Beyond the Brief: What’s Really on Marketers’ Minds

Another tool. Another acronym. Another report showing what’s wrong. When does any of it make the next decision easier?In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool goes beyond the brief with Maria Unwala, VP of Business Development at DAC, to explore the pressures shaping marketing decisions today. Drawing on her daily conversations with brand leaders, Maria shares what’s keeping marketers up at night, from falling website traffic and changing customer discovery to the expectation that AI will help everyone do more with less.They discuss why more information doesn’t always bring more clarity, how businesses can get more value from the technology they already own, and why agency partners need to bring a point of view. Maria also explores what happens when AI writes the brief and answers it, leaving the human conversation somewhere between the two.The takeaway? Get clear on the problem, bring the right people into the conversation, and make a decision you can learn from. 

What marketing habits should be buried for good, and which ones deserve a second life?In this Halloween episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Bhavin Prashad, VP of Media at DAC, to head into the marketing graveyard and revisit the campaigns, tools, and tactics marketers may be holding onto for too long.They explore why vanity metrics and last-click attribution still linger, how fictional personas can lead media strategies in the wrong direction, and why using the same creative across every channel can undermine performance. Bhavin also shares where AI can help marketers move faster, where it can amplify old mistakes, and why real customer insight, incrementality, and more flexible media planning matter more than ever.The takeaway? Better marketing starts with knowing what to bury, what to bring back, and what actually drives real business outcomes.

What if 90% of your local search opportunity is still sitting on the table?In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Kyle Harris, VP of Local Optimization at DAC, to unpack the “90% problem”: why multi-location brands still struggle to get the fundamentals right across every location.They explore how accurate listings, reviews, photos, and the small details of each local customer experience can shape visibility in search—and help brands get recommended by AI. Kyle also shares how teams can prioritize the work, measure what matters, and turn what they already know about their locations into useful signals.The takeaway? The next big leap in local search may come from sweating the small stuff—and finally getting the basics done at scale.

Santa hats in September? On Shift Happens, that can only mean one thing: the holiday season is already on the agenda. Host Nasser Sahlool and Melis Ciner, DAC’s vice president of media, talk about how marketers can make the most of the months-long shopping rush without relying on one big day or deep discounts to do all the work. From reaching shoppers while they’re still researching to keeping new customers engaged after the decorations come down, they share ways to turn seasonal attention into growth that lasts all year.Download our Holiday Marketing Playbook here: https://www.dacgroup.com/insights/white-papers/survive-the-rush-own-the-season/

Keywords had a good run. But people are searching in full sentences, AI is answering before the click, and marketers are realizing that yesterday’s playbook is running out of pages. Search is becoming faster, more conversational, and far less predictable, and Google is building AI into every stage of the journey.In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Miles Savage, Head of Agency at Google Canada, to explore how AI is changing the way people search, shop, discover brands, and make decisions.They unpack why marketers need to stop obsessing over keywords; how stronger data, smarter bidding, AI-powered campaigns, and flexible budgets can unlock growth; and why success in the age of AI will depend less on chasing clicks and more on influencing real business decisions. 

What happens when the pace of change goes from fast to “that year’s worth of work just became obsolete overnight” fast?In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Norm Hagarty, CEO and Managing Partner at DAC, to explore what decades of disruption can teach leaders about navigating the age of AI—without losing sight of the people behind the transformation.Together, they unpack why being on the leading edge beats chasing the bleeding edge, how organizations can turn anxiety into action, and why investing in people is essential to future-proofing a business. Norm also shares the leadership principles that have guided DAC through seismic shifts in technology, media, and consumer behavior, from E² + C² to the story behind “meet them at the elevator.”The takeaway? Technology will keep changing. Great leadership doesn’t have to. Stay curious, communicate clearly, get close to the work and, above all, give a damn.

If authority is no longer controlled by brands alone, how do you earn trust from both people and AI?In this episode of Shift Happens, our host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Jenna Watson, SVP of Media at DAC, and Dan Temby, SVP of Technology & Analytics at DAC, to explore brands should approach search marketing in today's AI search-driven world. They unpack why every mention, signal, and interaction now matters, how AI is influencing decisions alongside consumers, and why brands need to break down silos to show up consistently across every platform and touchpoint.The takeaway: success is no longer just about being visible. It is about earning enough authority to be included, cited, trusted, and recommended.

The feed had a good run. But people are tired of scrolling, squinting at AI slop, and wondering whether that rhinoceros playing ping pong is real.Digital behavior is shifting from public performance to private connection, and Snapchat has been built for that shift all along. In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Bob Cornwall, Country Manager for Canada at Snap Inc., to unpack what marketers can learn from the move away from passive consumption and toward more personal, participatory digital experiences.They explore why Snapchat opens to the camera, not a feed; how AR, AI, Bitmoji, and Snap Map help people connect instead of just consume; and why brands need to think beyond reach if they want to earn real attention.

The internet didn’t lose its human side. It just got harder to find.As AI becomes a bigger part of how people search, discover, and make decisions, where do they turn when they want something more than a polished summary? Increasingly, they turn to Reddit: a place built on real conversations, lived experience, niche communities, and the kind of honesty algorithms can’t easily manufacture.In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Neil Cameron, Agency Development Partnership Lead – Canada at Reddit, to explore how Reddit is shaping the future of search, consumer trust, AI discovery, and community-led marketing.They unpack why Reddit has evolved from the “front page of the internet” into something closer to its beating heart: a place where people go to validate information, ask better questions, compare real experiences, and find perspectives they may not get from brands, influencers, or AI-generated answers.From the rise of AI search and the growing importance of human validation to the role of subreddits, recommendations, AMAs, paid media, and community-first engagement, this conversation explores how brands can show up on Reddit in ways that are useful, authentic, and additive. Because for marketers, the opportunity is not to dominate the conversation. It is to understand it, contribute to it, and earn trust in the places where decisions are already being shaped.

TV didn’t die. It changed the script. How should marketers rethink TV when audiences are moving across more screens, platforms, and viewing environments than ever before? In this episode of Shift Happens, host Nasser Sahlool is joined by Mike Fogarty, Head of Client Development, Brand and Agency Partnerships at Tatari, to explore the rise of convergent TV and what it means for modern marketers. They unpack why the “TV is dead” narrative missed the bigger shift: TV has not disappeared, it has become more fragmented, flexible, data-driven, and measurable. From linear TV and streaming to CTV, digital video, FAST channels, AVOD platforms, and on-demand environments, today’s TV ecosystem is no longer about choosing one channel over another. It is about understanding how every part of the screen experience works together. Mike explains why marketers need to stop thinking in separate buckets like linear versus streaming and start planning around the full TV ecosystem. The core message: TV remains one of the most powerful channels for both brand and performance, but the brands that win will be the ones that plan holistically, measure smarter, and connect TV investment more directly to business outcomes.