As marketing continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, 2025 is already shaping up to be a defining year. At POSSIBLE, Vistar Media and VaynerX gathered a group of industry leaders for a breakfast meetup centered on one big question: How can brands show up more meaningfully in a world that is moving faster than ever?
The answer, according to a discussion with 10 industry leading marketers, lies in the intersection of creative agility, cultural awareness and real-world impact.
From leveraging social as a testing ground for bigger creative bets to bridging the gap between digital and physical worlds to moving in sync with cultural moments, the conversation offered a candid look at what’s top-of-mind for marketing leaders today.
Here are four of the biggest themes that emerged:
Test on social, scale bold in the real world
Social has evolved from a distribution channel into a creative testing ground. The group discussed how social platforms are becoming essential spaces to explore, test and refine ideas before scaling them across paid media and into the physical world with programmatic out-of-home (OOH).
“Social is the new brief, where you find out what works before you invest big.”
This approach offers a smart path forward: use social to pressure-test creative concepts, then double down on what resonates. Once a message proves its strength, brands can go bigger—bringing it to life with relevance, presence and scale in the real world.
Brand still wins the long game
In a performance-driven world, it was refreshing to hear a strong defense of brand. The group repeatedly emphasized a shared belief: while performance marketing can drive short-term results, it’s brand that builds preference and long-term value.
Surprisingly, many in the group felt that these days it sometimes is the board of directors pushing the marketing leaders to be bolder and go further, while many marketing teams still feel they need to present strategies that focus on the near-term bottom line.
“If you want to build a real brand, you have to stop pandering to the metrics you think the board wants to see.”
In moments of consumer behavior change, regulatory disruption and more, keeping your brand love strong is critical. OOH plays a unique role in connecting brand to performance—it’s tangible, ever-present and shows up in everyday moments that spark emotion and leave a lasting impression.
The conversation pointed to a clear truth: brand matters more than ever — but only if marketers are willing to act like it.
“We’re in a moment where brand matters more—but only if we have the courage to act like it.”
Culture doesn’t wait—and media shouldn’t either
Whether it’s a product drop, a sports event or a hyper-local trend, the ability to show up in culture at the right moment is critical. Not every moment will be a fit for your brand, but when something is truly relevant and you have the opportunity to connect your brand, you need to move fast and with precision. Marketers today have the tools to move at the speed of culture, creating authentic, real-time connections with their audiences.
“Why waste an impression if it’s not relevant anymore?”
Channels like OOH, when powered by data and automation, offer the same agility and relevance expected from social platforms, but in the physical world. It’s a chance to meet people where they are, during their everyday routines and in unexpected places.
"You need to blow people’s minds in places they’re not expecting it, like on the walk to work or in the grocery aisle."
And with dynamic creative in OOH, brands can tailor their message to match the moment— ensuring every impression lands with meaning.
“Dynamic creative is everything. If it's not timely, it’s just noise.”
Retail media is ready…if teams can catch up
Retailers are already embracing faster cycles, more contextual messaging and data-driven media. But many brand-side sales teams are still wired for long lead times and traditional playbooks—a disconnect that can stall innovation.
“Retailer calendars are 16 months out, but consumers move in real time, and we need to bridge that gap. We used to sell campaigns a year out. Now we’re telling retailers: we don’t know the specifics of the creative yet, but we’ll be relevant.”
There’s an opportunity to rethink how marketing and sales collaborate—and how channels like OOH and retail media can work together to meet both sides’ goals in a more responsive, culture-aware way.
"Retailers want social-first ideas pulled through to in-store; not just a cardboard cutout with a celebrity."
Looking ahead
From creative strategy to media execution, the most compelling campaigns in 2025 will be the ones that move with culture. That means using social as a proving ground, investing in long-term brand value and bringing messages to life in the real world, with speed, relevance and presence.
The takeaway? Marketing’s biggest challenge is no longer reach—it’s resonance. And the brands that break through will be the ones bold enough to meet the moment.
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