đź”® Change is the Only Constant in Marketing

Shift your focus, read the room, & look ahead

AuthorAuthor

Greg Mondshein & Becky Honeyman
October 23, 2025

Hey Team,

Planning season is in full swing which means caffeine levels are up, optimism is high, and creativity is very much alive. As 2026 planning ramps up, one thing is clear: the brands winning right now are the ones willing to question everything they thought they knew. 

Shameless plug: Cori and Patti are leading the charge on this one. Read, bookmark, and brag accordingly. Cori dropped a killer piece on why brands need to stop hiding behind buzzwords and start practicing radical honesty (read it here). Patti just came back from the future with her take on how AI and women’s health are redefining the healthcare landscape ahead of HLTH 2025 (read that one here).

Between AI, authenticity, and a generation that can smell BS a mile away, the marketing playbook is being rewritten in real time. The brands that adapt transparently, empathetically, and fast are the ones that will actually stick.

Now let’s get into what’s shaking up the industry this week.

— Becky & Greg

Shift your focus: Gen Z doesn’t hate ads, marketers just don’t understand them

TL;DR: As the first generation to grow up firmly set in the age of the internet, marketers have started to notice a worrying trend of Gen Z’s distaste for advertising and lack of brand loyalty. A panel of CMOs at Advertising Week argued that the cohort isn’t going to eradicate ads; they’re simply shifting the landscape of how ads are presented.

Takeaway: The new generation of buyers are more interested in brands that tap into community, niche culture, and dialogue. Gen Z thrives in what the panelists called “tribalised” media environments, like micro-communities and subcultures, over mass-media. And since they’ve grown up with an abundance of information at their finger tips, they’re more picky with their brand decisions. Companies should no longer position themselves as the “star,” but rather, enter conversations that already exist in places where Gen Z is especially active, like social media.

Consider:

  • Are you treating your younger audience the same way you’re treating your older one? One size no longer fits all, and it may be worth mapping out different strategies for each age group.

  • Reevaluting your budget allocation, creative processes, measurement frameworks, and media partnerships. How can you use this new information to start the preliminary planning for 2026? 

  • Recongnizing that these “beliefs” about Gen Z are myths, to avoid self-fulfilling missteps. If you just assume they won’t engage, your team might not be motivated to keep trying.

⚡️ Integrated Marketing Power Up ⚡️

The CMOs at Advertising Week disputed the common belief about Gen Z, pointing out that they are actually extremely loyal; just pickier about who they support. They respond to brands that “get them,” both culturally and emotionally. 

To build on that idea from an integrated marketing perspective, here’s how you can better design Gen Z strategies that don’t rely on myths:

1. Shift from “interrupt and broadcast” to “entertain first, advertise second.” Rather than assuming Gen Z hates ads outright, treat paid media as amplification, not the core of the brand. As Bose’s CMO put it, 90 % of their effort is content first, ads second.

2. Enter communities, don’t try to own them. One of the biggest misfires is when brands treat Gen Z spaces (like Reddit, Discord, or TikTok subcultures) like audiences to broadcast to. Instead: listen first, respond, co-create, embed.

3. Lean into “research-intensive” loyalty. As stated, Gen Z doesn’t lack loyalty; they just guard it. To earn their trust, provide transparency, show consistency in quality and values over time, and reward early adopters with perks or exclusive access.

Did you like this tip?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Read the room: Why American Eagle’s CMO decided to stay silent in the wake of scandal

TL;DR: CMO Craig Brommers took a bold approach to American Eagle’s recent controversial campaign starring Sydney Sweeney–by not addressing it at all. Instead, he weeded through the noise on social media, listened to his customers, and solidified his relationship with the company. 

Takeaway: One (or even several) negative comments doesn’t always have to mean erasing an entire campaign. It’s understandable to panic and immediately jump into damage control mode when your marketing efforts receive a little backlash. But it’s important to understand that the internet can sometimes create a hive mentality, and the best way to move forward is to take a beat and listen to what everyone is saying, not just the naysayers. 

Consider

  • Mapping out three or four plans of action for a campaign that may not be well-received. Each plan should be a different strategy, and the team should utilize the one that feels most appropriate for the situation.  

  • Does your team understand the difference between scandal and controversy? Stating a controversial opinion (the right way), can be powerful for your brand, while a scandal, or scandalous opinion, may damage it. Make sure your team is aligned on what is appropriate. 

  • Reiterating your company’s ethics, missions, and standings. Intent and impact are two different things, and if a campaign’s impact doesn’t line up with what you believe in, don’t be afraid to backtrack and start over. 

Look ahead: 36 predictions for 2026’s social media marketing landscape

TL;DR: Social Media Today recently published an in-depth article outlining 36 predictions for social media marketing in 2026, broken down by each platform’s area of focus. Major elements to look out for include the continuation of AI usage, a bigger push towards smart glasses, and a lot of experimentation with existing algorithms.  

Takeaway: It’s been quite the year for social media. Even though it’s an industry that’s no stranger to change, 2025 felt like a complete tonal shift. Between TikTok’s uncertain future in the U.S, the AI explosion, and the rise of smart glasses, it feels like we’re entering a completely new chapter of social media. If you haven’t started mapping out your 2026 strategy yet, now is a great time to read through this article to see what could be on the horizon, and get the creative wheels turning for next year. 

Consider:

  • Adding a social platform to your strategy. Whether it’s Pinterest, TikTok, or even Snapchat, dabbling in something new could bring unexpected returns.

  • Picking out the predictions that are most likely to happen, and brainstorming a few ways that your brand could take advantage of them. Take it a step further by mocking up some creatives that could go live the minute a change is implemented. 

  • What are some of your predictions for next year’s landscape? What are some changes that you would like to see, and how would that impact your campaigns?

Like what you're reading? Forward this to a friend and have them sign up here!