Marketing at a Crossroads: ANA Masters of Marketing 2025 Marks Turning Point for the Industry’s Next Era of Growth

Future-focused agenda brings CMOs, major platforms, and AI leaders together for hands-on collaboration and growth

NEW YORK - October 20, 2025 - The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) today kicks off its highly anticipated Masters of Marketing Conference from October 20-25 in Orlando, bringing together the brightest minds in marketing to accelerate success, drive brand and business growth. Building on last year's dynamic format, the event evolves once again with a future-focused agenda that moves beyond case studies toward action, also turning insights into impact, enabling full-team participation, and helping marketers shape their 2026 growth strategies in real time.

CMOs and senior brand-side marketers from LVMH, the NFL, Procter & Gamble, Red Lobster, and United Airlines will share insights on how marketing is driving business growth and cultural impact. For the first time these brand-side marketers will be joined by major technology platforms revolutionizing how marketers work, including Google, Meta, and Adobe, will also take the main stage, sharing best practices and innovations shaping the industry's future. This year's event will also place a key focus on the growing power, complexity of B2B marketing coupled with frank conversations and real-world applications of AI.

This year's Masters of Marketing Conference features keynotes and sessions from standout voices shaping the future of marketing, including:

• Mathilde Delhoume, Global Brand Officer, LVMH on "The Art of Crafting Dream"
• Tim Ellis, EVP, CMO, NFL on "Marketing as The NFL's Growth Engine: Building Connection, Culture and Community"
• Melanie Huet, President, Home & Commercial - Home, Newell Brands focusing on "Marketing Transformed: Harnessing AI for Insights, Growth and Commercial Excellence"
• Kyall Mai, SVP and Chief Innovation Officer, Esquire Bank on "From the Inside Out: Transforming Marketing Leadership in AI Era"
• Shelly Palmer, CEO, The Palmer Group discussing "Leading Through the AI Era: Marketing's New Mandate"
• Marc S. Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer, The Procter & Gamble Company on "Timeless Creativity: Lessons on Building Lasting Brands"
• Nichole Robillard, Chief Marketing Officer, Red Lobster on "Red Lobster's Brand Revival"
• Maggie Schmerin, Chief Advertising Officer, United Airlines on "Move Fast and *DON'T* Break Things: The Hard-Earned Truths to Building a Successful Brand Marketing Function"
• Lara Balazs, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Global Marketing, Adobe on "The Future Isn't Next. It's Now."
• Lou Cohen, Director, Digital Marketing & Demand Generation COE Leader, Americas, EY on "The Rise of the Confident Marketer: What Drives Impact in B2B Marketing"
• Don McGuire, Chief Marketing Officer, Qualcomm on "All Roads Lead to Resonance: How Snapdragon Applies a Winning Formula"

"We're at a crossroads in marketing. It's both the most exciting and most demanding time to be a CMO, and which outcome wins depends on what we do next. Masters 2025 is about action, not admiration," said Bob Liodice, CEO, ANA. "We're shifting from inspiration to exchange and turning the room into a live collaboration on what's really working. If we don't move faster than technology, it will move without us. This is our moment to lead the change together."

This year the ANA is also introducing several new aspects to Masters of Marketing to support its agenda-setting mission, including:

• New Accelerator Labs: Offering participatory, workshop-style sessions focused on applying frameworks, insights, and best practices directly to 2026 planning. These Labs, which include Buyability: The Future of B2B Marketing Success, and AI, Data, and MarTech: Powering the Next Wave of Growth, will be hands-on and collaborative, turning strategy into tangible next steps.
• Widened Scope of Attendees: CMOs are encouraged to bring their marketing teams, as well as their agencies to use Masters as a 2026 planning offsite. Many organizations are bringing leadership and international teams to take advantage of curated experiences designed for collaboration and alignment.
• Shifting from Listening to Active Participation: This year's Masters is designed as an interactive experience. The program structure encourages collaboration, dialog, and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, ensuring attendees learn from each other in addition to being inspired by the main stage keynotes.
• Addressing AI with Leading Experts: The conference will also feature leading AI experts, including Peter Hinson, Brian Lesser, and Shelley Palmer, who tackle AI's impact from various vantages and deliver concise, actionable insights that marketers can apply immediately as well as a look at what's around the corner. .

The agenda for the event has been re-engineered to focus on how marketers and their agencies across multiple levels can help their businesses be more successful in the year ahead versus drawing upon inspiration of marketer case studies from the past year. You can view the full agenda HERE.

Press Contact
Jocelyn Weiss
[email protected]

About the ANA

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) is the definitive voice of the marketing industry. Since 1910, we have set and advanced the agenda for marketing transformation, connecting over 1,600 member companies to an influential global network, insights and resources that drive growth. Our members represent 20,000 brands and $400 billion in annual marketing investment. Through industry-leading research, the CMO Growth Council, and our proprietary Growth Agenda and Practices, the ANA empowers marketers to shape the future of marketing and create lasting impact for their organizations and the industry.