Three days. Hundreds of speakers. Countless ideas.
Earlier this month, members of #TeamJAA headed to MAD//Fest London 2026 to to soak up the latest thinking from some of the industry’s biggest brands and brightest minds. Fittingly, this year’s theme, ‘The Human Touch’, ran through many of the conversations.
Whilst AI dominated headlines, speaker after speaker reinforced that technology is only as powerful as the people, creativity and strategic thinking behind it. Here are some of our biggest takeaways…
Start with people, not assumptions
One of the strongest messages throughout the festival was that the best marketing doesn’t begin with channels or creative executions – it begins with understanding people.
As Bee Nelson, Media Executive, reflected, brands that challenge assumptions about their audience consistently produce stronger work. Rather than relying on stereotypes or historical thinking, the most successful campaigns invest time in understanding real consumer behaviours before a brief is even written.
That mindset also encourages marketers to reframe problems instead of forcing predetermined solutions. As highlighted in Vodafone’s session, audiences don’t always engage with brands in the way businesses expect, meaning the smartest strategy is often adapting to consumer behaviour rather than trying to change it.
The result? Better creative, better outcomes and marketing that genuinely resonates.
In an AI world, creativity matters more than ever
AI dominated conversations across MAD//Fest, but perhaps not in the way many expected.
As Cameron Selleck, Media Planner/Buyer, noted, AI has fundamentally changed content production. High-quality creative assets are no longer reserved for brands with the biggest budgets. Today, almost anyone can produce polished content quickly and at scale.
That means production quality is no longer the competitive advantage it once was.
Instead, the challenge has shifted to creating work that’s actually worth paying attention to.
With audiences consuming more content than ever before, simply publishing more isn’t enough. The campaigns that stand out are the ones that challenge expectations, evoke emotion and have the confidence to break category conventions.
One session in particular, Arrested for Marketing, reinforced that memorable brands aren’t usually the safest ones. They’re the ones willing to do something genuinely different.
AI may have lowered the barriers to creating content, but it’s simultaneously increased the value of the human touch – creative judgement, originality and the confidence to make bold decisions.
Performance marketing is entering the Agentic Age
For search and performance marketers, one of the biggest talking points was the emergence of AI agents and what this means for the future of customer journeys.
As Sheena Mulligan, Junior Search & eComm Account Manager, highlighted, we’re entering what many speakers described as the Agentic Age.
Rather than consumers researching and purchasing products directly, AI assistants are increasingly expected to carry out those tasks on their behalf.
This changes everything.
Success will become less about traditional platform metrics and more about understanding customer intent, how often brands satisfy that intent, and how frequently AI agents choose to recommend them.
This evolution also puts Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) firmly in the spotlight. Brands will need consistent messaging across every touchpoint whilst monitoring not only search visibility, but also how AI platforms are representing their business.
Alongside opportunity comes responsibility. AI agents require clear guardrails to protect commercially sensitive information and ensure they represent brands safely and consistently.
The Human Touch is Still the Competitive Advantage
It was fitting that MAD//Fest’s 2026 theme was ‘The Human Touch’, because despite AI featuring in almost every conversation, the conclusion remained remarkably consistent.
If there was one lesson that united every stage at MAD//Fest, it was this: the future of marketing will undoubtedly be powered by AI, but it will still be defined by people.
Technology can accelerate ideas, but it can’t replace empathy, strategic judgement or creative bravery. That’s where the human touch remains invaluable – and why it will continue to be every marketer’s greatest competitive advantage.
At JAA, that’s something we’ve always believed. Understanding people, challenging convention and finding smarter ways for ambitious brands to win isn’t just how we approach marketing – it’s how we deliver The Underdog Advantage.
