[In-person] CMA Marketing Week Kick-off: Exclusively for the Brave, NP Digital & CMA Connect Live

Branding is no longer just a structured process—it’s an open conversation. Consumers have moved from passive audiences to active participants, shaping brand identity as much as marketers do. The creative process itself is shifting. Brainstorming is no longer confined to whiteboards in agency boardrooms; it’s happening in real-time, in comment sections, meme culture, and music trends.

Today, a song can make a brand go viral overnight. A TikTok challenge can rewrite a campaign’s direction. A cultural shift can force a brand to redefine its values instantly. The question is no longer just how do brands connect with consumers?—it’s how do brands co-create with them? 

• This 45-minute deep discussion will explore how creativity is evolving, who is driving brand narratives, and how music, social culture, and digital influence are reshaping branding in real time. Key Discussion Angles:
• The New Creative Process – How is brainstorming evolving when consumer reactions, trends, and feedback shape brand storytelling in real time?
• Who Owns the Brand? – If consumers dictate what’s relevant, how do brands maintain control while staying open to cultural shifts?
• The Role of Music in Branding – How is music influencing brand perception, recall, and emotional connection in a world driven by short-form content?
• Branding in a Creator-Driven Culture – When TikTokers and YouTubers dictate what’s cool, how do brands build authenticity?
• Culture’s Impact on Brand Identity – How do social and cultural changes force brands to constantly redefine themselves?
• Is Branding Still Built to Last? – If everything moves at the speed of trends, is long-term brand equity still achievable?

Search is no longer about discovering information—it’s about getting the right answer, instantly. Consumers don’t want to sift through links, compare data, or analyze reviews. They want AI to tell them which EV to buy, why it’s the best, and what real owners are saying—not just what brands want them to hear.

Google’s AI Overviews, AI-driven search platforms like Gemini, Chat2BT, and Perplexity, and the rise of community-driven search on Reddit, Mastodon, and Twitter are reshaping the way people make decisions. The traditional approach—relying on Google’s search volume, difficulty, and ranking—is no longer enough. AI search engines have different criteria, different ranking models, and different algorithms, meaning brands must rethink how they approach visibility.

If marketers continue optimizing for Google alone, they risk being invisible on the platforms where real consumer influence happens. The future isn’t just SEO—it’s audience intelligence. Brands must track conversations, test messaging, and build credibility in spaces where people are making decisions.

This 45-minute deep discussion will explore how search is evolving, what it means for content strategy, and how brands can move beyond Google to dominate in the new AI-driven, community-first search ecosystem.

Key Discussion Angles:

• From Search to Find – How AI search engines and evolving user behavior are shifting the way people interact with search platforms.
• Why Traditional SEO No Longer Works – Google’s ranking factors don’t apply to AI search, meaning brands need new approaches beyond search volume, difficulty, and ranking.
• The Power of Community Search – How platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and niche forums are influencing purchase decisions more than traditional search engines.
• The Rise of AI-Driven Recommendation Engines – AI search doesn’t just rank content; it decides what’s best. How can brands ensure they’re the top recommendation?
• How to Build a Search Strategy Beyond Google – What tools, partnerships, and methodologies can help brands understand why they aren’t ranking and how to adjust their message?
• Measuring Real Consumer Sentiment – How brands can track what real consumers say about their products beyond gamified reviews.