Bold Moves, AI Truths & Marketing That Sticks
Mad//Fest London is the UK’s biggest and boldest marketing festival that showcases the latest shifts in marketing and advertising. The festival was full of insights, sharp wit, and practical wisdom across the ever-evolving worlds of marketing, creativity, and AI. From Sir Martin Sorrell’s data-fuelled forecasts to Julia Goldin’s celebration of imagination, this was a masterclass in how brands are navigating uncertainty while staying fresh, fearless, and future-ready.
Personally, I was thrilled to attend, as for someone working in the world of loyalty partnerships and promotions there was lots to takeaway from this 3-day event.
Check out some of my key findings below:
1. Navigating Economic Instability With AI
Sir Martin Sorrell provided a fascinating talk on the forecast within advertising, citing the global outlook is “bumpy,” with political uncertainty dampening the forecast to 2-3% growth globally. But there’s optimism: once that fog clears, AI will be “unleashed.” The call to action? Brands must prioritise:
- Effectiveness & efficiency
- Personalisation & scale
- First-party data & control
- Decisive, agile leadership
It’s integral for us to have this awareness, to grow our understanding on how best to drive our clients forward by being aware of their needs and using our skillset to find solutions that deliver partnerships which hit the mark where the economy is delicately poised.
2. Building Creativity Through Play – Lego’s Playbook
The Lego Groups Chief Product & Marketing Officer Julia Goldin shared how Lego inspires across generations – from kids’ passions to adults’ nostalgia.
This quote used from Albert Einstein firmly reflected Lego’s approach in delivering creativity: “Logic will get you from A to B, imagination will take you everywhere.”
The focus here was not about what money can buy, but what imagination can do. This theme truly resonated with me, highlighting the need to always have your finger on the pulse, to be creative, to be bold and lean into the creative process.
Lego have been elevating partnerships through brand activations, the case study here was of their recent partnership with the F1, showcasing how they are tapping into different markets to engage new audiences. The brand is also exploring cultural trends and fostering inclusivity to ensure the brand remains loved and relevant to help shape the power of play for the future.
Insight is key for brands when exploring new markets and this was a running point throughout the festival. In loyalty and promotions, we need to always have this front and centre, so we can deliver for our brands/clients’ brick by brick when providing engaging content for their customers.
3. The Magic Touch – Human or AI
Julia Linehan CEO at The Digital Voice, Alice Anson Director of Digital Media at Nectar360/Sainsburys and James MacDonald Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer for Limelight provided an in-depth discussion on the battle between humans & AI.
We all know AI is an incredible tool, but humans still hold the compass, and it needs to be managed delicately. As humans, there’s a strong need for individuals, teams, brands to be educated, so we can collectively engage, embrace, manage & understand AI.
However, people want to lean into the human interaction, as there’s always a need for a human touch but will brands look for AI sole delivery?
The key takeaway here is that one doesn’t exist without the other, we need to develop but engage with the tool so we can work in tandem rather than in competition. As someone who works agency side, we are all about educating ourselves and developing, AI is no different as it continues to grow and make its mark in the world.
4. Customer-First Thinking – Gousto & IKEA
Across two separate sessions which I attended there was a focus on customer centricity which felt hugely relevant to the marketing world we find ourselves in.
Gousto’s Murray Lambell (CCO) emphasised the importance for:
- Creating “sticky” propositions.
- Solving real-life problems through innovation.
- Serving customers with dynamic needs to meet demand.
IKEA’s Belen Frau (Global Communications & Positioning Manager at IKEA Retail) added:
- “Show up with purpose by loving the past and creating the future”
- Be daring, unexpected, and relentlessly people-centric.
Data and insights came to the forefront in how we can all put customers first when making decisions. As marketeers, we all find ourselves at some point in the cycle which is ultimately how can we best deliver for the consumer. A brand will look at KPI’s such as acquisition or retention, so we collectively need to find ways which utilise data points to deliver partnerships which are on brand, provide value but remain creatively daring to keep consumers engaged.
5. Resilience Through Creative Relevance – McDonald’s Playbook
Ben Fox (Chief Marketing Officer), Mcdonalds UK & Josh Bullmore (Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Groupe) delivered a captivating conversation around how McDonald’s endured brand resilience and their ability to adapt with cultural and consumer shifts in an ever-changing landscape. Throughout the years there’s been new competitions and dynamic eating habits, so McDonald’s revealed the 4 pillars that guided them through disruption:
- Value
- Variety
- Trust
- Love
Insight & intuition was embedded into this as McDonald’s thrives on staying half a step ahead of their customers, lead by challenging and blend long-term and short-term brand building to ultimately write the next chapter.
Loyalty, partnerships and promotions is all about harnessing the 4 key pillars which have served Mcdonald’s so well over the years. As we continue to shift into a world where AI and Humans live side by side and the complexities this will unravel, we are all still learning. Value, variety, trust and love is exactly what consumers want and the need for partnerships to help brands reach their goals has never been more imperative.
The Magic of Quotes
If you are like me and you love a quote, whether that be for inspiration or a motto to live by, please refer to some of the quotes which I heard from various other speakers which sparked my interest and rung true to me.
“If you want to grow, you have to put on a show” – Orlando Wood, Chief Innovation Officer at System1 Group
“Be compelling, engaging and most importantly unique.” – Sharry Cramond, Marketing Director at M&S
“Your attention span is based on how good it is” – Jimmy Carr, Comedian & Broadcaster
“Important to show up, be meaningful and reflect something tangible” – Kenyatte Nelson, Chief Membership & Customer Officer at Co-op
“Decide what future you want to be part of” – Simon Valcarcel, Marketing Director at Virgin Media O2
Final Word: Thrive to Survive
The #MFLONDON25 theme was loud and clear – survival isn’t the goal, thriving is. Whether through AI, creativity, or cultural relevance, today’s marketers must act boldly, work alongside AI and never settle for beige.
