33 ad execs predict industry trends for 2023

Hindsight is 20/20, but foresight, while sometimes flawed, can be very valuable. To that end, we asked industry leaders in the ad business to predict what the year 2023 might bring based on their knowledge of issues that have been bubbling up. Here we present the takes of 33 top executives about what we might expect to see happen in the new year.

Ciara Anfield, senior VP, chief member and marketing officer, Sam’s Club

“Our members are telling us that they care about value as we continue to see inflationary pressure, so there will be a lot of marketing focus on how can you communicate the value that a brand or product provides. I think there will continue to be ongoing, seamless integration of advertising and content as consumers are engaging in non-traditional forms of media. Overall we’ll just continue to see the use of data in helping identify where members are connecting, what things matter most to them.”

Kristi Argyilan, senior VP of retail media, Albertsons

“There’s a lot of entitlement that I think retail media enters the market with. And it doesn’t fly, we have to earn it. [We have to] earn the investment our clients make, with, on the tech side, better measurement capabilities and leaning into incrementality, because return on advertising spending is not enough anymore to ask to for the investment.”

Related: A guide to retail media networks

Lola Bakare, CMO adviser and author of Responsible Marketing

“We’ll finally stop using the blanket term 'DEI' to refer to any and all work related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging…because all work should! Instead we will continue to hear more use of terms that are function and output specific—thus lending themselves to more clarity and in turn much needed accountability. If we’re talking about marketing, ethnographic marketing, inclusive marketing, and my personal favorite because it’s the title of my forthcoming book, responsible marketing, will be among the next wave of function and output specific terms that apply DEI to concrete strategies and actions."

Stephen Boehler, founder and partner, Mercer Island Group

"In 2023 we will resolve to continue to help marketers be better marketers, agencies be better agencies, and both to succeed together. It’s never been more challenging to be a senior marketer or to lead an agency. And the right client-agency partnerships can deliver the growth and success multiplier that brands need today. Brands need better agency performance; agencies need better clients; and our commitment is to engage personally and deeply in the issues that can help brands and agencies succeed."

Craig Brommers, CMO, American Eagle

"No matter what is ahead, after the last 2 years, we know Gen Z is not slowing down—revenge living is here. They will find a way to engage with the world and brands that show up with a positive, live-your-life attitude will ultimately win in 2023."

Kristen Cavallo, Global CEO, MullenLowe Group and CEO, The Martin Agency 

“Advertising will move away from PSAs and back to making people smile (and maybe award shows will follow). Apple banning TikTok seems likely and will have a huge impact. My exec team thinks tech companies that overinvested in internal creative departments are going to continue to downsize and rely on agencies more once they rebound. Independent—and independently-minded—agencies are going to thrive as holding companies erase the identities of their agencies. They also think that at least one company will hire AI as their social media manager.”

Related: 5 ways AI is being used in marketing

Jon Cook, Global CEO, VMLY&R 

​​“We’ll see more and more brands asking more about their retail media performance in an effort to better understand what they’re getting out of that channel, to separate the buzzword from the actual practice of retail media and to better connect their brand creativity to their commerce messaging."

Latarria Coy, head of ethical media, Influential

“As many marketers grapple with contracted budgets in the new year, my resolution to the industry entails sustaining investment in diverse-owned media companies and diverse influencers. History tells us that recessions hit diverse-owned businesses harder, and ethical investments could be at risk. Investing in multicultural audiences, diverse creators, and culturally relevant content drives outcomes. It's not just the right thing to do; it could be the very thing that helps advertisers weather the recession."

Melissa Grady Dias, CMO, Cadillac

With the continued fractionalization of the marketplace, the continuing deprecation of cookies, and uncertainty around economic stability, it’s time to get scrappy and innovative! I personally can’t wait.

Related: Google urges advertisers to test post-cookie solution

Mike Donoghue, CEO and co-founder, Subtext 

“With the economic headwinds we’re seeing, and as influencer marketing budgets end up getting cut, more brands will look at the creators that they know are going to be really reliable, and that’s usually the top 1%. It might actually be a better bet to spend a quarter of a million dollars to have Mr. Beast promote something or FaZe Clan promote something, rather than spending $2,500 on 100 individual creators and maybe not get as much out of it as you want … What you will see is brands being smarter about those influencer marketing executions—they’re going to want things like meaningful fan interactions, or something that will actually endear the audience to that creator, with the brand sort of in the middle.”

Aaron Duffy, founder and exec creative director, SpecialGuest

"As much as I am excited to continue melding my day-to-day with new technologies, I intend to be a lot better about investing time in people; in my small but mighty team, in our network, in our clients, and especially in special new people I've yet to collaborate with. The insulating side effects of the pandemic did not wear off as much as I thought they would in 2022. It is going to take an extra push to actually jam together again. It's been happening but not enough. Let's sketch ideas together in the same room. Let's make something with our hands. I'll teach you how to crochet. We can scrunch the same ball of yarn and smell the wool. It will inspire bigger and better things."

Joe Doran, chief product officer, Epsilon

"When I think of 2023 there is going to be significant demand on behalf of marketers looking for clear insights into who their consumers are ... not only do they need to do that for media planning and strategy, they need it for their verification. Did my ad get shown to a dog or to my consumer?"

Richard Edelman, CEO, Edelman

"We need to make sustainability something that matters to consumers, not just companies or brands, by making it simple to change behavior, to show that this is not sacrifice but for a better future for all."

Omid Farhang, founder, Majority

"I resolve to whine and complain the exact same amount as I did in 2022. Not too much, just enough."

Paulo Fogaca, CEO, Dentsu Creative U.S.

“As ever optimistic, I trust the ad landscape will be fruitful in 2023. I believe we need friction for creativity, so known challenges we may face next year (as folks are predicting) will come as fuel for our creative minds, finding ways, solutions, and ideas to solve business complexities in partnership with our clients. There will always be a space for agile, great work. I have hopes we will find a way to re-cultivate our agency rituals, activities, and time in collaboration, as togetherness is very powerful when we add intent.” 

Sandy Greenberg, co-founder and CEO, Terri & Sandy

"I predict AI will dominate this prediction piece. It will also continue to impact our industry in endless ways, like making the entry job level market more competitive due to outsourcing of typical junior-level work to computer intelligence. Also, longer video content will become a thing. It’s a behavioral trend that has been bubbling up year-over-year and is now showing up in how platforms are responding—TikTok continues to up its recommended video length and Instagram has increased organic Stories to :60s vs :15s clips, etc. And finally, I believe we’ll see IRL make a true comeback. We have all felt the post-COVID malaise, dare I say, loneliness, that has come with the virtual workplace. While we cling to our slippers and sweatpants and lament the 'trek' to the office, we are human after all, and deeply crave connection." 

Trey Harness, partner and president, Curiosity

"We will see a real return to great creative. When things are tenuous, like the economy, creative people tend to be at their absolute best; and part of that will be because we will see a more meaningful effort to work together in person again. I also believe we’re going to see a shift in the social media landscape, which is in massive flux right now. Twitter is a shitshow, TikTok is under major scrutiny, and Facebook can’t seem to get out of its own way. Someone or something is going to step up and lead social media into a new place."

Kim Kelleher, chief commercial officer, AMC Networks

“[The TV] industry has a unique opportunity at this moment to partner and build together differently—layering all aspects of business relationships into truly representative consumer-focused partnerships spanning distribution, advertising and creative solutions. And our people are at the heart of this opportunity. Even in the face of painful workforce reductions happening across the industry, we can't forget it takes the entire village marching together to create forward momentum. Putting our teams and talent first will ensure safe navigation through the unpredictable days ahead.” 

Lynette Kaylor, senior VP of advertising sales, FuboTV

"As budgets tighten, advertisers will look to become even more efficient with their buys and place focus on smart data strategies. Efficiencies come from reducing waste and increasing targeted media buys, so we can expect advertisers to target addressable audiences that are most inclined to buy their product or service rather than mass reach. There will be a greater need for transparent attribution and measurement to show the value of audience-based buys. First-party data will continue to become increasingly important as more privacy legislation comes into play. Both brands and publishers need to own their relationships with their consumers and there will be a stronger push to do so." 

David Kolbusz, chief creative officer, Orchard

“We’re in the midst of the final Saturn-Uranus battle which is one of the major aspects that set off the pandemic. And while this shows no sign of abating, by 2025 we should be returning to a new normal—whatever that means. The disillusionment and conflict that has gripped the world for the past few years should be slowly working its way out of our system. All we can do is remain positive, grip the wheel tightly, and push forward towards brighter futures. Keep your head down. Make great work with as many great people for as many great clients as you can. Life is precious. Enjoy the ride no matter how bumpy.”

Ryan Kutscher, founder and CEO, Circus Maximus

"I predict a de-bullshitificaion of marketing. While lots of people are going to continue to get lost in the ever-changing mechanics of marketing, those people will turn to drugs and alcohol to soothe the pain, anxiety, and confusion. Successful marketers will rise above tactical maneuvering mayhem to focus on simplification: landing their story clearly, getting to the heart of how they help their communities, and creating content that communicates that value. "

Cristina Lawrence, exec VP of consumer and content experience, Razorfish

“The initial hype around Web3 and the metaverse may have eased for some marketers, and the ongoing crypto winter may give others pause. In this light, it’s important to think about the potential of Web3 as an emerging area for creative innovation—very separate from speculative cryptocurrency. We may see that this macro-trend extends into new terminology (that’s less loaded) as people shy away from Web3 nomenclature and its associated baggage.”

Sean Lyons, CEO, R/GA

An "important priority is to become the essential partner for your clients during an uncertain economy. We are in a volatile market with limited visibility and this creates stress for everyone including our clients and their customers. So, understand that this uncertainty will mean your clients will need to do more with less in 2023. Have empathy for their situation, really work to master their business, and most importantly apply your creativity, in all forms and all mediums to creatively solve the problem at hand."

Andréa Mallard, CMO, Pinterest

"As an industry, we must prioritize content and engagement that actually inspires and enriches people—not what hooks, inflames, or addicts. The promise of the Internet was closer connection to one another and easier access to the world’s best ideas, but we seem to have lost our way. Let’s resolve to build technology that brings out our best instincts—not our worst."

Kenny Mitchell, CMO, Snap

"Relationships with real friends and family will increase in importance in 2023. Studies show that strong friendships are one of the best defenses against challenges like depression and anxiety.  We also know that the strongest source of influence and recommendation, from restaurants, to clothes, to travel, comes from people you know and trust. That’s why I believe real friends and family will play an increasingly important role in helping to manage the uncertainty of the year ahead, while also serving as a source of real influence on how people choose to spend their time and money."

Sarah Penny, content and research director, The Influencer Group

“We are going to see is that brands are a bit more aware of needing influencers to work more for the money. That might mean that they’re using fewer influencers, or it might be that they work with more influencers, but on a lower tier. So, rather than putting all their money into one ambassador, which is quite risky if it doesn’t work out, they might work with micro-influencers who can mitigate the risk and also try different things and experiment a bit … We’re going to see much more effective use of virtual influencers. Brands are keen to get ahead within the metaverse, and using virtual influencers in a virtual space is kind of the perfect option.”

George Popstefanov, founder and CEO, PMG

"We will collectively challenge where the industry is going next, to do what’s in the best interest of brands as we navigate continued economic uncertainty. We will see the businesses that lean into moving data, insights, creative, media and technology closer together find opportunities to drive meaningful market impact and accelerate their ambitions. As an industry, we will also need to look within to do what’s in the best interests of our own people, providing them with the leadership, training, personal and professional support, and career growth that will empower them to lead us all into the future."

Marci Raible, VP of integrated marketing, Campbell Soup Co.

"As the retail media networks actually start to go after non-endemic categories, that's going to fast-track their maturation as media companies."

Eric Schwartz, CMO, Clorox Co.

“I've learned not not to try and predict the future with too much certainty anymore. But I would say 2023 is going to be a time of continued focus on value.”

Krishna Subramanian, co-founder, Captiv8 

“More and more brands are going to realize that their audience is going to TikTok before Google to find content and and for search. And so, if TikTok becomes the default search for Gen Z, content creation is extremely important on those platforms, and being present there is really important. There’s going to be a huge drive to make sure brands have relevant content on an always-on basis—not just these one-off types of campaigns, but instead thinking about content strategies on TikTok throughout the entire year.” 

Najoh Tita-Reid, global CMO, Logitech

“We will all have to embrace the evolution of our industry and commit to enabling Gens Z and A with education, tools and access to pursue their passions. The turning point is now as creators en masse will shift from supporting brands to being brands. Culture stewards and historically marginalized people who’ve had to fight for acceptance will now wield power and own the platforms that decide culture and acceptance, leaving brands on the outside looking in. Academies that have leaned on the privilege of only teaching a select few will now be overtaken by new schools educating underprivileged students who sit at the center of culture, guiding them with valuable practical skills and experiences. The revolution is here, and it will be televised, socialized and digitized.”

William White, senior VP and CMO, Walmart U.S.

For Walmart the year “will be about value and values. We will be focused on keeping prices low so that a better life is in within reach. The state of the world, the macro global environment, inflation, changing customer behavior, all require us to be nimble." 

Angela Zepeda, CMO, Hyundai Motor America

“The automotive industry is in a pivotal moment, as consumers have come to expect smarter, more convenient and more efficient products and services that fit and complement their lives. In 2023, you’ll see marketing strategies that support this thinking with fewer but larger strategic investments around marquee partnerships and tentpole moments that allow brands to showcase innovative creativity and connected storytelling. It’s not going to be about the speed or frequency of touchpoints with consumers, but about building deeper connections and leveraging influential partnerships to create diverse and inclusive programs and campaigns for every unique journey."