Wurl at ANA Masters of Marketing: A week of insights and innovation

Wurl recently attended the ANA Masters of Marketing at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Florida, where we had the pleasure of engaging with friends and colleagues from across the marketing community. At our booth, we introduced BrandDiscovery, our latest product designed to elevate the effectiveness of ad creatives through contextual targeting. We also treated conference attendees to professional headshots and beauty kits to ensure they looked as sharp as their contextual campaigns do!

The event featured insightful sessions, networking opportunities, and memorable moments, including a private dinner performance by music legend Daryl Hall.

Key session highlights

The week was packed with valuable sessions, and a few stood out, particularly around measurement, authenticity, and AI in marketing.

Hershey and Walmart Connect delivered a compelling presentation on how precise measurement can link retail media directly to purchase data. They emphasized that the most effective marketing strategies must always tie back to business outcomes — arguing that an approach that focused on aligning priorities toward business problems breaks down organizational silos and strengthens partnerships.

Customer-centric marketing

AT&T focused on the importance of customer centricity. Kellen Kenny, AT&T’s Chief Marketing and Growth Officer, shared how businesses that truly understand their customers can develop better products, deliver superior experiences, and foster long-term loyalty. Key takeaways included:

• Customer-centricity drives business growth by building loyalty and enhancing profitability.
• The balance between big data (quantitative) and thick data (qualitative) is essential for actionable insights into customer behavior and emotions.
• Aligning entire organizations, from marketing to product development, around customer needs accelerates innovation and strengthens customer relationships.

Netflix and the power of fandom

Netflix shared fascinating insights into how it fosters fan engagement through authentic storytelling and immersive experiences. Netflix’s CMO, Marian Lee, emphasized that creating emotional connections is at the core of its strategy, whether it’s with global phenomena like Bridgerton or niche shows like Heartstopper.

Key highlights from Netflix’s session included:

• Consistency and engagement are critical to maintaining fan interest between seasons, as demonstrated by Bridgerton’s live events and Stranger Things’ universe-expanding partnerships.
• The success of Squid Game underscored Netflix’s ability to react quickly to fan engagement, leveraging social media and partnerships to amplify the series’ global reach.
• Risk-taking and innovation were emphasized as drivers of Netflix’s long-term engagement strategy.

Looking ahead

Our time at the ANA Masters of Marketing was a fantastic opportunity to spark conversation in the wider marketing ecosystem. We are excited to take the insights we gathered—whether it’s about customer-centricity or the power of fandom — and continue refining how Wurl helps marketers shine in the connected TV space.

If you stopped by our booth and got a headshot, make sure to tag us in your post on LinkedIn!

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