Shift Happens

Santa hats in September? On Shift Happens, that can only mean one thing: the holiday season is already on the agenda. Host Nasser Sahlool and Melis Ciner, DAC’s vice president of media, talk about how marketers can make the most of the months-long shopping rush without relying on one big day or deep discounts to do all the work. From reaching shoppers while they’re still researching to keeping new customers engaged after the decorations come down, they share ways to turn seasonal attention into growth that lasts all year.

Keywords had a good run. But people are searching in full sentences, AI is answering before the click, and marketers are realizing that yesterday’s playbook is running out of pages. 

Search is becoming faster, more conversational, and far less predictable, and Google is building AI into every stage of the journey.

In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Miles Savage, Head of Agency at Google Canada, to explore how AI is changing the way people search, shop, discover brands, and make decisions.

They unpack why marketers need to stop obsessing over keywords; how stronger data, smarter bidding, AI-powered campaigns, and flexible budgets can unlock growth; and why success in the age of AI will depend less on chasing clicks and more on influencing real business decisions. 

What happens when the pace of change goes from fast to “that year’s worth of work just became obsolete overnight” fast?

In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Norm Hagarty, CEO and Managing Partner at DAC, to explore what decades of disruption can teach leaders about navigating the age of AI—without losing sight of the people behind the transformation.

Together, they unpack why being on the leading edge beats chasing the bleeding edge, how organizations can turn anxiety into action, and why investing in people is essential to future-proofing a business. Norm also shares the leadership principles that have guided DAC through seismic shifts in technology, media, and consumer behavior, from E² + C² to the story behind “meet them at the elevator.”

The takeaway? Technology will keep changing. Great leadership doesn’t have to. Stay curious, communicate clearly, get close to the work and, above all, give a damn.

If authority is no longer controlled by brands alone, how do you earn trust from both people and AI?

In this episode of Shift Happens, our host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Jenna Watson, SVP of Media at DAC, and Dan Temby, SVP of Technology & Analytics at DAC, to explore brands should approach search marketing in today's AI search-driven world.

They unpack why every mention, signal, and interaction now matters, how AI is influencing decisions alongside consumers, and why brands need to break down silos to show up consistently across every platform and touchpoint.

The takeaway: success is no longer just about being visible. It is about earning enough authority to be included, cited, trusted, and recommended.

The feed had a good run. But people are tired of scrolling, squinting at AI slop, and wondering whether that rhinoceros playing ping pong is real.

Digital behavior is shifting from public performance to private connection, and Snapchat has been built for that shift all along. In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Bob Cornwall, Country Manager for Canada at Snap Inc., to unpack what marketers can learn from the move away from passive consumption and toward more personal, participatory digital experiences.

They explore why Snapchat opens to the camera, not a feed; how AR, AI, Bitmoji, and Snap Map help people connect instead of just consume; and why brands need to think beyond reach if they want to earn real attention.

The internet didn’t lose its human side. It just got harder to find.

As AI becomes a bigger part of how people search, discover, and make decisions, where do they turn when they want something more than a polished summary? Increasingly, they turn to Reddit: a place built on real conversations, lived experience, niche communities, and the kind of honesty algorithms can’t easily manufacture.

In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Neil Cameron, Agency Development Partnership Lead – Canada at Reddit, to explore how Reddit is shaping the future of search, consumer trust, AI discovery, and community-led marketing.

They unpack why Reddit has evolved from the “front page of the internet” into something closer to its beating heart: a place where people go to validate information, ask better questions, compare real experiences, and find perspectives they may not get from brands, influencers, or AI-generated answers.

From the rise of AI search and the growing importance of human validation to the role of subreddits, recommendations, AMAs, paid media, and community-first engagement, this conversation explores how brands can show up on Reddit in ways that are useful, authentic, and additive. Because for marketers, the opportunity is not to dominate the conversation. It is to understand it, contribute to it, and earn trust in the places where decisions are already being shaped.

TV didn’t die. It changed the script. 

How should marketers rethink TV when audiences are moving across more screens, platforms, and viewing environments than ever before? 

In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Mike Fogarty, Head of Client Development, Brand and Agency Partnerships at Tatari, to explore the rise of convergent TV and what it means for modern marketers. They unpack why the “TV is dead” narrative missed the bigger shift: TV has not disappeared, it has become more fragmented, flexible, data-driven, and measurable. From linear TV and streaming to CTV, digital video, FAST channels, AVOD platforms, and on-demand environments, today’s TV ecosystem is no longer about choosing one channel over another. It is about understanding how every part of the screen experience works together. 

Mike explains why marketers need to stop thinking in separate buckets like linear versus streaming and start planning around the full TV ecosystem. The core message: TV remains one of the most powerful channels for both brand and performance, but the brands that win will be the ones that plan holistically, measure smarter, and connect TV investment more directly to business outcomes. 

How should marketers turn anxiety into action when change becomes the new normal?

In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Jared Hendrickson, Vice President and General Manager of DAC’s New York office, to explore how marketing leaders can navigate an era defined by AI disruption, budget pressure, shifting platforms, measurement challenges, and rising expectations.

They unpack why today’s anxiety is not driven by one single change, but by the speed and volume of change happening all at once, from LLM visibility and generative search to emerging ideas like agentic commerce. Jared explains why leaders need to slow down before they act, bring the right people together, align around outcomes, and build confidence through honest, iterative progress. The core message: in uncertain times, the best marketers do not wait for perfect clarity. They create enough clarity to move, test with purpose, learn quickly, and help their teams turn fear into forward momentum.

If search used to be about ranking on Google, what is it really shaping today?

In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Matt Southern, Senior News Writer at Search Engine Journal, to explore how search is evolving beyond rankings, clicks, and traditional SEO metrics.

They unpack the shift from Google-only visibility to a broader decision ecosystem spanning AI search, zero-click results, Amazon, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, maps, reviews, and marketplaces. Matt shares what search marketers are asking right now, what’s being overhyped, and what brands are underestimating as AI systems increasingly shape how people discover, compare, validate, and choose. The episode also explores why SEO fundamentals still matter, how consistent brand information influences AI-generated answers, and why marketers need to measure success beyond organic traffic alone.

The takeaway? Search doesn’t just drive clicks anymore—it shapes trust, influence, and decisions across the full customer journey.

Fix Your KPI Blind Spots Webinar: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/webinar-lp-fix-for-kpi-blind-spots-how-to-finally-tie-ai-search-to-performance/

The Top 6 Search Engines Market Share & The AI Search Engines To Watch Blog: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo/meet-search-engines/

If AI used to be about generating answers, what is it really driving today? 

In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Dan Temby, Head of Technology and Analytics at DAC, to explore the rapid evolution of AI from conversational tool to action-oriented system. Together, they unpack the rise of “agentic” AI, technology that doesn’t just respond to prompts, but can execute tasks, make decisions, and act on behalf of users. 

Dan breaks down how recent advancements have unlocked real, practical use cases, from coding environments that can build and deploy autonomously to early examples of agent-driven commerce through platforms like ChatGPT. 

The conversation also dives into what this means for brands and marketers, including the emergence of headless, machine-readable systems and a future where AI agents, not just humans, navigate, evaluate, and transact across the digital ecosystem. 

The takeaway? AI is no longer just answering questions. It’s getting things done, and brands must be ready to show up in a world built for both humans and machines.