Category: Featured

The economy may be shifting, but one thing is clear: consumers are shifting faster. They’re cutting back, trading down, and reevaluating what’s truly worth their money. For brands, staying relevant in this climate means moving beyond short-term promotions and focusing on long-term value.

But value isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept. It’s emotional, it’s social, and it’s defined by the consumer, not the company. Our new guide for brands, Building a Recession-Proof Value Strategy is designed to help marketers bridge the gap between shrinking wallets and rising expectations. Because in 2025, showing up on social media isn’t enough. You need to show up with clarity, consistency, and purpose.

Here are three key takeaways from the report:

🔍 Value is multi-dimensional, and consumers define it.

Today’s consumers are looking for emotional reassurance, durability, social alignment, and convenience. Brands should take the time to understand how value is perceived in their category and adjust their messaging accordingly on social platforms.

📊 Social media is the new recession barometer.

Platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram have become spaces where people share spending habits, product recommendations, and brand perceptions in real time. If you want to understand where your brand stands, look there and not just at economic indicators or internal dashboards.

💬 Creators and community feedback are strategic tools.

Relatable creators often hold more influence than traditional ads, and social comments offer direct insight into what matters most to your audience. Tapping into micro-creators, monitoring comment trends, and embracing Comments as Creative (CasC) are key ways to build trust and relevance.

For more insights and examples, watch the replay of our virtual event and download the report below!

Vaysians, VaynerMedia’s community resource group for Asian/Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) employees, has created space for connection, cultural celebration, and community. What began as a small, informal gathering in 2017 has grown into a global network of AANHPI members and allies focused on increasing visibility, multi-dimensional storytelling, and support.

This May, Vaysians led a company-wide celebration of AANHPI Month through a social content series, in-person events, and multi-office activations. From the “Vayner Voyages” storytelling takeover spotlighting individual career journeys to a joint event with VaynerMusic, and intimate interviews exploring identity in creative fields, the programming focused on creating human-to-human connection.

We spoke with some Vaysians co-leads (Jennifer Bang, Kim Wong, Nicole Enrile, Kara Kung, Geethika Bathini, and Cristy Sotelo) to reflect on this year’s activations, how the group has evolved over the past 11 years, and what the future holds for the next generation of Vaysians.

What was the intention behind this year’s AANHPI Month content series and social takeover?

Since last year, Vaysians has been working closely with the MarComms team to amplify AANHPI voices through the VaynerX platform. Some of the key contacts within MarComms are Vaysians members themselves, which made planning smooth and feasible. The value of the content series is to reach AANHPI communities outside of VaynerX and connect with people on a human-to-human level.

What stories or themes stood out most from the interviews with Vaysians members?

The biggest theme that stood out was cultural identity. Many AANHPI people are working and living in an individualistic society in North America while balancing a cultural identity that is collectivist by nature. There was also a shared experience around the pressure to follow more traditional career paths — the familiar idea that our parents wanted us to be doctors, lawyers, or engineers — but instead, many of us have found our way into creative industries or roles in creative spaces.

Why is it important for AANHPI people to feel safe, seen, and represented in the workplace?

Why wouldn’t anyone want to feel safe, seen, and represented in the workplace? There is not much difference among diverse groups when it comes to this need — it should be the bare minimum that everyone feels all three.

How did the broader Vayner community engage with the content? Anything that resonated more than expected?

In the Los Angeles office, cultural phrases of the week were introduced, and it was endearing to hear non-AANHPI peers using them in meetings. A scavenger hunt helped rally weekly participation, and the office was decorated to keep awareness and spirit high.

In the New York office, Vaysians hosted a “Yap + Sip Social Hour” sponsored by Sasha Group President Matt Garcia, who is also an investor in the soju brand Yobo Spirits. Attendees showed genuine curiosity about the flavors they were trying and stayed to connect with one another.

In the Toronto office, an Asian Heritage Month collage sparked organic conversation and connection. Sharing personal facts and new information brought people together in a meaningful way.

Vaysians has been around for 11 years. How has the group evolved since Jennifer Bang and Denise Chan first started it?

In 2017, Jennifer Bang and Denise Chan brought together a small group of Asian American colleagues who had expressed an interest in meeting monthly. Invites were shared by word of mouth, agendas were fluid, and attendance was inconsistent — especially since there was no clear precedent for prioritizing internal or cultural initiatives over client work. At the time, there also weren’t many AANHPI employees at the company. But Jennifer and Denise made time to plan weekly conversations that naturally flowed toward topics like current events, representation in media and entertainment, and personal experiences both in and outside the workplace.

What has been the most meaningful shift or milestone in Vaysians’ journey so far?

Retention and expansion. There has been a shift toward prioritizing active internal members, recruiting new members, and creating leadership positions within the group.

How has the mission or purpose of Vaysians expanded or shifted over the years?

The mission has remained remarkably consistent: to promote multi-dimensional narratives about AANHPI people.

What are your hopes or plans for the next chapter of Vaysians, either this year or in the longer term?

The goal for the rest of 2025 and into 2026 is to see continued growth in the newer chapters in Toronto and Los Angeles, and to reactivate the London chapter. There is also excitement around collaborating more with other CRGs to support and celebrate one another.

What advice would you give to new members or future co-leads who want to shape the next 11 years?

Continue to reclaim what this means — that being Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander is part of our identity every day. While it’s important to honor special macromoments like Lunar New Year, AANHPI Month, or Mid-Autumn Festival, it’s equally important to celebrate the small, everyday micromoments.

Want to learn more from our Vaysians crew? Check out our content series over on Instagram.

If your LinkedIn feed looked anything like mine, it was all POSSIBLE, all week. Now in its third year, the conference brought global names to Miami — Martha Stewart, Katie Couric, and of course, Gary Vee.

Gary showed up with a clear message: the media playbook most marketers are still using is overdue for a rewrite. We’ve entered a new era — Owned > Earned > Paid.

Today, the most effective brands — including many beloved Vayner clients — are leading with what they own: their channels, their content, their community. When a message hits, it earns attention organically. Only then is it worth amplifying with paid.

We parked the VaynerX yacht just across from the main stage — a metaphor, perhaps, for how we like to do things. It quickly became a hub for off-the-record conversations about the future of marketing. Safe to say, we’ll be back.

We Took the Mic and Talked O → E → P

Gary’s keynote pulled no punches. His message was direct: attention isn’t something you can just buy anymore. It has to be earned — through content that’s relevant, timely, and respects how people actually consume media.

I joined a panel hosted by The Female Quotient alongside Thatiana Diaz, Pedr Howard, and Sheereen Miller-Russell, where we dug into what this looks like in practice. One theme stood out: today’s audiences are building their own content ecosystems — and brands need to bring something valuable to earn a spot inside them.

Over at Adweek House, our Chief Business Officer Kaylen McNamara explored how cultural context — not just targeting or trends — is what sets breakthrough campaigns apart.

Breakfast with a POV (and a View)

We kicked off our week with a marketers breakfast co-hosted with Vistar Media — strong coffee, stronger opinions. A few takeaways that stuck:

• Good content has long legs. With the right distribution strategy, it can spark again and again.
• OOH and social aren’t separate worlds. When you link creative across both, the impact multiplies.

Silos slow things down. Real momentum happens when creative, media, and strategy work as one.

Retail Media, Evolved

Later that day, we shifted to a more intimate conversation — a private leadership lunch with Chase Media Solutions. Lauren Griewski spoke to how Chase is using real transaction data (with care and intention) to power smarter, more relevant campaigns. 

We kept the conversation going with a special Marketing for the Now episode, recorded live from the yacht. Gary and I welcomed top marketers to share how they’re adapting in real time — and what they’re doing differently in the face of so much change.

Content, Captured

You know VaynerX is NOT going to miss a content opportunity… So we partnered with our friends at Shutterstock to capture the week’s moments as they unfolded. From sunrise sessions to sunset panels, they were everywhere, and helped us share the energy in real time (peep the gallery!). We also co-hosted programming throughout the week with Shutterstock’s Chief Enterprise Officer, Aimee Eagan — a true highlight

CMO Circle: Streaming x Creator Culture

To wrap, we brought together Gary and Tubi’s Chief Revenue Officer Jeff Lucas for a conversation on how streaming and creator culture are converging. From community-built storytelling to new measurement models, the message was clear: the way brands connect with audiences is evolving fast, and on awesome platforms like Tubi.

We’ll be continuing the conversation in Cannes this June. Want to be part of it? Register here.

“You cannot be emotionally attached to any distribution channel in marketing.”

That was one of Gary’s key messages at Advertising Week Europe—and it perfectly summed up the platform agnostic marketing strategy he’s been pushing for years.

The spring sunshine lit up 180 Strand, and the place was buzzing with energy and top-tier speakers. In just a few hours, I sat in on Gary’s exclusive masterclass, his CMO Now interview with CNBC, and his keynote with Advertising Week President Ruth Mortimer.

Here are the five moments that stood out most.

I don’t think anyone expected an OG influencer and content creator to say, “I don’t put social media on a pedestal.” But here’s the thing: social media is where people are spending most of their time and attention. So, as marketers, we need to meet them where they are. It’s the richest source of insights you’ll find—on your brand, your content, and your campaigns.

Until that shifts, social is where we need to be. The real key isn’t getting emotionally attached to the platform itself—it’s being emotionally invested in getting the best return on your time and money there.

If £1million adspend was our own, family money, we wouldn’t spend it the way a traditional advertising agency does.

I wish more marketers would embrace this mindset. Yes, the craft of advertising is valuable and should be treated with care, expertise, and respect. The people behind the work deserve to be paid well for their brilliant ideas.

But it’s all about being consumer-centric and smart with where we invest. The old ways of reaching people—TV, OOH, and print—can still work for some brands. Our reality is that a single organic social post, sometimes not even from the brand itself, does more for product sales than traditional advertising in a matter of days. And this happens every week.

“If you post on social and you get 16 views, you f****** suck!”

Gary’s blunt humor got a laugh, but the point couldn’t be clearer. The truth is, social media is the best platform for getting real-time feedback on your creative. If people like what you’re posting, they’ll engage with it—likes, comments, shares. That’s how you know if your content is working.

The real magic is when something performs, you can put your media spend behind it and watch it thrive. No more guessing or gambling on something untested. You just tweak, adjust, and optimize until you’ve got something that works.

The tried and true principles of marketing still exist 

Learning how to do some things in a new way doesn’t mean we have to throw out everything. The fundamentals of relevance, consideration, product, and price are all still hugely important.

The difference now is that with social media, we can measure and track relevance in real-time. If something’s working, you double down. Social can provide so much information for you to use. But it doesn’t mean it’s the only thing you need to nail to make a sale. 

It’s a really exciting time to be in our industry – and we should be proud of it

Not long ago, ideas like the “attention economy” or “creating at the speed of culture” felt new. Last week, I watched senior leaders from banks, startups, and the platforms themselves speak as if those ideas were now central to how brands grow.

There’s still work to do before social truly sits at the center of every marketing strategy—but it’s clear that more CMOs are waking up to its value. 

We hear a lot about creative talent leaving the industry, or that the work isn’t what it used to be. But what I saw at Advertising Week Europe was different: a room full of passionate, sharp, and forward-thinking people who care deeply about the future of marketing.

So instead of dwelling on what’s lost, I’m choosing to be energized by what’s next. Because if last week proved anything, it’s that this industry still has plenty of spark—and we should be proud to be part of it.

During Ramadan, a month of reflection and community, it’s vital to move beyond performative gestures. That’s why I put together ‘Muslim Voices in Marketing & Media,’ a candid conversation about the realities of Muslim representation. This panel, featuring industry trailblazers, wasn’t just another discussion—it was a much-needed reality check, exposing the surface-level marketing that often misses the mark. 

Last night’s Iftar and panel featured:

• Hussein Houta, CEO at F42 Global
• Nabihah Parkar, Head of TikTok at The Times
• Nas Ahmadi, Co-founder at Camel Talent
• Zainab Khan, Strategy Director
• Saffana Monajed, Copywriter and Communication Strategist

The conversation doubled down on some hard truths: marketing aimed at Muslim audiences feels performative and driven by commercial motives. So we created a safe space for honest dialogues, a space where we could redefine what authentic engagement looks like in our industry and, frankly, call out the BS.

Key Takeaways: Beyond Ramadan Campaigns

Here’s what we learned:

• Ramadan is Not Just a Marketing Holiday: Brands, stop treating Ramadan as a mere sales opportunity. It’s about community, not consumption. Support grassroots initiatives instead of just pushing products.
• Year-Round Engagement Matters: Muslim consumers are savvy. They see through performative gestures. Show up all year, not just during Ramadan.
• Diversity Behind the Scenes: True representation starts in your teams. If there are no Muslims in your creative departments, boardrooms, or decision-making spaces, your efforts will always ring hollow.
• Ethical Marketing is Non-Negotiable: Saffana Monajed nailed it: “If your supply chain is garbage, consumers will sniff it out.” Ethical practices aren’t a trend; they’re a responsibility.
• Muslims Are Not a Niche: With over $3 trillion in global spending power, brands need to look beyond seasonal campaigns. Long-term engagement is key.

As Kostie Kontorravdis put it, “Far too many panels feel like an echo chamber of similar opinions. But yesterday’s panel was full of hard truths, conflicting opinions, personal stories, debunked myths, and beautifully insightful learnings about a massively underrepresented community.”

A Buzzing Q&A and Empowering Conversations

The energy in the room was electric. The panelists’ contributions sparked incredible conversations, with the audience chiming in at every opportunity. The Q&A session was a true highlight, buzzing with insightful back-and-forth discussion from a super engaged audience. It was amazing to see the impact of hosting a safe space where Muslim voices felt empowered to share their honest thoughts and opinions—something we desperately need more of in our industry.

It’s clear: we need more Muslims at the table, not just during Ramadan, but year-round. This event was a step towards building a more inclusive industry, reflecting the very essence of DEI that we champion, and ensuring that the values of community and authentic representation, especially highlighted during Ramadan, continue to drive our efforts.

—Masuma Ali, Creative Strategist and VaynerMuslims Co-Lead, VaynerMedia EMEA