After attending both Advertising Week and Mediaweek—two events that bring together top brands and agencies from across the country—one thing was clear: today’s marketers are laser-focused on building authentic relationships with consumers and fostering communities that drive meaningful engagement and loyalty.

The strategies discussed during the conference were diverse, ranging from embracing emerging platforms to experimenting with new creative approaches and partners. While each brand requires a tailored approach built for its unique audience, there’s value in understanding the tactics gaining traction throughout the industry. These insights can inspire and shape your brand’s marketing strategy across channels for the year ahead.

Here are some key common themes that emerged during the conferences. 

Everyone is hungry for community
Everyone embraced a digital-first world during the pandemic, but it also dismantled many traditional gathering places. Now, research shows that people are lonelier than ever. Consumers, brands, and creators alike are seeking a sense of community—and those that facilitate meaningful connections are thriving.

For example, Culture Con, a two-day event for creatives powered by The Creative Collective and founded by Imani Ellis, started as an intimate dinner series but has quickly blossomed into a conference that drew 10,000 attendees this year. Similarly, brands like Pair Eyewear are fostering digital communities. Pair engages its superfans through a dedicated Facebook group, “The Pair Family,” which boasts over 50,000 members. This group serves as a space where Pair can crowdsource and share new releases, which are often purchased almost immediately by “Pairians”, and encourages members to show off their collections. Pair even collaborated with a longtime fan and adored community member, Dustin Gregory Boyington, to create his own collection of frames. 

Bridging online and offline touchpoints
As marketers build communities, there’s immense value in finding ways to bring connections built online into the real world, and vice versa. A great example of this came from Warner Bros., which utilized gaming to build a community of fans online for the promotion of its then-recently released movie, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” With the original movie released back in 1988, Warner Bros. knew that many young fans would be discovering the Beetlejuice universe for the first time. So, they created an experience on Roblox to meet that target audience where they already spend time. Through a partnership with Fandango, they allowed players of the Roblox activation to buy tickets from a virtual box office, ultimately driving them to the movie theaters. This seamless integration of digital and physical experiences not only enhanced engagement but also boosted real-life sales.

Podcasts are a valuable community hub
Podcast popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, yet despite this surge, this medium hasn't been overly inundated with sponsored content yet. This presents a golden opportunity for brands to lean in where strong communities already exist. Some of the most successful podcasts, such as Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” and The Kelce Brothers’ “New Heights,” each boast over 4 million followers on TikTok, and leverage video content to amplify their reach and engagement. Finding a listener base that aligns with a brand's target audience, and integrating into that space through engaging video to accompany the audio, can help create a more direct connection with listeners across multiple mediums.

Community-forward shopping moments
Social commerce was a hot topic throughout the conferences, with one speaker predicting the rise of live shopping in 2025. Live shopping has already taken certain regions, especially in Asia and LATAM, by storm, but the potential in the US is yet to be seen. LTK treats its live shopping feature for creators like a digital “trunk show”—fans love gathering online to hear about the latest products from their favorite influencers, and feel like they’re part of an exclusive community getting the first look. Combine the power of live shopping with social listening to truly understand what your consumers want to see from your brand, and it could lead to big growth.

Protecting creative freedom for creators
A common pain point discussed was how brands need to let creators do what they do best, and ditch anything that vaguely resembles a prescriptive 15-page brief. The reason creators are so successful is their ability to build a community of followers and engage with them in a way that feels unique and authentic to their personal brand. Overengineering brand asks for influencers and creatives spoils the value of reaching their community—consumers see right through it, and won’t appreciate it. A successful creator-brand partnership starts with finding an authentic connection between your partners and the brand mission, then trusting and giving the creator room to play. Tinx, a highly recognized tastemaker and podcast host, shared that her favorite brief she had ever received was one from Airbnb where they simply asked her to “talk about why you love to travel” and the rest was up to her. 

Fostering genuine, community-driven connections is no longer optional—it’s essential. By leveraging creative partnerships, exploring new platforms, and blending online and offline experiences, brands can create meaningful engagement that drives loyalty and growth. The strategies highlighted at Advertising Week and Mediaweek offer a look at how leading marketers are adapting in an ever-changing landscape.