictions the past few years, and 2026 won’t be any different. But the real story isn’t about more AI — it’s about the industry myths that AI will soon expose. For all the talk of omnichannel strategies, search optimization breakthroughs, seamless programmatic automation, and clean buy-side/sell-side roles, the reality is that none of these narratives will survive contact with what’s coming next.
view -
Why In-Store Retail Media Still Struggles to Scale
Leading Edge February 10, 2026Tim McCracken, CRO at SOLUM America, discusses how to redefine success for in-store retail media.
view -
AdTech Predictions: Programmatic's Next Evolution
Leading Edge February 9, 20262026 marks a critical inflection point for programmatic advertising, converging around three core shifts: radical supply chain simplification, AI-powered intelligence embedded in platforms, and a reimagining of publisher value propositions. These forces are beginning to unlock the performance and measurability.
view -
Carley Caldas of eos Discusses Creator Marketing Opportunities
Pulse February 6, 2026Bill Duggan, group EVP at ANA, chatted with Carley Caldas, SVP of marketing & creative at eos, in advance of the upcoming Association of National Advertisers' Creator Marketing Conference in Las Vegas.
view -
Why Media and Entertainment’s AI Focus Is Shifting from Output to Context
Leading Edge February 5, 2026Albert Lai and Steven Hickson of Google discuss new creative possibilities with agentic AI beyond budget-saving.
view -
Healthier Brands Are Coming to the Super Bowl
Leading Edge February 4, 2026Looking at the Big Game advertisers that have announced spots so far, healthier options are the growing trend among various food and drinks brands.
view -
5 Things Brands Can Do with Agentic AI to Improve Programmatic
Leading Edge February 3, 2026Alena Morris, VP of product marketing at Kargo, discusses five agentic AI capabilities that go above and beyond programmatic.
view -
Marcus Thomas Leaders Discussed How to Create Brand Value
Pulse February 2, 2026Denise McDevitt, SVP of award programs at ANA connected with creative director Kevin Delsanter and APR, VP/PR group director Natalie Partridge from Marcus Thomas to discuss their REGGIE award winning work “SpineScreen,” the breakthrough idea that reimagined a routine summer ritual as a moment of early scoliosis detection for families nationwide.
view -
The Real Power of Influencer Marketing in B2B
Leading Edge January 29, 2026B2B buying dynamics increasingly rely on trusted third-party voices to validate choices. Decision-makers are pressured with purchases of considerable investment; they are often overwhelmed with content, cautious of unknown brands or experiences, and skeptical of brand-led messaging or salespeople trying to just close a deal.
view -
Compliant’s Report Stresses the Importance of Data Integrity in Media Buying
Leading Edge January 28, 2026Compliant discussed the importance of high data integrity publishers in agentic media buying in its report “Data Integrity: A Super-Signal for the AI Era.”
view -
Why You Need an AI Operating Model
Leading Edge January 27, 2026For most organizations, the question is no longer whether to use AI. Instead, it’s how to operationalize it in a way that strengthens, not complicates, the marketing function. An AI Center of Excellence (CoE) provides a clear path forward by establishing the frameworks, processes, and cultural foundations needed to turn AI from a promising experiment into a durable, beneficial capability.
view -
Inside Visit Philadelphia’s Guinness World Record-Breaking Activation
Leading Edge January 26, 2026Visit Philadelphia set a Guinness World Record for the largest Drag Queen Story Time, reinforcing its reputation as America’s most inclusive destination and driving measurable tourism growth during Pride Month.
view -
What Marketers Need to Know About the AI LUMAscape
Pulse January 21, 2026Conor McKenna, partner at LUMA Partners, discusses the recently released AI LUMAscape, offering clarity on how AI-driven companies are organized and what marketers should focus on as they navigate this rapidly evolving ecosystem.
view -
6 Strategic Predictions for Marketing Leaders in 2026
Leading Edge January 20, 2026Guy Yalif, chief evangelist at Webflow, discussed how marketing’s winners will be those who treat AI as a leadership challenge rather than a technical one. Yalif also explored what marketing leaders will need to prepare for in 2026.
view -
The Non-Negotiable Drivers of Success Leveraging AI and Data in 2026
Leading Edge January 20, 2026AI is evolving from simple automation to intelligent orchestration when data is leveraged correctly. It's no longer about replacing repetitive tasks; it's about creating systems that surface the "next best option" and transform unstructured data into real-time decisions. To stay competitive, agencies need to focus on three game-changing trends: AI-driven orchestration, unified data as the foundation for alignment, and the shift from efficiency to effectiveness in go-to-market strategy.
view