ISBA (Incorporated Society of British Advertisers)

WFA heads to London for Global Marketer Week 2027

The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) will hold its Global Marketer Week in London in 2027, as announced by ISBA.

Cannes: AI Search Crisis Is Really Brand Coherence

At Cannes Lions 2026, industry conversations shifted from creative execution to how brands appear, are trusted, and recommended by LLMs and AI-driven search systems. Speakers and executives argued that large language models synthesize signals from SEO, PR, content and product pages into a single, machine-read ‘truth,’ exposing inconsistencies across functions. Practitioners say the challenge is coordination and organisational change — not just SEO tactics — because LLMs prioritise machine-readable authority, citations and trust signals. Boston Consulting Group data cited at the festival found 96% of 300 CMOs believe AI is transforming marketing, but only about a third have rebuilt workflows or operating models. Panelists urged governance, cross-functional alignment, and new measurement approaches so brands can be both persuasive to people and legible to AI systems.

79% of UK Viewers Use Subtitles; Ads Built for Sound-On

XR Extreme Reach published UK findings from its Global Accessibility Report (released for World Accessibility Day) showing that 79% of UK viewers use subtitles at least sometimes and that 59% of 18–24-year-olds use them always or often. The study surveyed 3,000 consumers across the UK, US, France, Germany and Spain and finds subtitles are now mainstream across devices and platforms (streaming, social, broadcast). Subtitles increase ad engagement—34% of UK viewers say subtitles make them pay more attention to ads, rising to 49% among 18–24s—and are used far beyond hearing impairment (81% report no hearing difficulty). The report and quotes from industry figures (ISBA, XR) argue advertisers should normalise subtitling to preserve effectiveness as viewing habits shift.