Advertising Week: Digitas Recaps Key Moments from the Stage

Didn’t make it to AWNY? No problem. Scan below for our take on some of the discussions that captured our attention at AWNY, Adweek House, and Brand Innovators.???

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Michael Consolazio, VP, Media Technology

Michael spoke on the “Bridging the Gap: How Technology Can Solve Brand Safety and Suitability in News” panel. In today's media landscape, advertisers face the challenge of balancing brand safety with the opportunity to reach a large, engaged news audience. While fears of ads appearing next to controversial content persist, most consumers are savvy enough to differentiate between ads and news content. Blocking news sites can lead to missed opportunities, as?25% of U.S. consumers?are avid news readers, and?84%?say advertising in news maintains or boosts brand trust. To navigate this, brands, agencies, and publishers must collaborate, prioritize transparency in brand safety tools, and recognize the value of supporting journalism, which not only drives business results but also funds a key pillar of democracy.

Melissa Berger , Chief Solutions Officer

Melissa spoke on the “Unlocking the Power of Lifetime Value with Rewards” panel to discuss strategies to enhance customer loyalty and maximize lifetime value in a competitive marketplace. In a time when consumers are more selective with spending due to price increases, brand loyalty is crucial. The group spoke about the importance of integrating loyalty strategy across the omnichannel ecosystem, and how data-driven decisions and platforms such as Fetch can be leveraged to drive repeat purchases and engagement.

Ali Amarsy , Chief Strategy Officer

Ali spoke on “The Future of Measurement: Real-Time Connected Intelligence” panel with Joel Yashinsky, CMO of Applebees, Meredith Zheng, Measurement Lead, Agencies at TikTok, and Nick Voutiritsas, Manager, Enterprise Media Measurement & Performance at Walgreens. Moderated by Michael Della Penna, CSO at InMarket, they discussed the power of real-time connected intelligence, sharing that when the storytelling goal is clear, combined with the right curation of intelligence, the opportunity for brands to build networked brand experiences is ripe. Moving forward, orchestrating intelligence to build great brand experiences with clear and simple goals in mind will be the best way for marketers to drive growth, as consumers have to balance more factors into their decisions.

Amy Worcester Lanzi , CEO of Digitas NA -?Brand Innovators

On the “Women in Marketing” track, hosted by Brand Innovators, Amy Lanzi brought forward the importance of building a community and support systems. Not only are allies important, but also finding supportive partners or mentors to advise and champion you is essential to empower a woman’s work. “Find someone else to bring you into that session, into that conversation, into that room,” she said. Read more here: bit.ly/3Y5g5aE

Amy Worcester Lanzi , CEO of Digitas NA – Adweek House Panel

Amy Lanzi joined Nilay Patel, Editor-in-Chief of The Verge, for a live recording of his Decoder podcast at Adweek House during AWNY. Nilay posed some of Decoder's signature questions, focusing on organizational structure, decision-making processes, and the latest trends in the creator economy. Together, Amy and Nilay explored Digitas' role within Publicis Groupe, highlighting their focus on networked experiences and modern marketing strategies. Digitas leverages data and technology to foster authentic connections across various platforms, from social media to streaming services. They also discussed key topics such as brand safety, the evolving partnerships with platforms like Google and TikTok, and striking a balance between in-house creatives and external influencers. Want to learn more? The episode goes live later this month. Subscribe and listen here.

Danisha Lomax , Head of Client Impact and Inclusivity?

Danisha participated in the “How Sephora is Catalyzing a More Inclusive Beauty Industry” panel with Brent Mitchell, VP of Social and Influencer at Sephora, Thatiana Diaz, Editor in Chief at Remezcla, and Alexandra Kennedy, EVP Commerical Officer at My Code. They discussed how brands can champion the advancement of inclusion in the Beauty industry through understanding culture and intentional ongoing partnerships.

In today’s modern beauty space, the conversation around diversity and multicultural representation is more prominent than ever, driven by a noticeable lack of diverse representation in media and advertisements despite 8 in 10 diverse consumers saying they feel positively about brands who invest in advertising in spaces made for them.

The creator economy is expected to reach over $500B by 2030 and micro creators are driving authenticity and relatability with their audiences. This can serve as the first stop for brands to understand what is culturally relevant and important to growth audiences.

Sephora is taking the lead to push boundaries and spearhead initiatives like launching the first ever Beauty vertical with Remezcla to advance inclusivity and tell stories centered around Latine Beauty in editorial spaces that are created for and by the culture. In addition to curating this digital hub for Latine Beauty, Sephora held a launch event where Latine creators could experience products created by Latine founders IRL and celebrate.?

Reema Mitra , VP, Social Strategy?

Reema spoke on the “Cut Time, Not Creativity: How Cloud Tech & Assistive AI Enhance Content Production” panel, hosted by AI production company EditCloud. She emphasized the importance of being passionately obsessed with the “who” and “why” when it comes to strategy and creative, and how a deep understanding of a brand’s purpose and the consumers that marketers want to reach are fundamental component of quick action when it comes to cultural relevance. Reema also discussed the need for thoughtful consideration when it comes to brand creative and how DEI is a crucial component that cannot and should not be rushed.