Ad Age News Editor E.J. Schultz and Senior Marketing Reporter Adrianne Pasquarelli go behind the scenes of Ad Age's annual Marketer of the Year list. They share tips on how brands can increase their odds for next year's competition as well as a rundown of takeaways from this year's group of brands that might be useful for your 2026 marketing strategy.

Plus, a look inside the Kansas City Chiefs' play to become the top Christmas NFL team, with key strategy takeaways from CMO Lara Krug. And the latest on Warner Bros. Discovery's sale saga.

Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode:

~Garage Beer is Ad Age's 2025 Marketer of the Year

~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

~Vote for 2025's biggest brand fail

~Vote for the best ad campaign of 2025

~Share your 2026 ad industry predictions with Ad Age