How did ad agency economics become so challenging? Fee-cutting and low growth are part of the equation, but the roots of the issue go back decades. Ad industry analyst and author Michael Farmer joins WARC's David Tiltman to discuss his new book 'Madison Avenue Revisited' and offer his take on 30+ years of change to advertising business models, including the impact of dysfunctional client-agency relationships, increased creative workloads and AI.

Just 29% of creator ads outperform the average brand ad. Research from System 1, WPP Media and Tiktok uncovers what drives attention, emotion and brand recognition across creator content. System 1's Andrew Tindall and brand strategist Eugene Healey join WARC's Anna Hamill to break down creator effectiveness hacks, how to brief creators properly, and why so many marketers are using the wrong metrics to measure success.

Uber's Lucinda Barlow offers advice for marketers on how to build a safe culture for creative experimentation, identifying strategic blind spots, making decisions in times of extraordinary uncertainty and how to localise a global brand. Hosted by WARC's Rica Facundo.

How do the best marketers actually integrate brand and performance – not just in theory, but in org design, planning and measurement? Prophet’s Kate Price and Monica El Hassan join WARC's Ann Marie Kerwin to discuss strategies for a more integrated approach, based on WARC's marketing effectiveness research The Multiplier Playbook.

Brand equity is essential to win on AI platforms. Equity can't be built without memory, and memory can't be built without attention. WARC's Alex Brownsell discusses what role attention plays in AI visibility for brands, and practical advice to implement, with experts Dr. Karen Nelson Field, Carl Wåreus and Scott Reijinders.

Cultural intelligence is high stakes for brands in the era of infinite content. Developing culturally-fluent talent is essential for brands seeking an edge. Cultural strategist Rachel Lowenstein and Effie LIONS Foundation CEO Allison Knapp Womack join WARC's Rica Facundo to discuss what's motivating young marketers, emerging cultural strategy trends and what it really means to move at "the speed of culture".

New data from CreativeX reveals the alarming extent of 'churn and burn' short-termism among advertisers, based on a study of 633,000 ads over two years. Content volume is way up, but media budgets aren't. So what's going on? Anastasia Leng, CEO of CreativeX, joins WARC's David Tiltman to break down the data, examine the most concerning trends, and discuss how brands can turn the ship around.

Creative Strategy Lions jury president Sarah Lemarié and juror Dan Hill share powerful advice on how to level up strategic thinking, their stand out campaigns from Cannes Lions, why they look for 'strategic firsts' in the jury room, and a warning on using AI in awards entries. Hosted by Effie Insight's John Bizzell. Guests: Sarah Lemarié, Chief Strategy Officer, Publicis France Dan Hill, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Wieden+Kennedy

Mark Ritson is back to talk all things marketing skills, back-to-basics brand fundamentals, the impact of AI on the marketing workforce and why he's tired of marketing's 'culture of bullsh*t'. Hosted by WARC's David Tiltman.

Cannes Lions jury president Bertille Toledano and juror Jane Wakely share tips for aspiring winners of the Creative Effectiveness Lions, including lessons from this year's Grand Prix and Gold winners, how to present data, outline cultural context & and demonstrate brand growth with rigorous evidence. Hosted by WARC's Amy Rodgers. Bertille Toledano is CEO of BETC and Havas Creative Middle East, and President of Havas Creative Network. Jane Wakely is Executive VP, Chief Consumer & Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer - International Foods at PepsiCo. The entries for the 2026 Cannes Lions Creative Effectiveness category are now live on WARC.com for all subscribers.