AW360 Live

Gen Alpha’s influence does not begin when they become teenagers or get their first credit card. They are already helping decide what their families watch, eat, buy, and experience. For brands, that creates an opportunity to become relevant inside the household today while building the familiarity and trust that could last well into the future.

Today, we're joined by Emma Witkowski, VP, Media Solutions at WildBrain. We talk about why Gen Alpha deserves marketers’ attention now, how characters such as the Teletubbies and Strawberry Shortcake connect parents with their children, and why branded content can earn attention by becoming part of the entertainment families already love.

AI may dominate the Advertising Week schedule, but Neala Brown, Global Head of Data, Measurement & Insights at Teads, wants to hear what happened after companies put it to work. We talk about the experiments that delivered results, the bets that did not, and why legal, operational, and measurement questions are essential to getting implementation right. Neala also shares how AI search is changing the open web, why CTV is becoming more measurable, and what she hopes to learn from some of the less expected voices at Advertising Week New York.

Marketers have more data, technology, and ways to reach people than ever, but many still struggle to turn what they know into action. Rose Baki, Senior Partner and Head of Strategy at Lippincott, joins us ahead of Advertising Week New York to talk about the organizational barriers slowing marketing down, why creativity should be treated as a business advantage, and how CMOs can build the influence needed to turn a strong strategy into business growth.

As AI takes on a larger role across advertising, Mike Ellery, Chief Creative Officer at Sparks, believes it is making real human connection more valuable, not less. Ahead of Advertising Week New York, Mike joins us to talk about how technology can support more personal live experiences, why organic conversations often deliver the greatest value, and what sports can teach marketers about building community and participation around a shared experience.

On this episode of AW360 Live, Dr. Tamara Zubatiy, CEO and Co-Founder of Barometer, and Mike Reznick, President and COO of SoundStack, join us to explore what those changes mean for marketers heading into 2027. They discuss the growing importance of cross-platform planning, the changing relationship between creators and brands, what marketers should really be asking about AI, and why better measurement could finally change the role of podcasting and digital audio within the broader media mix.

The conversation also looks ahead to Advertising Week New York, including the topics likely to dominate the stages, the conversations that could emerge unexpectedly in the hallways, and why podcasting may be ready to move from an “emerging” channel to an essential part of modern media planning.

On this episode we’re joined by Steve Rowbotham, CEO & Founder of Navigator, to unpack fragmentation, arguably one of the biggest challenges in modern marketing. Steve explains how aggregating travel audience data can unlock true scale for commerce media, why audience and creative need to work hand in hand, and what the rise of agentic media buying really means in practice. It’s a clear, practical look at how marketers can cut through complexity and drive better results.

Fergus McCallum, Chief Executive Officer at TBWA\MCR, joins us to talk about the comeback of humor in advertising. We dive into why brands moved away from funny campaigns, how humor can tackle sensitive topics, and what it takes to make a joke land without backfiring. Fergus shares examples from his work and insights on how humor is connecting with audiences again—especially as platforms and Gen Z shape the future of advertising.

On this episode of AW360, we’re joined by Tom Evans, Founder & Creative Lead at BigSmall, to talk about why the most powerful creative work doesn’t start with campaigns—it starts with clarity. Tom shares how defining a single, unarguable idea at the center of a business can align teams, unlock better creativity, and drive real growth. It’s a fresh, practical perspective on cutting through complexity and building brands from the inside out.

Chris Elsheikhi, VP of Demand Generation at Usercentrics, breaks down why today’s performance marketing engine is stuck on a “hamster wheel” of short-term optimization—and why more data, more spend, and more AI aren’t the answers marketers think they are.

Instead, he makes the case for a fundamental shift: treating consent and trust as core performance signals, not compliance hurdles. From the hidden gaps in conversion tracking to the growing AI trust deficit among consumers, Chris outlines how leading teams are rethinking their measurement stack—connecting consent data, analytics, and activation to drive more accurate, sustainable growth.

If AI is only as good as the signal it’s fed, this episode is a wake-up call: fix the signal, or risk scaling flawed insights at machine speed.

Darren Thompson, Vice President of Sales at Adlook, joins us to talk about why the open web is becoming a powerful alternative to walled gardens in an AI-driven landscape. He shares why legacy metrics like clicks and impressions are falling short, how attention and outcomes are taking center stage, and how deep learning is helping advertisers predict performance and reduce waste before a bid is even placed. We also get into privacy-first targeting, the shift away from identity, and what marketers need to rethink to unlock real results.