Senior Reporter Jon Springer breaks into the rise of identity marketing, including how soda brands like Poppi, Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke are winning with Gen Z. Plus, how all marketers can incorporate better social listening and fan engagement to turn their branding into cultural currency.

And why ChatGPT's Instant Checkout ad product flopped, and Apple's plans to bring brands to Maps.

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

~Why the drinks people carry matter more to marketers now

~Takeaways from Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Playbook

~Behind the rise of alcoholic sports drinks

~Summer alcohol marketing trends to know

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

As the industry gears up for a week of presentations from YouTube, Meta, TikTok, Tubi and more, Ad Age reporters break down the topics trending at this year's NewFronts, from AI and agentic tools to creator amplification. Hear how to decipher hype from reality, how digital ad dollars are being spent in 2026 and why these presentations matter to the industry.

Plus, why Publicis is calling out the Trade Desk.

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

~2026 NewFronts trends

~2026 NewFronts calendar

~Inside Q2 media budgets

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Executive Editor and editorial lead of the Ad Age A-List Judann (Judy) Pollack talks the value of industry awards, and tips for climbing Ad Age's annual list of top agencies. She describes what defines success despite industry challenges, what judges look for in award submissions, the dos and don'ts of a good entry and trends to watch for next year's A-List.

Plus, DraftKings' new creative agencies. And what Milan Cortina Winter Olympics marketers learned about brand safety, and how to apply those lessons to the FIFA World Cup.

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

~See 2026 Ad Age A-List winners

~Attend Ad Age's Editors Roundtable on March 26

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Senior agency reporter Brian Bonilla goes deep on the current new business marketplace, including how government policy, tech and AI innovation and industry consolidation are impacting agency account reviews. Bonilla shares current brand needs, explains how those are different from recent years, and provides tips for brands to get a leg up in pitches. Plus, tips for marketers overwhelmed by the review process.

Plus, the lesson for brands in McDonald's cringe CEO taste test and what ChatGPT's first third-party ad tech partner means for brands.

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

~What separates agencies winning 2026 reviews

~How agencies are helping clients become more self-sufficient

~Inside agencies' new self-service platforms

~What are media rebates? Agency transparency in the hot seat

Agency reporter Ewan Larkin decodes a recent lawsuit against WPP Media that has made agency transparency the industry's buzziest topic. Larkin defines media rebates and principal media buying, explaining how agencies aggregate billions in client ad budgets to negotiate volume deals with platforms such as Google, Meta and Amazon, and how those arrangements can create conflicts over who benefits from discounted or proprietary inventory. He describes potential red flags in these practices and lists what questions marketers should be asking their agencies to protect their marketing budgets.

Plus, Estée Lauder's media agency shakeup, and a shocking agency executive exit.

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

~Inside the lawsuit against WPP Media

~Acadia's CEO on media rebate transparency

~Get tickets to Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Ad Age Tech Reporter Asa Hiken chronicles the evolution of generative AI use in major brands' advertising, the common mistakes that upset viewers and the checklist every marketer needs to know if they plan to scale generative AI use.

Plus, why agencies are rushing to get their clients on ChatGPT, including the benefits they predict will come from being a first mover. And Raymour & Flanigan's new media agency.

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

~Subscribe to Ad Age's Emerging Tech newsletter

~See AI generated work from Coca-Cola, Google, Progressive, Svedka, McDonald's and Kalshi

~Register for Ad Age's AI-focused Editor's Roundtable

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

Ad Age reporters and editors share their top Super Bowl takeaways that indicate elements of winning Big-Game strategies. From the downfall of celebrity slop to the best uses of social media and the risks brands take when they play it safe, take notes on what hit and missed last Sunday so that your brand can get ahead on its 2027 plan.

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

~Ad Age's Super Bowl ad review

~How brands plan for the Monday after the Super Bowl

~Agency winners from Super Bowl LX

~Ad Age's Super Bowl diversity report

~Super Bowl advertisers fall behind on Hispanic representation

Ad Age's Gillian Follett redefines going viral for 2026, from how to pivot marketing strategies to the new metrics measuring social media success and emerging platforms brands should dig into. Plus, how to win with subcultures, manage fractured virality and avoid cringe.

And the chaos behind the scenes of TikTok's ownership transition, why auto brands are skipping the Super Bowl and Home Depot's agency shakeup.

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

~Universal viral moments are over—what brands need to know

~Inside social trends: Jet2 holiday, 2016 throwback, Brat Summer, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

~Lessons from Taylor Swift's viral engagement

~Buy tickets for the Ad Age NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

Creativity and media innovation reporter Brandon Doerrer breaks down the recent surge of long-form marketing and how brands are tapping into the microdrama surge. From measurement and performance, to platform strategy and this see-what-sticks mentality, learn what branded entertainment means for media strategy, and takeaways for marketers, even if they don't have a Hollywood budget.

Also, OpenAI has begun testing ads in ChatGPT. Hear Ad Age's reporting on how much it costs to be first to market and strategy takeaways. Plus, how to win the Gen Z 2016 social trend.

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

~Inside brands' long-form ad experimentation

~Watch long-form work from Maybelline, Gushers and Doritos

~Buy tickets for Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

After attending CES and NRF's Big Show, Ad Age News Editor E.J. Schultz and Senior Marketing Reporter Adrianne Pasquarelli decipher what industry leaders are saying on stages versus the anxieties they face as the CMO role continues to fundamentally change. From the increasing complexity of AI innovation to how agencies are struggling to differentiate innovation and consumers' hunger for simplicity, hear how 2026 predictions are actually taking shape.

Also, what Google's new agentic commerce framework means for brands and lessons on how to get the most out of TikTok Shop.

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

~Top marketing takeaways from CES 2026

~Trending topics at NRF's Big Show 2026

~5 tips for selling on TikTok Shop

~Track 2026 Super Bowl ads

~Buy tickets for Ad Age's NextGen Marketing Summit

~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

On Ad Age Insider's first episode of 2026, reporters from across the Ad Age newsroom share the most and least surprising takes from their predictions reporting, and what it all means for the industry. From how changes in the media landscape might impact brands' agency rosters to how consumer crazes around protein and weight loss drugs will influence marketing trends and plenty of AI, hear how this year's trending topics will impact your work and the industry.

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

~Media buying and strategy predictions

~100 creativity predictions

~2026 influencer marketing shifts

~AI marketing predictions for 2026

~100 ad leaders predict 2026 marketing trends

~Food and beverage marketing trends to watch

~The future of retail in 2026

~Enter Ad Age's 2026 Tech Power List

~Listen to the Ad Age Marketer's Brief