Inside ANA Masters of Marketing 2025: Where Creativity and Clarity Redefine Growth

The ANA Masters of Marketing 2025 felt less like a conference and more like a mirror held up to an industry in motion. More than 2,500 marketing leaders gathered in Orlando to ask the same urgent question: What does growth mean now? Conversations touched on redefining talent models to simplifying how marketing delivers measurable impact. Across stages and closed-door conversations, one answer kept surfacing. The future of marketing will belong to those who blend creativity with intelligence, and innovation with humanity.

Purpose Redefined: Growth with Meaning

As The Drum reported, Nick Primola of the ANA described this year’s conference as a “great growth reset.” His point was that marketing is returning to its core mission: creating value that drives growth. Purpose, he explained, is about building businesses that create value for people and deliver lasting growth.

The New CMO Mandate: Architect of Transformation

Artificial intelligence dominated the conversation, but not as a shiny new tool. It was framed as a leadership test. Lara Balazs, CMO of Adobe, described today’s marketer as a “chief transformation architect,” responsible for designing how AI and creativity connect across the business. Shelly Palmer, CEO of The Palmer Group, pushed that point further, reminding the room that adopting AI is not just a technology challenge but a governance one. The message was clear: leading in the AI era requires as much emotional intelligence as technical expertise.

From Data to Devotion: Creativity Reclaims the Center

While AI grabbed the headlines, many speakers reminded the audience that creativity remains the heart of marketing. Todd Kaplan, CMO of Kraft Heinz, argued that emotion, not information, is what drives people to act. His examples, including “Draw Ketchup” and “Looks Familiar,” showed how humor and cultural relevance still cut through the noise. Marc Pritchard of P&G reinforced the power of consistency with decades-long campaigns like Charmin Bears and Old Spice, proving that great ideas don’t need constant reinvention to stay relevant. Creativity endures when it connects with purpose.

Media, Measurement, and the March Toward Simplicity

ANA CEO Bob Liodice challenged marketers to take a hard look at inefficiencies across the media supply chain. He called on brands to better understand how their digital ecosystems work and to eliminate unnecessary waste. His appeal for greater transparency and collaboration echoed throughout the event. Complexity, he reminded attendees, is the enemy of clarity, and clarity is where growth can flourish. 

That call to action took tangible form with the introduction of Aquila, a subsidiary of the ANA. Aquila CEO Bill Tucker introduced the platform as a cross-media measurement solution built by marketers, for marketers. As fragmentation and privacy reshape the media landscape, Aquila delivers deduplicated reach and frequency across walled gardens and TV—unlocking billions in potential savings and ushering in a new era of accountability and precision.

The Power of Connection: From Field to Runway to Algorithm

The week’s most memorable sessions showed what connection looks like in practice. Tim Ellis of the NFL explained how the league’s “helmets off” strategy humanizes the game and brings players into conversations around fashion, art, and community. Mathilde Delhoume-Debreu of LVMH shared how luxury brands like Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton continue to blend craftsmanship and culture to stay timeless. Each story pointed to the same truth: growth thrives when creativity and credibility meet.

Leading Through the “Never Normal”

Growth in the years ahead will depend less on scale and more on meaning. Marketers who balance reinvention with consistency and technology with humanity will define the next era of leadership.

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At DGC, we’re continuing to explore how creativity, technology, and communication can come together to drive growth with purpose. If you’d like a deeper dive into what these trends mean for your brand, our team can set up a one-on-one session to unpack the implications and opportunities for your business.