The WARC Podcast

It's Day 1 of Cannes Lions! Today, new research reveals that the top 10 ads preferred by AI versus humans are almost completely different, BYD's extraordinary journey from homegrown China brand to global automotive giant, and lessons in localising global brands from Heineken. Hosted by WARC's Rica Facundo.

The months-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz remains a serious test of global ad market resilience. WARC Media's Alex Brownsell and Kate Scott-Dawkins, Global President for Business Intelligence at WPP Media, join WARC's Anna Hamill to make sense of complicated dynamics for advertisers in 2026. This episode of The WARC Podcast is sponsored by Criteo.

Jim Stengel has spent his career shaping the practice of modern marketing, and helping aspiring CMOs to take the next step in their career. He joins WARC's Catherine Driscoll to reflect on what he's learned about leadership, creativity and growth from his conversations with hundreds of marketers, and to discuss what today's marketers can do to build influence, navigate change and create lasting impact at their brands.

Beauty giants L'Oréal have built a new framework to quantify the impact of creators on marketing effectiveness. L'Oréal's Vas Kourakis and Meta's Maria Pavlova join WARC's Anna Hamill to discuss how the measurement framework came together, essential best practices, and what marketers can learn from their experience.

Nostalgia. Cultural déjà vu. Kidulting. Why are so many people desperate to escape the present? Welcome to our new sister podcast, This Is Contagious. In this episode, Contagious investigates everything from why adults are rebuilding their teenage bedrooms, to landlines for kids and the return of the iPod, and revealing why the past has become one of culture's most powerful refuges. If you work in marketing, you should almost definitely subscribe to Contagious IQ - an intelligence platform that helps brands and agencies supercharge their creativity by learning from the world's most impactful brands, campaigns and trends. Hosted by Contagious's Alex Jenkins, Chloe Markowicz and Katrina Stirton Dodd.

With billions pouring into sports marketing this year, the stakes are high for brands. Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, and with more advertisers backing women's sports, We Are Social Sport's Joe Weston and Fuse's Matt Bailey join WARC's Anna Hamill to discuss the emerging trends in sports marketing.

How do social values and environmental sustainability boost marketing effectiveness? Goodvertising's Thomas Kolster joins WARC's Amy Rodgers to discuss how sustainability is a driving factor on the most effective advertising campaigns, based on WARC Rankings data.

How does a 175-year-old news brand thrive in a volatile media economy? Amy Weisenbach, Chief Marketing Officer at The New York Times, joins WARC's Anna Hamill to discuss the strategies behind the publication's outsized revenue growth, as well as how to build brand trust and daily habits across news, games, sports and much more.

AI companions, social media concerns and 'comfort spending' are among key trends shaping consumer behaviour in 2026. WARC's Adi Kishore speaks to Stephanie Siew and GWI's Jason Mander about the big changes marketers need to know, based on WARC's 2026 Consumer Trends Report.

Are you stuck in the ROAS death spiral? Marketers have long struggled to prove the ROI of brand building, relying on flawed, short-term metrics that erode long-term value. BERA's Michael Reh and WARC's Ann Marie Kerwin explore how to accurately track and quantify the Multiplier Effect—the compound growth achieved when brand and performance marketing work together.

Meta's ad business funds an aggressive AI programme which, in turn, fuels the flywheel through further increases in ad revenue. WARC's Alex Brownsell joins Anna Hamill explore Meta's hyper-efficient ad business, evaluate usage across its apps, and assess the performance of Meta campaigns.

WARC's research The Multiplier Effect proved that stronger brand equity acts as a multiplier, driving greater impact and efficiency for performance advertising. Ahead of the next stage of the project, WARC's Ann Marie Kerwin spoke to David Tiltman and the ANA's Stephanie Fierman about new survey data and what we've learned so far.

Michael Kaminsky, co-founder of Recast, joins Paul Stringer to discuss media's shift to outcomes measurement and the impact of AI on measurement, as they try to disentangle AI hype from reality.

Not all time spent with social media is equal, according to new research. Social effectiveness varies significantly by time of day, giving out of home media an important role in priming and amplifying social media campaigns. Posterscope's Russell Smither and Dentsu's Ciara Smyth join WARC's Alex Brownsell to discuss.

Effectiveness expert James Hankins joins the pod to analyse influential ideas in marketing effectiveness, including the Hankins hexagon, share of search, digital availability, and the gravity of e-commerce. Hosted by WARC's David Tiltman.

What does brand resiliency mean in a polycrisis? Fast Venture's Wade Eagar shares a four-phase framework for marketers to navigate geopolitical and economic uncertainty with WARC's Catherine Driscoll.

Sephora is one of the world's biggest beauty retailers. Zena Arnold, US CMO, joins the pod to discuss 'the lipstick effect', why Sephora is investing in women's sports, emerging retail trends and the importance of brand building. Hosted by WARC's Anna Hamill.

Ideas on their own don't deliver marketing effectiveness. What if the real driver is something less visible? BMF Australia's Anna Bollinger and Christina Aventi join WARC's Rica Facundo to discuss the outsized influence of soft skills including trust, psychological safety and simplicity.

From LLM platforms for discovery through to 'bot-to-bot commerce', agentic commerce is already revolutionizing the retail media space. WARC's Ann Marie Kerwin is joined by Andrew Lipsman and Alex Brownsell to discuss WARC's new Retail Media Radar report.

Effectiveness expert Tom Roach joins the pod to analyse some essential ideas in marketing effectiveness, including the performance plateau, the modified funnel, 'lots of little' and share of model. Hosted by WARC's David Tiltman.

In a generative AI world, strong and consistent brands act as a bulwark against LLM confusion. But how can marketers equip themselves for success? WARC's Cathy Taylor talks to WARC guide contributors Gary J. Nix and Kate Watts how to build iconic or enduring brands in the AI era.

Brands act as systems of meaning, with flexibility preferred over rigid guidelines. So what does 'complex systems management' mean for marketers? JP Castlin joins WARC's David Tiltman to break down the terminology of systems, the complexity of modern marketing and the need to find answers to that complexity.

WARC's new Global Ad Forecast maps out three scenarios for media spend as a result of war in the Middle East. WARC's James McDonald and Alex Brownsell make sense of the data, and what the current volatility will mean for advertisers in 2026.

System 3 thinking recognises that AI now functions as an external cognitive partner in human decision-making, not just a tool. Thinkerbell's Adam Ferrier and Matt Plant join WARC's Lena Roland to discuss its impact on the customer journey, brand fame, and the cognitive surrender trap.

The 2026 men's FIFA World Cup is expected to inject $10.5bn into the ad market, but media fragmentation is changing the game for advertisers. WARC's Alex Brownsell talks to Omar Oakes, founder of Oomph, about media trends covered in the new Global Ad Trends: FIFA World Cup 2026 report. Thanks to Criteo for sponsoring this episode. There's a lot of noise about AI, but here's the news you need to know: Criteo is the first advertising company to integrate with OpenAI as part of ChatGPT's advertising pilot, bringing commerce media into one of the fastest-growing AI platforms. If you want stay competitive in this new era of AI-driven shopping and advertising, Criteo's new report: CommerceAI Trends 2026, is the essential intelligence you need to succeed.  Level up your marketing in the AI era: check out Criteo's free trends report here: www4.criteo.com/en/2026_commerceai_trends/

Dove's 'Real Beauty' platform has driven brand growth for more than 20 years. Now, it's won the Effective 100. Zoe Hamilton, Chief Strategy Officer for Unilever at Ogilvy London, and WARC's Amy Rodgers discuss why Real Beauty's impact proves the power of longevity in boosting marketing effectiveness.

Insurance brand AIA believes that scaring people undermines the very outcomes insurance marketers are trying to achieve. CMO Stuart Spencer talks to WARC's Jenny Chan about AIA's behavioral economics model,  how vulnerability = authenticity, and why tackling deeply entrenched health stereotypes and rebuilding category trust is essential to drive behavioral change.

An Ipsos analysis of 15,000 ads showed that half of advertisers overlook the power of storytelling. Ipsos's Adam Sheridan joins WARC's Paul Stringer to discuss why storytelling is such a powerful creative approach.

Research from System1 & Effie found that combining creative quality with media spend significantly accelerates business outcomes. System1's Andrew Tindall and Effie's Juliet Haygarth join WARC's David Tiltman to discuss the "Creative Dividend" study, which highlights the importance of integrating media and creative strategies for commercial growth. The "Creative Dividend" index measures creative efficiency, predicting 60.1% of business outcomes when combined with media spend. The study also identifies "super touch points" that effectively build brand effects and capture in-market revenue.

AXA is the first financial services brand to top the WARC Creative 100. The creative minds behind the 'Three Words' campaign join WARC's Amy Rodgers to share insights and lessons from AXA's efforts to help relocate victims of domestic violence.

New WARC data reveals most marketers understand effectiveness, but internal pressures, governance, and risk dynamics limit consistent execution. WARC's Jenny Chan and Rica Facundo discuss how the 'twin pace' effectiveness gap is impacting brands in Asia-Pacific, and how markteers can fight back. WARC subscribers can read the report here, and Non-WARC subscribers can download the full report here.

Brand building in the AI era is creating profound new tensions that tear at the very fabric of traditional brand strategy. T&P's Oliver Feldwick joins WARC's Lena Roland to discuss the most critical question for marketers today: If brands are shortcuts for humans, what happens when machines start using them too?

The next era of luxury growth will be selective, elevated, and culture-led. Derek Sulger, Chairman of luxury retailer Shanghai Tang, joins WARC's Jenny Chan to discuss how luxury has shifted from product ownership to lived experiences, and what it takes to build fashion, dining, and hospitality ecosystems that resonate.

Media distribution models are being continually disrupted by new platforms and viewing habits. WARC's Alex Brownsell interviews industry leaders at the Media Insights & Engagement Conference in Miami about what's next for connected media consumers.

Netflix has entered its advertising era, building a significant revenue driver. And it's just getting started. WARC's Alex Brownsell and Celeste Huang offer a deep dive into Netflix's approach and potential next steps, from its potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery to new ventures in podcasts, gaming and live events.  WARC subscribers can access the full report 'Platform Insights: Netflix' report on WARC.com here

Global sports fans spend over three trillion hours with sports each year, with another trillion hours set to be added by 2034. Sporting events are monocultural moments to reach multiple segments and demographics at once. ​WARC's Vaniele Casimir joins Anna Hamill to discuss best practice for sports marketing, based on the new report 'What's Working In Sports Marketing'. WARC subscribers can access the full report on WARC.com now: https://www.warc.com/content/article/warc-wwi/whats-working-in-sports-marketing/en-gb/162354

Outcomes are increasingly important as a form of media measurement, and how campaigns are planned and budgets are allocated. What role remains for traditional media effectiveness metrics? ITV's Sameer Modha and Kate Brinkley from The Specialist Works join WARC's Alex Brownsell to discuss the evolution of media measurement.

Liquid Death's Andy Pearson shares secrets of the brand's 2026 Super Bowl campaign: developing the idea, the creative process, and the highlights and hurdles of advertising in the biggest TV moment of the year. Hosted by WARC's Ann Marie Kerwin.

Our team of experts from WARC, System 1 and LIONS review this year's Super Bowl ads, and what they tell us about advertising in 2026. Guests: Vanessa Chin, System1 Chris Barth, LIONS Advisory Cathy Taylor, WARC

Established models for media planning and buying are breaking. ‘Systems planning' describes a new approach. Omnicom Media's Global CSO, Jonathan Rigby, joins WARC's Paul Stringer to discuss trends in media planning, advertising investments and the media ecosystem.

Most brands in China show weakness in the mid-funnel, resulting in decreased brand differentiation. WARC's Jenny Chan explores practical guides for brands to win efficiently in this stage with WPP China's Dennis Potgraven and Lauren Cadman.

How do you know if creator marketing is really building brands or just delivering a sugar rush of short-term views? WARC's Anna Hamill and Catherine Driscoll discuss the creator campaigns achieving real life impact, based on the recent 'What's Working in Creator Marketing' report.

Research from WARC + Aletheia found that a values-driven approach to insights, messaging and media leads to lifts in ad preference, likability, and relevance. LIONS Advisory's Imaad Ahmed and WARC's Anna Hamill discuss the findings and why they matter with Colleen Howell, VP Research at Aletheia and Chris Marchegiani, Worldwide Head of Brand Planning, Insights, and Creative Strategy at Amazon. This episode is in partnership between LIONS Advisory and Aletheia.

How did the world's best brands get so big? Richard Shotton, behavioural scientist and author of Hacking The Human Mind, joins David Tiltman to discuss real life examples of behavioural science growing brands and why the discipline is due a resurgence.

Media futures expert Dan Calladine is back to examine 2026 trends and advise on how brands can thrive in times of guaranteed uncertainty. Hosted by Alex Brownsell.

Premium alcohol brands are navigating changing drinking habits, AI disruption and new consumer expectations. Matt Foley, former VP Marketing for American Whiskey and Agave Brands, joins WARC's Ann Marie Kerwin to discuss marketing effectiveness in the alcohol category.

What does it mean for a brand to be ‘in culture'? And in an age of fragmentation, micro-influencers and the creator economy - are the rules changing? Leila Fataar, author of Culture Led Brands, talks to WARC's David Tiltman about what cultural relevance means for brands in 2026.

New ad spend forecasts show that the ad market has become detached from the broader economy. WPP Media's Kate Scott-Dawkins and WARC's James McDonald join Alex Brownsell to discuss trends in the 2026 ad economy, including the growing influence of AI and a bumper year in North America with elections and the FIFA World Cup.

The world is changing, and strategy skillsets need to evolve with it. Tomas Gonsorcik, Elizabeth Paul and Joe Burns join WARC's Ann Marie Kerwin to discuss how strategists can future proof their skills for a new era of marketing.

WARC's effectiveness research The Multiplier Effect shows how brand equity drives growth. Americas Editor Ann Marie Kerwin sits down with Ken Favaro, BERA's Chief Strategy Officer and Michael Reh, BERA.ai's head of data science, to discuss the power of brand equity in effective marketing.

How can marketers prioritise effectiveness in a highly fragmented media landscape? Dr Grace Kite (Magic Numbers) and Tom Roach (Jellyfish) join WARC's David Tiltman to discuss the 'lots of little' strategy.