For all of you who couldn’t make our recent Future Trends in Advertising Festival held in Edinburgh, or those who enjoyed it so much that you’re back for more, here’s a roundup of the event highlights, takeaways, and feedback.
We recently held the highly anticipated Future Trends in Advertising Festival at the Everyman Cinema in Edinburgh. Having held the inaugural festival in Newcastle a few months prior, our Edinburgh team was eager to bring the same stellar lineup to Scotland’s vibrant media scene – so that’s exactly what we did!
Once again, our festival brought together industry experts from leading platforms, Spotify, Meta, X, Pinterest, and Thinkbox to discuss the latest trends and innovations shaping the advertising sector.
The event was hosted by our Managing Director, Steven Underwood, and the Client Director of our Edinburgh office, Nikki Alcorn. The day kicked off with a warm welcome from Nikki, who highlighted the importance of this event in Scotland. Steve then followed on, emphasizing the importance of staying ahead in the fast-paced marketing industry before welcoming each of our guest speakers to the stage.
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Marija Cepulyte, client partner at Pinterest, highlighted the platform’s significant growth, particularly among Gen Z users. Pinterest’s newest innovations include enhanced personalisation features, guided search with ChatGPT integration, and inclusive filters for body types. She also introduced ‘Premiere Spotlight,’ a new ad format aimed at maximising reach and engagement through premium video placements.
Naomi Chapman from Spotify discussed the evolving nature of the platform’s homepage to improve user experience and advertiser reach. She noted the rising trend of video podcasts and how visual ads are becoming key in capturing audience attention. Chapman emphasised the importance of non-intrusive ads and the role of AI in optimising advertising content.
Chris Treacy of X shared insights on the platform’s transition and its ambition to become an all-encompassing app. With AI-driven personalisation and a significant focus on video content, X aims to enhance user control and brand safety. Treacy highlighted the introduction of X’s AI assistant, Grok, and its impact on user engagement and advertising efficiency.
Zoe Harkness from Thinkbox provided an overview of the shifting TV viewing habits, noting a 23% increase in BVOD (Broadcast Video on Demand). She emphasised the importance of integrating TV into advertising strategies and shared insights from Thinkbox’s research on the variables that influence ad recall.
Read more about Thinkbox’s fascinating study here.
Rob Smallwood from Meta discussed the transformative potential of AI in marketing. He showcased Meta’s advancements in AI tools, like the Advantage+ Creative tool, which optimises ad copy and visuals. Smallwood encouraged advertisers to conduct multiple experiments to build robust campaign strategies and leverage AI to enhance creative content: “Test, test, and test again”.
Attendees also participated in movement breaks led by Hannah Beecham MBE from Red January, promoting mental health and well-being. This is an initiative close to our hearts here at Bonded, having worked with the charity over the last few years via our annual walking challenge with local agencies in Newcastle and Edinburgh, so it was great that we could help promote this worthy cause during the event.
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Guests also heard from our charity partner at NABS, who shared an emotional video about the important work they do to help those struggling within the advertising industry. A big thank you to everyone who donated to NABS at the event—we managed to raise a whopping £235.
The event concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Alexandra Balazs from Prolific North, bringing our guest speakers back to the stage. The discussion, driven by questions from the audience, explored significant platform shifts and emphasised the growing importance of video content, the need for continuous testing and broad audience targeting in advertising strategies. This engaging Q&A session provided a fitting end to the insightful talks, giving our audience even more valuable insights to take home.
We were so overwhelmed by the amazing response from the event, we felt it was only fair to share some of the fantastic feedback from our guests:
“A brilliant event! Huge well-done team Bonded” – Prolific North
“From new strategies to cutting-edge tools, we’re ready to take our client’s campaigns to the next level.” – Agency Twenty Three
“Breakfast on arrival, live music, coffee, merch and talks from industry experts across the major social media platforms and streaming services! We left feeling very inspired.” – Collinson Ceramics Limited
“From the happiness obtained through our inspirational Pinterest boards to the very latest innovations across advertising and television, we left the morning buzzing with ideas for future campaigns.” – IOLLA
Steve Underwood, Managing Director, and Nikki Alcorn, Client Director at our Edinburgh office, both expressed their gratitude for the enthusiastic participation and insightful contributions from all speakers and attendees.
Reflecting on the success of the event, Steve shared:
“After the overwhelming response to our first event, I didn’t think it could get any better, but the positive feedback from our Edinburgh event has been truly fantastic. Events like these propel our industry forward, and we are immensely proud as an agency to facilitate such meaningful discussions.”
Similarly proud, Nikki remarked:
“It was a great pleasure to bring these esteemed speakers to Scotland, especially since such events are often limited to London. This event was highly requested, and it was incredibly rewarding to see the engagement from so many fantastic Scottish brands.”
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended, our fantastic guest speakers and our charity and media partners.
Excitingly, our next event is already in the works, so stay tuned to find out how to get involved! Follow us on LinkedIn or subscribe to our newsletter below to be the first to hear about future events. If you’re interested in finding out how Bonded could help you connect better with your audience, reach out to our team today.
Thank you for being a part of the Future Trends in Advertising Festival – we look forward to seeing you at our next event!
