MarketingStrategy
Identity, Trust, and the New Rules of Nonprofit Marketing: Insights from Jon Lee of Lerma
Nonprofits are often the first to feel cultural change—not because they’re different from brands, but because the stakes are higher. When people give their own money rather than spend it, their motivations are more revealing, their expectations more demanding, and their tolerance for misalignment far lower. That’s why the shifts happening in nonprofit marketing today—around […]
Marketing in 2026: From Prediction to Reckoning
What marketers are questioning, reconsidering, and re-prioritizing as the year begins. For much of the past decade, marketing has been driven by anticipation. What’s next.What’s coming.What will change everything. As 2026 approaches, that posture is giving way to something quieter—and far more consequential. Across industry reports, cultural analysis, and conversations with senior marketers worldwide, a […]
Why Big Ideas Stall — And How Marketers Can Become the Chief Alignment Officers
Susan Schramm on De-Risking Strategy, Moving People to Action, and Fast-Tracking Ideas in a Fragmented World When bold ideas stall, marketers are often the first to feel the friction. They see it in the brief, hear it in the rooms where decisions wobble, and feel it when a campaign that should work never gains traction. […]
GEN MORE+ Signals: How Multigenerational Marketing Is Becoming a Brand Advantage
From Martha Stewart for American Eagle to Gwyneth Paltrow and Apple Martin for Gap to Coach’s cross-age resurgence, brands are learning that the strongest growth comes from connecting generations—not dividing them. Marketers have spent the better part of a decade fixating on generational labels—Millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha. Yet the most resonant campaigns of 2025 […]
Edelman’s “Power of 55” Rewrites the Rules of Age and Influence
GenMore+ Insight: Why marketers can’t afford outdated assumptions about the 50+ consumer This story first appeared in ANA magazine. Edelman’s Longevity Lab has launched The Power of 55, a cohort of creators aged 55 and older tasked with helping brands better understand, engage, and build long-term relationships with this economically dominant yet chronically underserved audience. […]
Finding Juliette: When Strategic Thinking Saves a Life
A Jay Chiat Award winner that not only caught our eye—but touched our heart. The Jay Chiat Awards have long celebrated the best in strategic thinking—work that pushes boundaries, challenges conventions, and redefines how creativity delivers real-world results. Yet this year, one Gold-winning campaign from Belgium did more than inspire the marketing community. It saved […]
Breaking Barriers: Bridget Sponsky on Ally’s Bold Play for Equity and Innovation
Few brands in financial services are known for cultural relevance. But Ally Financial, under the brand leadership of Bridget Sponsky, is rewriting that narrative. In 2022, Ally stunned the marketing world by announcing its 50/50 Pledge: a promise to invest equally in men’s and women’s sports media within five years. For decades, women’s sports received […]
The Hidden Operating System of Marketing: Ulli Appelbaum on the Science of Brand Associations
When marketers think about growth, they often focus on purpose, storytelling, or functional benefits. Yet Ulli Appelbaum, brand strategist and award-winning author, argues that the most powerful driver of brand success has been hiding in plain sight all along: brand associations. With his new book, The Science of Brand Associations: Win Minds, Win Markets (out […]
The Trillion Dollar Blind Spot: Why Brands Are Ignoring Their 2025 Lifeline
By Lee Brody, Co-Founder and President at Openly Gray and Lee St. James, Co-Founder and ECD at Openly Gray Let’s be honest: Hitting your year-end 2025 goals is more of a pipe dream every day. The first half of 2025 has been unprecedented. Unstable global markets, pervasive downsizing, and shifting consumer sentiment have conspired against […]
Are You Using AI to Interrupt or Interact? Redefining Consumer Relationships
In the era of digital transformation, marketing strategies are constantly evolving, and with the advent of AI, the possibilities seem endless. AI has become a pivotal tool in the arsenal of marketers, enabling unprecedented levels of personalization, efficiency, and insight. However, as we stand at this crossroads, it’s crucial to pose a fundamental question: What […]