MAD//Insight
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Northern Soul: Sara Davies MBE confirmed for MAD//North
Sara Davies MBE, entrepreneur, investor, and star of BBC’s Dragons’ Den, will be a headline speaker at MAD//North 2026, which is taking place in Manchester at Aviva Studios on 25 + 26 February next year.
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Inside the Feedback Void: The Hidden Risk of Leadership Isolation
When was the last time you received a piece of feedback about your own leadership and performance that stopped you in your tracks with its insight, accuracy and impact? Did you realise that when you became a senior leader, you would step into the feedback void, asks High-Stakes Leadership Mentor, Sally Henderson.
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Lollipop Live: Building a More Inclusive Creative Industry, One Mentor at a Time
This Thursday, 23rd October, lollipop mentoring hosts an evening of creativity, connection, and community — designed to help Black women in the creative, media, and tech industries thrive. Here’s why you should be there, and how you can get involved.
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We want to know where your head's at?
MAD//Fest is gauging how the industry is feeling about the year ahead in a brand new survey + report. We'd love you to help build a clearer view of the state of marketing in 2026 by sharing your priorities, opportunities + challenges.
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Where learning meets life: How Edcom ADventure and Kraft Heinz are shaping the marketers and agency teams of tomorrow.
Where learning meets life: How Edcom ADventure and Kraft Heinz are shaping the marketers and agency teams of tomorrow.
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Why Marketers are best placed to drive Profit
Growth at any cost is dead, today’s real challenge is sustainable Profit Growth. In this piece, International Chief Marketing Officer, Gareth Abel, explains how trained, evidence-led marketers are the key to building brands that grow margins, not just metrics.
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From Brand Hero to Gaming Villain: My Duolingo Confession
Duolingo hooked me hard, and I loved every compulsive, dopamine-fueled minute, until I didn’t. Livia Bernardini, CEO of Future Platforms and MAD//Fest host, shares what happens when emotional memory turns into emotional hijack.
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How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything. (Care is the craft )
How a smudge of olive oil on a restaurant menu changed how I think about experience design. Kenny Lauer, former CMO of US basketball team, Golden State Warriors, explains all.
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Bloom & Wild CMO: How to Raise a Brand That’s Growing Up Fast
Some parts of your brand are just learning to walk, others think they know it all. Bloom & Wild CMO, Charlotte Langley, explores how to parent them all, without losing your cool or your budget.
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Break the Rules, Make Your Mark: Nominate a Rival 50 Brand!
The Rival 50 celebrates the brands that refuse to follow the rules and redefine their categories. Now, we want your voice, who do you see as a true challenger and disruptor in their space? Nominate a brand today and help shine a spotlight on the innovators shaping the future.
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Is AI creativity's amplifier, rather than its executioner?
The creative industry is in the grip of an existential crisis, with fears that AI is killing jobs and creativity itself. But what if, instead of the end, this is the start of a new way to see creativity, asks ECD, Jellyfish, Jo Wallace.
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Why Data and Creativity Make the Ultimate Power Couple
In the first in a series of articles based on Automated Creative’s new book, Using Creativity and Data in Marketing, Tom Ollerton uses interviews with senior marketers from brands including Bose, Mars, Mastercard, and McDonald’s to explore how creativity and data can work together to unlock real value.
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Yorkshire Tea: How to Build a human brand
When Dom Dwight took to the stage at MAD//North 2025, he revealed how Yorkshire Tea’s secret ingredient isn’t just what’s in the cup, but the ‘humanness’ woven into its brand, creating connections that feel personal and setting it apart in a crowded market.
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When Sport Becomes the New AdTech Frontier
Sport is no longer just a media buy. It’s now a live, data-driven AdTech ecosystem. From reactive creative to AI-powered sponsorships, brands are monetising the moment, not just the match, writes MAD//Sports' Ben Phillips.
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REVEALED: The industry tells us how sh*t their data-driven marketing really is
Data is everywhere, but how effective is our own data-driven marketing? MAD//Fest teamed up with imagino to survey over 100 leading brand marketers. Their insights offer a warts-and-all look at the reality of data-driven marketing today.
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Havana Rum: Increasing Marketing Effectiveness Thanks to Text to Code
In this week's partner pod, Shiny New Object, Julie Pender, UK Creative Content Manager for Havana Club at Pernod Ricard, champions community building to forge authentic connections with her brand’s audience. In an era dominated by digital reach, these human relationships are more influential than ever.
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Resets Are Easy. Momentum Is Hard.
September may be for resets, but October is where it really counts. The challenge now isn’t starting fresh, it’s keeping momentum to finish the year stronger than you started. Q4 isn’t about clean slates, it’s about lasting impact, writes Rachel Kerrone, Brand & Marketing Leader, and former Marketing Director at Starling Bank.
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Luxury in uncertain times. What’s behind its resilience?
Luxury brands defined expectations, growing total category brand value 477% since 2006, but cracks are now showing with a dip among the Top 10. Is luxury truly recession-proof, or does its playbook hold lessons for categories like FMCG? In her first MAD//Insight column, luxury consultant Aleksandra Marsh explores.
Need vs Want: The Language of High Performance
The inbox is overflowing, Q4 is here, and the pressure to perform is mounting, but what’s really driving your leadership? Fear or intention? In high-stakes seasons, the voice in your ear matters more than the pace of your schedule, writes High-Stakes Leadership Mentor, Sally Henderson
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MAD//North Announces 2026 Theme: ‘Northern Soul’
MAD//North has unveiled Northern Soul as the theme for its 2026 festival, which will take place on 25-26 February in Manchester at Aviva Studios and Versa Studios.
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The Power of Pause: Five Frictions That Convert
Not all friction frustrates. Some of the most effective journeys are the ones that slow people down just enough to feel, decide, or commit. In a world obsessed with speed, the real advantage lies in knowing where to pause, argues MAD//Fest host and Future Platforms CEO, Livia Bernardini, in the final article of her three-part series.
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February Flashback: MAD//North 2025 Highlights: Content + Creativity Stage
Can’t wait until February 2026 for MAD//North? Revisit this year’s highlights with top sessions from every stage. Next up, the Content and Creativity stage. From the magic of Weetabix, the creativity of The Very Group, through to the brand brilliance of Auto Trader, here are three standout talks from earlier this year.
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Fighting Back Against the Publisher Triple Threat: A New Solution for Programmatic Revenue Recovery
Page views are plunging, programmatic revenue is shrinking, and media leaders are under pressure to rethink digital strategy. Ben Williams, Founder of Kiln, argues the fix isn’t more tech, it’s unlocking the value that’s already right in front of us.
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February Flashback: MAD//North 2025 Highlights: Media & Tech Stage
Can’t wait until MAD//North returns in February 2026? Relive the buzz from this year’s event with highlights from across both days, starting with the Media & Tech stage. From breakthrough innovations to impactful media campaigns, we’ve handpicked three standout sessions you won’t want to miss.
The power of Counterintuitive and Why Best Practices Do Not Always Perform
We have been told that smooth flows, faster pages, and shorter forms are the rules of UX. But the data says otherwise. Some of the most accepted truths are starting to crack, and the results may surprise you, writes MAD//Fest host and Future Platforms CEO, Livia Bernardini.
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Fentimans Marketing Director: Shiny Happy People make great marketers
If you can get people to relax and be themselves, they'll do great work. Jayne Andrews, Marketing Director at Fentimans Ltd, shares, on our partner podcast, Shiny New Object, why happy people are the future of marketing.
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How Connected Data Finds Consumers Lost in the Cost-of-Living Storm
Marketers have always connected brands and consumers by turning behaviours into resonant messages. In today’s data-driven world, that role is shifting faster than ever. Alison Harding, Vice President, Data Solutions, EMEA, Lotame, explores what this evolution means for the future of marketing.
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IKEA at Paris and Milan: Style, Culture, and Purpose Beyond Furniture
IKEA is breaking boundaries at Paris Fashion Week and Milan Design Week. At this summer's MAD//Fest, IKEA's Belén Frau showed how the brand turns inclusivity and self-expression into cultural moments. The result is trust, community, and a fresh relevance.
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Stuck in Influencer Cruise Control? Here’s how to go Full Throttle
Most brands are stuck in influencer cruise control: safe, forgettable campaigns that don’t sell or scale. Read Sasha Jeppesen’s top tips from Charlie Oscar on going full-throttle with clarity, confidence, and creativity.
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PR meets fandom: When loyalty beats virality
Big is boring in 2025. Consumers crave intimacy, belonging, and recognition, not mass messaging. PR is shifting from chasing volume to sparking connection in fandoms and niche communities, argue Annie Harte and Sophie Conway, from social and content agency, eight&four
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Fast is not always smart
Booking.com discovered it. You can too. Slowing people down, done right, can drive more trust, clarity, and conversion, writes MAD//Fest host and Future Platforms CEO, Livia Bernardini.
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How Heineken Uses Creativity and Consumer Connection to Stand Out
In this week's MAD//Moments discover how Heineken’s Head of Marketing, Rajiv Sathyesh, uses real consumer insights and bold creativity to cut through the noise + why a simple phone case could change the way we socialise.
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A Publisher Perspective on AI: Mumsnet
On Day 2 of MAD//Fest London, Mumsnet CEO Justine Roberts joined Amy Wright of Automated Creative to discuss Mumsnet’s legal action against OpenAI and share fresh insights.
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How a heritage brand connects with communities and moves at the speed of culture
Nathalia Amadeu, Global Brand Director at Vaseline, shared how the award-winning “Vaseline Verified” campaign tapped community power, drove cultural impact, and adapted marketing to boost brand resonance.
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'Less Healthy Food' Ad Ban: Brand Hack or Health Hazard?
From January 2026, the UK’s new Less Healthy Food rules will ban certain ads after 9pm, block them online, and end multibuy offers on chocolate, ice cream, sugary drinks and crisps. But here’s the twist: brands can still advertise, if they don’t show or name the product, writes Ian Maskell, Founder, P E C O R I N O, and former VP Global Marketing, Unilever.
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REVEALED: Euro 2025’s best ads 🏆
England’s Lionesses may have taken the EURO 2025 crown, but which ads scored big off the pitch? Kantar tested campaigns across TV, Instagram, YouTube and more to uncover the season’s top performers. Here’s the definitive ranking of Europe’s most impactful ads.
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How Uber Advertising is redefining creative connection
What if great advertising isn’t about shouting louder, but showing up at exactly the right moment? At MAD//Fest, Uber Advertising’s Paul Wright revealed how the brand is redefining creative connection by mapping real consumer journeys, not just digital ones.
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Influencer Marketing: From Extra to Strategic Force
Influencers now account for 36% of global social media engagement, including actions from their brand partners. Comscore’s new report, The Influencer Effect: Powering Engagement, reveals both global and UK-specific trends. It shows how creators have shifted from being optional to becoming a strategic force in marketing.
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The Power of Creative Consistency: How M&S Harnesses Bold Brand Voice to Share Authentic Stories
At MAD//Fest London, M&S Marketing Director Sharry Cramond stressed the value of consistent, bold, and unique branding in making M&S the “most loved and trusted brand in Britain.”
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Beyond Digital: How Lexus UK Uses Data and Kaizen to Evolve Brand Strategy
Mat Thomas, Senior Manager, Brand Strategy at Lexus UK talks about Kaizen, Alchemy, and Data Driven Marketing, in the latest episode of MAD//Insight's partner podcast
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Be More Boring: Vicki MaGuire’s Wake-Up Call to Creatives at MAD//Fest
In the latest of our MAD//Moments interview series, Vicki Maguire tells Tom Ollerton that creatives need to speak less, and listen and observe more.
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MAD//Fest on demand: Creator Economy + Culture Marketing Stage
New for 2025, our Creator Economy stage now includes Culture Marketing, reflecting the growing need for brands to connect authentically with culture and consumers. Spanning all three days, this stage featured insights on picking the right creators and showing up genuinely in culture. Here are three standout sessions
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MAD//Fest on demand: Creativity Stage
The Creativity Stage, in partnership with SAMY, was the place where inspiration ruled. Over the 3 days we heard bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and boundary-pushing campaigns that redefined what creativity means in modern marketing. Here are 3 standout keynotes.
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MAD//Fest On Demand: AI + Innovation Stage
Back for 2025, the AI + Innovation Stage, in partnership with DEPT®, delivered three days of standout content. From real-world campaign use cases to bold predictions, this stage was a hub of AI insight. Here are three standout sessions you shouldn’t miss:
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The Lionesses Win Again! Now Brands Have a Chance to Follow
The Lionesses are champions again, but the real win goes beyond the pitch. A dramatic Euro 2025 final, millions watching on free-to-air TV, and Chloe Kelly sealing the deal in style. This isn't just a victory, it’s a turning point for women’s sport, visibility and brands are ready to back it, says MAD//Fest's Content Director, Luke Wilcox.
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Static Ads are for Static People
Location-based ads promise precision — but often miss the mark. A phone pings near a store, an ad gets served. But is that person interested, commuting, or just passing through? Most platforms rely on vague, second-hand signals that tell half the story.admoai take a smarter, context-first approach.
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Adapt or Die: Rewriting the rulebook in the battle against boring
“Be Less Boring” was the provocative invitation from MAD//Fest London 2025. Sounds good, doesn't it? Havas tells MAD//Insight how this works in reality.
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MAD//Fest on demand: The Brewery Stage
The Brewery Stage, in partnership with Havas, burst onto the scene this year. Titans clashed with challengers, the rulebook was torn up, and bold voices showed what it takes to stand out and scale up. Here are 3 standout keynotes.
Don’t Bore Me to Death With Your Digital Experience
If brand is experience, why do so many digital journeys still feel like doing your taxes? As marketers nail the basics, “fine” has become the enemy, safe, boring, and instantly forgettable. MAD//Fest host, Livia Bernardini, says that it's time to Be Less Boring.
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GAME CHANGERS: BUILDING A WINNING CHALLENGER SPORTS BRAND
Engage’s latest playbook is your cheat sheet for winning the future of sport. The white paper unpacks what legacy giants can learn from creators and disruptors, and how to turn fans into lifelong superfans – and data into ROI.
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