Brand and Demand 3.0: Industry Leaders Reflect on Key Takeaways from POSSIBLE 2025
The POSSIBLE Conference returned to Miami for its third year, bringing together some of the brightest minds in marketing, advertising, strategy, and tech for three days of bold ideas, big conversations, and meaningful connections.
This year’s agenda tackled some of the industry’s most pressing topics, including the future of digital advertising, the intersection of commerce and creativity, the accelerating impact of AI, data privacy, and emerging tech.
We asked a select group of industry leaders what truly resonated with them while they attended the conference. From profound shifts in consumer expectations to the reawakening of creativity in a tech-saturated world, here’s what they had to say:
Allyson Dietz
Marketing Strategy Lead, TransUnion
What stood out to me at POSSIBLE was how much chaos there is right now in marketing. Everyone is dealing with economic shifts, mar tech overload, and growing expectations from consumers all at once. At the same time, our latest Consumer Pulse research at TransUnion shows that 4 in 10 consumers expect brands to get personalization right, but most are still worried about how their data is being used. That gap is where a lot of the disconnect happens. For me, the conversations that mattered most were about making things simpler and more intentional. At TransUnion, that means helping brands understand who they’re really talking to and that they are using that data in the right ways to make better decisions. If you don’t have that solid foundation, it will be challenging to make an impact.
Olivia Oshry
SVP, Marketing & Communications, OAAA
POSSIBLE felt like the ultimate ad industry reunion — packed with big ideas, bold conversations, and so many familiar faces. It was especially great to see OOH so well represented, especially in a city like Miami, where the streets can be such a canvas of creativity. Even with all the buzz around digital, the energy on-site was a reminder of how much in-person connection still matters. And that’s exactly where OOH shines — creating real-world moments that bring people together. I’m proud to be part of the medium that’s leaning into that power.
Lana McGilvray
Founder and CEO, Purpose Worldwide
Three years in, POSSIBLE has grown up and grown big, which has delivered big wins in most respects but does necessitate a bigger footprint in the year ahead.
In terms of growing up, a three-year-old POSSIBLE turned out to be a super strong and inclusive mix of the biggest CEOs, CMOs, agency leaders, and tech innovators, which is hard to deliver on in general because the camps do not always huddle together. The dozen clients we traveled to Possible with raved about the opportunities they had to take the stage and network. The topic of the year? Agentic AI!
The rub? Too many executives in too little space made it tight and noisy. From what we have heard, this will work itself out next year when they partner with neighboring properties. Do we think it will "crush Cannes"? It's already attracted 5,000+. But, not necessarily. From what we could tell, the crowd was still chiefly North American, which is no ding. North America is the market most global brands crave to win. But, there's still room for Cannes, WFA, and others.
David Shing
Founder, Shingy
POSSIBLE 2025 wasn’t just another marketing mega-event. It was 5,000 souls caught in the beautiful collision of Martech and Meaning.
Sure, there were algorithms, ad tech, and AI agents buzzing like neon cicadas—but underneath it all was a quiet rebellion. A yearning. A signal that amidst the noise, the most powerful channel still remains… human creativity.
I ran a workshop titled Creative Clarity in a Chaotic World with Group Black —a space where people could breathe, draw, think sideways, and remember what it feels like to be an idea in motion.
We didn’t pitch decks. We reconnected with pattern, play, and perception. We rewired the room from reactive to reflective.
Here’s what I decoded walking between the main stage and my makeshift whiteboard jungle:
Martech can’t save your brand's soul. People remember feelings, not funnels.
Creativity isn’t a department. It’s a survival instinct. Nurture it—or risk irrelevance.
The brands that win? They listen like artists, not advertisers.
AI is a tool. You are the tone. Use it to amplify—not automate—your humanity.
Culture is the canvas. Community is the masterpiece.
POSSIBLE felt like a new kind of gathering: my tribe spoke on the mainstage, my family (Group Black and Female Quotient) showed up with heart. The rest of us? We left a little more awake.
Creativity isn’t chaotic. It’s what brings clarity to chaos.
Christian Banach
Founder and Chief Growth Officer, Christian Banach LLC
A consistent theme across nearly every session at POSSIBLE was the growing importance of authenticity and relevance in an AI-driven world. Gary Vaynerchuk argued that you should “never put paid media behind creative that hasn’t been validated by organic.” This stuck with me. It reflects a shift toward testing content in the wild to see what truly resonates before scaling. With today’s tools, marketers no longer must guess what will connect; they can use real-time signals to ensure their creative is human and effective. The future belongs to brands that combine data, tech, and intuition to create content that’s both real and results-driven.
Kamal Bhandal
SVP Global Brand, Invisalign
Reflecting on Possible 2025, the sessions that left a lasting impact are those where the speakers pushed beyond the buzz words and leaned into human truths – industry icon Bobbie Brown for example, masterfully shared her incredible story with the audience in her own authentic voice – no buzzwords and purely authentically Bobbie Brown. Additionally, brands that created experiences to build community and create an experience, such as Sparks, really stood out.
Looking ahead, the brands who are writing the future of marketing are those who are leaning in to participate in and listen to their communities. Those who are creating experiences vs. transactions – experiences that create human connection are here to stay because these are the moments which create lasting impact.
May 6, 2025
© 2025 The Continuum
