Ad Age Insider

Every week, Ad Age Insider helps make sense of what's happening across advertising, marketing and media—and why it matters.Hosted by Parker Herren, the show features conversations with Ad Age editors and reporters unpacking the stories they're covering, with context, skepticism and perspective beyond the headlines. From shifts in power and strategy to cultural moments shaping the business of brands, Insider connects the dots across the industry.Subscribe to stay current—and see the industry more clearly.

Ad Age Insider is a business podcast hosted by Ad Age, with 216 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Ad Age hosts Ad Age Insider, a business show with 216 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Ad Age Insider

  Weekly Report: Dollar Tree shifts to emotional branding as it eyes $1 billion in untapped sales

  Aug 13, 20267 min

  Dollar Tree named independent agency Tombras its first-ever creative agency of record ahead of a September brand campaign—what it reveals about the shift from performance marketing to full-funnel brand building. Plus, Quality Meats co-founders launched cannabis beverage Herb Light, using retro beer nostalgia to help THC drinkers understand dosage before they try it; OpenAI expanded ChatGPT's ad infrastructure with new partners including Kochava, though brand safety and independent verification tools are still missing; creator economy veterans launched JERi, a new agency built to give creators a seat at strategy and planning instead of just execution; and Columbia Sportswear closed its eight-month flat earth campaign with adam&eve/TBWA, handing out consolation gift cards after no one could prove the earth is flat. Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating full-funnel brand building, emerging ad measurement channels, and the creator economy's shift toward strategic partnership. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~ Dollar Tree chooses Tombras as its first creative agency of record ~ Quality Meats founders move into cannabis—inside their Herb Light launch ~ ChatGPT beefs up ad measurement, but gaps remain for buyers ~ A new creator agency with an advisory board model gives talent a seat at the strategy table ~ Columbia Sportswear calls off 'Expedition Impossible' but has consolation prizes for Flat Earthers

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  Episode #41

  The consumer trends marketers can't ignore this fall, with Erika Wheless

  Aug 7, 202631 min

  Erika Wheless, consumer culture and brand behavior reporter at Ad Age, breaks down the consumer trends shaping the back half of 2026, and how they connect to the brands gaining the most ground with Gen Z. The conversation covers why credibility is starting to matter more than authenticity, with audiences favoring "frontline authority" voices—actual employees and experts—over traditional influencer marketing, plus AI's growing role in that shift. It also digs into Gen Z's renewed appetite for physical ownership, from DVDs and game cartridges to novelty popcorn buckets and dumb phones, and why that's less nostalgia than a response to rising costs. Host Parker Herren presses Wheless on what's driving purchase decisions among older Gen Z shoppers now managing real budgets, and which brands—AliExpress, Aldi, Longhorn Steakhouse among them—are winning by leaning into affordability and collectible, shareable experiences. Subscribe to Ad Age Insider for more conversations translating Ad Age's reporting into insight you can actually use. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~ 4 consumer trends for brands to watch in the second half of the year ~ 20 brands catching Gen Z's attention right now and how they are doing it ~ 20 brands catching millennials' attention right now ~ Movie marketing for the TikTok generation—how theater chains are trying to reach Gen Z ~ Buy tickets to Ad Age's Business of Brands conference ~ Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast

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  Ad Age Insider

  Weekly Report: McDonald's admits its promotional calendar backfired

  Aug 6, 20267 min

  This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: McDonald's opens up about how an overloaded promotional calendar, stacking a K-pop Demon Hunters tie-in, value messaging, beverage launches, and a FIFA World Cup push, confused customers and dragged down second-quarter sales, and what it reveals about the real cost of promotional saturation and the discipline brands need to know what to cut. Plus, the Martin Agency wins Subway's creative account after pitching a single "brutally simple" idea in its final review; Yahoo Sports leans on Robert Griffin III and BBDO for a college fantasy football push as part of its broader brand revival; Japan Airlines starts running paid ads on ChatGPT and adopts "share of model" as a new visibility metric as AI search reshapes travel discovery; and Lemonade and Cash Studios reward safe drivers in Texas with a message board that only lights up for cars going the speed limit. Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating promotional overload, long-term brand platforms versus campaign-by-campaign thinking, authentic talent partnerships, and the shift from clicks to AI visibility as a marketing metric. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~ McDonald's rethinks crowded promotional calendar ~ Martin wins Subway's creative account ~ Inside Robert Griffin III's back-to-school Yahoo College Fantasy Football ad ~ How Japan Airlines will track its new ChatGPT ad strategy ~ Lemonade's 'Slow Sign' salutes the 10% of Texans who drive the speed limit ~ Vote for the best campaign of July 2026

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  Ad Age Insider

  Weekly Report: Creators are betting on equity over paid partnerships

  Jul 30, 20268 min

  This week on Ad Age Insider's Weekly Report: creators like Alix Earle are increasingly chasing equity stakes instead of traditional brand deals, and what it reveals about creators becoming long-term business partners rather than just marketing assets. Plus, Popeyes names Stagwell's Anomaly as its new U.S. Creative Agency of Record following a sales decline and roster overhaul; Equinox pulls an AI-generated out-of-home ad after Asian creators call out racist and sexist stereotypes; Apple quietly expands its ad terms to run beyond its own properties and rolls out an AI-powered bidding tool; and Lego and Olivia Rodrigo launch a global scavenger hunt built around Lego vinyl records. Host Parker Herren breaks down what each story means for marketers navigating creator ownership models, AI representation risks in campaign production, agency roster overhauls, and the tension between privacy positioning and ad revenue growth. Subscribe for weekly industry news roundups, plus biweekly deep-dive conversations with Ad Age reporters. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~ Inside the rise of creator-brand equity deals—and how they're reshaping creator marketing ~ Popeyes names Anomaly its US creative agency as part of a broader roster overhaul ~ Equinox pulls AI ad after creators call out racist Asian stereotypes ~ How Apple's ads business could move beyond the App Store and its other properties ~ Lego and Olivia Rodrigo send fans on a brick-built vinyl treasure hunt

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  Episode #40

  Small Agencies are Winning Business with these 2026 Moves, with Judy Pollack, Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin

  Jul 24, 202628 min

  The leaders of the 2026 Ad Age Small Agency Awards—Judy Pollack, Brian Bonilla and Ewan Larkin—break down what actually separated this year's winners from the pack. They dig into why small shops are ditching billable hours for outcomes-based and equity models and how agencies like Conscious Minds and Zambezi rebuilt their entire structures to compete at scale. They also talk about why social-first, technology-driven creative work, from CAPTCHA microsites to intern jackets, is what's winning clients over right now. Tune in for the full breakdown of consolidation, reinvention and what clients are actually paying for in a leaner ad economy. Host Parker Herren presses the judges on where the industry goes next: expect more shops merging into "super indies," pitches built around certainty rather than promises and creative-first agencies pushing into media and production to avoid getting boxed into one lane. Listen to hear what it takes to survive—and win—as a small agency in 2026. Subscribe to Ad Age Insider so you don't miss what's next. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~ See the winners of Ad Age's 2026 Small Agency Awards ~ Read Ad Age's Small Agency Playbook ~ Apply to join Ad Age's Small Agency Network ~ Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast

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