Advertising Week Europe 2026: What we saw, heard and learned

Advertising Week Europe 2026 brought the industry together for a week of sharp perspectives, honest conversations and a clear signal of where marketing, media and technology are heading next.

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From packed sessions to standing-room-only panels, one thing was clear: the gap between those experimenting and those executing is widening.

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Here’s what stood out.

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Propeller at Advertising Week Europe

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This year, our presence spanned the stage, the studio and the wider programme.

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Crack the Code: Industry Journalists Tell All

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Our flagship session returned to Advertising Week Europe, bringing together senior journalists to unpack how editorial decisions are really made.

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The room was full, and the message was consistent:
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• The bar for relevance is higher than ever
• Exclusivity still matters, but only when it adds genuine value
• AI-generated content is easy to spot and often ignored
• Stories need a clear “why now” to land

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There was also a notable shift in how journalists view competition. As one speaker put it, they are now competing with the very people they would typically interview.

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That tension is reshaping what gets covered and how stories need to be told.

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Read the full blog here.

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Supporting The Future is Female

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Wednesday evening saw the Future is Female Awards take place.

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As sponsors alongside Empower, it was an opportunity to recognise the individuals pushing the industry forward.

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The conversations across the week made one thing clear. Progress doesn’t happen passively. It requires active sponsorship, advocacy and leadership at every level.

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The people recognised on the night are not just shaping the industry today, they are helping define what comes next.

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See the full list of winners here.

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Empower Podcast: Daily Drops from the ground

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Across three days, Propeller's Kate Chaundy recorded and released daily episodes of the Empower Podcast, capturing perspectives from speakers and attendees in real time.

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Each episode built on a simple idea: understand what is actually cutting through.

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Day 1: Setting the tone
Early conversations focused on how brands are navigating fragmentation, with a clear emphasis on clarity over volume.

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Day 2: What’s resonating
A recurring theme was authenticity. Not as a message, but as a filter. Audiences are quick to disengage when something feels forced or performative.

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Day 3: What’s next
The final episode shifted towards application. Less about trends, more about how teams are operationalising them across content, media and data.

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Listen to the Empower podcast here.

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The bigger picture: key themes from the week

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Drawing from sessions attended across the team, several themes came through consistently.

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1. Culture is the growth lever most brands still underuse

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Across multiple sessions, culture was positioned as both opportunity and risk.

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Brands that fail to evolve with their audience experience “audience drift”, often caused by focusing too heavily on category norms instead of real people.

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The counterpoint is cultural intelligence:
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• Think culture first
• Separate signals from noise
• Act before the tipping point
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This isn’t about reacting to trends. It’s about understanding what actually matters to your audience and building from there.

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2. Community is replacing reach as the measure of relevance

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From sport to social platforms, the idea of passive audiences is disappearing.

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Fans are no longer just watching. They are participating, debating and shaping the narrative in real time.

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• 98% of people identify as fans of something or someone
• Fandom is built through identity and shared experience, not just content
• Brands need to create touchpoints that extend beyond the moment
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The implication is clear. Relevance is no longer about how many people you reach, but how deeply you connect.

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3. AI is shifting from capability to application
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AI was everywhere, but the conversation has matured.
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The focus is no longer on what AI can do, but how it is being used in practice.
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• AI is enabling more personalised creative at scale, particularly for smaller brands
• The challenge is turning data into actionable insight, not just reporting
• Over-reliance on lower funnel tactics is being questioned
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The advantage now lies in integration. Teams that connect AI across marketing, media and data are seeing the impact.

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4. Measurement is being rebuilt in real time
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From commerce media to TV, measurement is undergoing a structural shift.
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Retail media highlighted the importance of connecting channels end-to-end, while broadcasters focused on industry-wide collaboration.
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• Unified measurement frameworks are being developed across TV ecosystems
• Real-time data is enabling more precise media decisions
• The challenge is simplifying complexity for clients
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Measurement is no longer a reporting function. It is becoming a strategic driver.
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5. Content formats are evolving, but expectations are rising faster
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Video continues to dominate, but not in isolation.
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• Engagement with video is significantly higher than other formats
• Short-form and long-form are coexisting, not competing
• Serialisation is becoming key to maintaining attention
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In B2B, video is also filling gaps in the funnel that are harder to track, helping brands build familiarity and trust over time.
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6. Authenticity is no longer optional
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From talent partnerships to brand storytelling, authenticity came up repeatedly.
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Audiences are quick to detect anything that feels forced.
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• Credibility comes from consistency, not campaigns
• Talent want meaningful involvement, not surface-level partnerships
• Saying no is often more valuable than saying yes
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The shift is subtle but important. Authenticity is not a differentiator. It is the baseline.
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7. Inclusion and progression need active leadership
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Workshops and panels on talent and inclusion reinforced a clear point: intent is not enough.
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• Gender equality is still decades away at the current pace
• Lack of sponsorship is a key driver of talent attrition
• Leaders need to actively advocate for others, not just support in principle
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The focus is shifting towards action. Building diverse teams is one step. Creating pathways for progression is the real challenge.
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Final thought
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Advertising Week Europe 2026 didn’t introduce entirely new ideas. It clarified which ones matter.
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The common thread across everything we saw:

• Less noise
• More intention
• Stronger connection between strategy and execution
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The brands and agencies moving forward are not the ones doing more. They are the ones doing it better, with clearer thinking and tighter application.
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If any of these themes resonate, or you want to explore what they mean in practice, get in touch.

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