By Luca Ledonne, VP Agency & Platform Sales, Affinity Solutions
Advertising Week New York 2025 was one for the books. The energy was electric, the conversations were sharp, and the future of marketing was unfolding in real time across every stage, hallway, and happy hour.
A Week of Panels, People, and Possibilities
Our Affinity Solutions team came in strong, with our leaders Damian Garbaccio, Ken Barbieri, and Kalyan Lanka taking the stage across multiple panels. Each session was packed—not just with attendees, but with insights that felt immediately actionable.
One standout was our omnichannel panel, where Damian joined leaders from Wendy’s, Amazon, and EDO to unpack how brands are driving outcomes across fragmented channels. The takeaway? Closed-loop attribution, loyalty data, and clean rooms are no longer buzzwords, they’re the backbone of modern media strategy.
Wendy’s, for example, is blending paid and owned media to re-engage lapsed customers with personalized offers. Meanwhile, a food delivery brand saw a 30% lift in app sales by combining linear and streaming TV data with EDO’s engagement metrics. That’s not theory, it’s proof.
AI: From Concept to Competitive Advantage
AI was everywhere—and not just in the titles of panels. From real-time bidding to predictive modeling, it’s clear we’ve moved past the hype. Kalyan Lanka’s panel on AI and programmatic advertising, hosted by Predactiv, drove this home. He and fellow panelists from Nexxen, MNTN, and New York & Co. explored how AI is reshaping media buying, creative production, and campaign agility.
One example that stuck with me: sales lift studies that used to take weeks now take us days (or even hours). That’s a game-changer for brands trying to keep pace with culture.
Streaming, Sports, and Smarter Measurement
Ken Barbieri’s panel on CTV and streaming’s strategic advantage was another highlight. The message was clear: CTV is no longer emerging, it’s mature. Marketers need to treat it with the same rigor as other digital channels, leveraging first-party data, contextual signals, and real-time measurement.
Live sports – a perennial darling of advertisers – also got their moment. NFL and college football continue to deliver unmatched engagement, especially for QSRs. Tools like Affinity Solutions’ Fansactions™ are helping brands measure ROI from live events by combining transaction data with media exposure. It’s not just about reach, it’s about relevance and return.
Big Announcements, Bigger Moves
One of the biggest headlines from the week came from Mastercard, which unveiled its new Commerce Media network. Mastercard is positioning itself as a next-generation retail media network, offering advertisers a broader view of consumer behavior than traditional retailers can. By leveraging its first-party data, Mastercard aims to solve long-standing challenges in measurement, attribution, and audience segmentation.
While Mastercard’s announcement turned heads, it’s still unclear whether solutions like these can deliver the depth and scale brands need to truly move the needle.
We also had some exciting news of our own to share, too. At Affinity, we believe data is only as powerful as its quality and reach—that’s why we announced we’re partnering with Microsoft and Cint to give brands, agencies, and publishers access to real-time transaction insights from over 100 million consumers and 150 million cards, helping them target audiences more effectively, measure campaigns more accurately, and enrich survey results with real purchase data.
The Future Is Now
While the panels and keynotes were powerful, some of the most meaningful moments happened offstage. For me, a highlight was the happy hour we hosted with our friends at DoubleVerify. It was a chance to connect casually with partners, clients, and peers, share ideas, and spark new collaborations. In a week full of innovation, those conversations reminded me that relationships are still at the heart of great marketing.
Advertising Week 2025 wasn’t just another industry conference; it was a wake-up call. The old playbooks are fading. AI, data collaboration, and creator-led storytelling are rewriting the rules. And if there’s one thing I took away from being on the ground, it’s this: The future of marketing isn’t coming, it’s already here.
