How brands can win over Gen Alpha

Capturing consumers' attention has never been more complex, with fragmented audiences and endless channels. So what makes a good performance marketing campaign? You don't need to look much further than our PMW Awards winners to find out.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's Senior News Reporter Bethany Lee is joined by our new Deputy Editor, Heather Sandlin, to recap this year's PMW Awards and shoutout some of the best in show.They also discuss the recent Publicis–WPP drama and reveal which Christmas ads are performing best on social media (backed, of course, by data).~ Episode breakdown ~ (02:05) Breaking down the holdco drama(04:27) The PMW Awards 2026 winners that stood out to us(21:35) Which Christmas ads are winning on socials?~ Further reading ~ Performance Marketing World Awards 2026: All 32 winners announcedThis year’s top 6 Christmas ads ranked by social media sentiment (so far)Meta redesigns Andromeda as Publicis and LiveRamp complete acquisition: Latest industry moves Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gen Alpha are plugged in to the digital ecosystem, with their own culture, memes, and language that often make them feels out of reach.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's Editor Robin Langford and Senior News Reporter Bethany Lee sit down with Kate O'Loughlin, CEO of SuperAwesome, to talk about how brands can win the attention of a generation that doesn't want advertising. Drawing on KitKat's recent 'Take a (scroll) break' campaign, they discuss where these audiences are, what appeals to them, and how you can ensure your brand is 'cool' not 'cringe'.~ Episode breakdown ~ (5:20) How KitKat helped kids take a scroll break(10:14) What challenges does regulation pose?(15:10) Gaming as a way to reach younger audiences(21:35) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ How KitKat got teens to take a ‘scroll break’ on YouTube – with an 86% action rateGen Alpha decides the 100 coolest brands of 2026Roblox to serve ads to users under 13More than three quarters of kids and teens have spent money on fandoms – here’s how to build one Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Black Friday is starting earlier, shoppers are hunting for value and AI is changing how people discover and buy. So, how can marketers turn peak season into genuine growth, rather than a race to the bottom on discounts? In this episode of the PMW Podcast, Robin Langford, Editor of Performance Marketing World, is joined by Louis Venter, CEO and Founder of MediaVision and PMW's Senior News Reporter Bethany Lee to explore the data, trends and opportunities shaping Christmas 2026. Drawing on insights from PMW’s new Peak Season report, Venter reveals what shoppers want, where they’re spending and when demand peaks – with lessons for marketers looking to make every pound count this festive season.Episode breakdown:(3.10) This week on PMW(5.14) The new rules of peak season marketing(11.48) Which brands are getting AI discoverability right this year? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apple’s latest adtech crackdown raises big questions for advertisers: is privacy winning, or are walled gardens simply gaining more power? We take a look at arguably the most anti-advertising giant in Big Tech.Also in this episode, PMW’s editorial team discuss the latest launches at Advertising Week New York, including ChatGPT’s fashion try-ons.We also have exciting news about the launch of our London show, Performance Marketing World Unlocked, entering its fifth year with a bang — including an early bird offer for listeners.~ Episode breakdown ~(2:30) A special announcement on Performance Marketing World Unlocked 2027(4:01) ChatGPT’s latest ad formats and news from Advertising Week New York(7:10) Has Apple declared war on open web advertisers?~ Further reading ~ChatGPT Ads gains independent measurement as IAS and DV step inApple’s iOS 27 is blocking The Trade Desk from serving ads on SafariChatGPT adds virtual try-ons as OpenAI pushes further into shopping Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OpenAI continues to double down on advertising, but are ChatGPT Ads' new 'Sponsored Agents' asking for too much unearned trust? Also in this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's editorial team discuss the future of the UK's creator economy, assessing whether or not advertisers should be excited at the prospect of a billion dollar industry. Finally, the team says farewell to host Joe, who is sadly leaving PMW and the podcast behind to pursue greener pastures back in his homeland of Australia – gifting everyone with his own attempt at PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge on his way out. ~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:52) Is OpenAI tempting fate?(10:43) Can anything slow down the creator economy?(22:08) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ ‘Advertisers should be wary’: Are ChatGPT’s Sponsored Agents a risk worth taking?ChatGPT rolls out conversational ads with ‘Sponsored Agents’‘The growth rate tells its own story’: Should adland be excited about a billion dollar UK creator economy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Users want personalisation, but an increasingly challenging targeting landscape – full of signal loss, third-party cookie deprecation, heightened consumer skepticism and increased regulation – is making fulfilling this wish tricky. On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, Simi Gill, Head of Digital at The Kite Factory, joins host Joe to provide a roadmap for solving this problem. Together, the pair reveal how marketers can meet consumers' personalisation expectations without putting their privacy at risk. This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:01) Why don't consumers want to hand over their data?(15:46) Balancing automated targeting with human oversight (24:24) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ ‘Commerce is now the measurement layer’: 12 marketers on what to expect at DMEXCO 2026UK Government urged to end cookie banners for ‘low-risk uses’Stop buying channels in isolation: Why omnichannel is changing programmatic for the better Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Attribution appears doomed to a future of fragmentation and guesswork, suffering from a "perfect storm" of disaster... but things might not quite be so dire.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's Editor Robin Langford and Jaye Cowle, CEO of Launch, join host Joe to talk the future of attribution. Together, the trio create a road-map for how marketers can plug future measurement gaps and ensure everyone gets a fair slice of the attribution pie. This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:24) Where is attribution headed?(16:44) How can you keep clients on side?(28:24) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ 3 tough questions on... attributionShould affiliate marketing move away from last-click altogether?Are attribution models leaving content creators out in the cold?If ChatGPT recommends a product, who should get paid? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Governments, regulators and competitors are doing what they can to stifle Big Tech's dominance across adland. Yet, key players such as Google, Meta and Amazon continue to reign supreme despite a myriad of legal troubles. Can the open web survive?On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, host Joe is joined by PMW's Senior News Reporter to analyse if Big Tech has become indestructible, and whether or not this spells disaster for the future of the open internet and its supporters like The Trade Desk.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:14) Big Tech's legal troubles(10:47) The moral dilemma of Meta(19:16) Where to next?~ Further reading ~ ‘Wrist-slaps for anti-competitive conduct’: Does adland agree with the DOJ’s Google AdX verdict?‘Brands are stuck in a moral dilemma’: Is Meta’s $18bn settlement a sign to cut adspend on social?The Trade Desk to cut 15% of global workforce in restructuringAmazon slams FTC's ad auction lawsuit as 'misguided' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI answers, social search, and evolving consumer intent have completely rewritten the rules of discovery. So, what is actually happening to purchase decisions – and how do you measure success when the click vanishes?On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, host Joe is joined by Lottie Namakando, SVP of the Total Search Practice at WPP Media UK, to explore how advertisers can traverse AI Overviews, fragmented discovery, and the growing search trust gap.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:10) How are AI answers changing consumers' buying behaviours?(11:11) Do sponsored AI search results risk eroding user trust?(20:31) PMW's Resell Me a Pen Challenge~ Further reading ~ 80% of Google searches with AI-generated summaries end without a clickConsumers now trust AI for shopping decisions more than social media – report‘OpenAI is about to monetise conversation itself’: Adland reacts to ChatGPT Ads reaching the UK Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

YouTube just changed the rules regarding its view metric, counting views the second a video or Short begins as opposed to after a certain amount of engagement, likely causing a dramatic spike in viewership without an increase in watch hours. On the surface, it feels like a step away from modern measurement metrics – which focus more on engagement rather than impressions – but it might point to a deeper repositioning of the platform.On this episode of the Performance Marketing Unlocked podcast, PMW's Editor Robin Langford joins host Joe to discuss whether or not YouTube is pivoting away from being a streamer towards re-focusing on its bread and butter, social video.This podcast was hosted by PMW's Deputy Editor, Joseph Arthur.~ Episode breakdown ~ (2:39) Why did YouTube just change its view threshold?(8:22) Should creators be concerned?(12:52) Are TV Home Screen ads as effective as advertisers hope?~ Further reading ~ YouTube changes view count metric and doubles monetisation thresholdDid YouTube just ruin the view?Teads and Hisense OS V partner on 10-day Black Friday TV home screen takeover Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.