Joanna O'Connell, Chief Intelligence Officer, Omnicom Media Group, breaks down the new brand growth framework, why emotional connection matters more than ever, and how marketers must adapt to Gen AI, shifting trust, and ad avoidance.

Takeaways

Consumers are influenced by more sources than ever
Information asymmetry is gone
Trust is shifting from institutions to people and AI
Attention is fragmented and declining
Gen AI is now an influencer and gatekeeper
Ad avoidance is a major barrier
Economic pressure is reshaping buying behavior
Traditional brand frameworks are no longer enough
Emotional connection is now critical
Brands must market to both people and machines

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod and Joanna O’Connell

00:23 Why this conversation matters in today’s media landscape

02:05 How consumer influence has evolved

03:18 The explosion of information

03:49 The death of information asymmetry

04:26 The new trust economy

04:59 Fragmented attention and digital overload

05:28 Gen AI as a new influencer

06:14 The reality of ad avoidance

06:25 Economic pressures shaping consumer behavior

08:05 What a brand means today

09:10 The growing disconnect between brands and consumers

10:33 Brand versus performance marketing tension

11:44 Rethinking the brand growth framework

11:58 The evolution of physical availability

13:06 The challenge of mental availability

14:10 Introducing emotional availability

15:53 Building real consumer connection

17:37 The new three-pillar brand model

18:11 Practical strategies for modern brands

19:56 Marketing to people and machines

20:09 Where brands should show up today

21:53 The rise of AI-driven discovery

22:24 Final framework and closing thoughts

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Rethinking Your Brand Growth Framework to Maximize Influence