With so much hype around agentic AI, it can be difficult for marketers to know where the real value lies or how they need to position their existing technological capabilities to optimize agentic implementation. That’s where Bob Walczak, CEO of MadConnect, comes in. Bob’s opinion on the implementation of agentic AI is a simple one that the marketing industry seems to be resisting: The real bottleneck in modern ad tech isn’t data, it’s plumbing. With agentic AI looming, the connectivity problem that exists across most modern tech stacks is now critical and marketers need to act fast to avert disaster.

On this episode of On Scope, Bob joins host Mike Berberich to have a frank discussion around what’s needed to ensure agentic AI actually works with existing tech stacks and drives real ROI. Together, the pair covered:

• The prevailing misconceptions around infrastructure, integration, and engineering, and why businesses will need to be buttoned up across all three fronts if AI is going to work reliably.
• Where humans still need to be in the loop and the ways in which they can track what an AI is and isn’t doing.
• Bob’s tips for both CMOs and junior marketers on what they need to do right now to prepare for an agentic future.

On the return of our “Research Roundup” segment, ANA VP of Marketing Operations Peter Kenigsberg joins Mike in the studio to highlight key insights from Unlocking the Strategic Value of Marketing Operations, a report on the state of marketing operations within the broader industry. Peter shares the methodology behind this critical research, the common characteristics found among organizations getting the most from their ops departments, and the ways in which your marketing operations team can be deployed to drive better business results.

Whether you’re looking to take your tech stack to the next level, transform your marketing operations department into a profit-driving powerhouse, or have a different marketing problem you need to solve, you can find the answers at an ANA National Industry Conference. These premier events are where the industry’s sharpest marketers compare notes, set standards, and pressure-test what’s next. Attend the 2026 Masters of Marketing Conference, presented by Havas and taking place October 20-23 in Orlando, Fla., and you’ll hear from leaders at Coca-Cola, LEGO, P&G, Rivian, Harley-Davidson, and Manscaped. To check out the full lineup of upcoming National Industry Conferences, visit us at www.ana.net/events.

As VP of Research and Insights at ANA member company Basis, Maggie Nemoy spends her days researching shifting trends in retail and digital commerce and identifying how those trends will affect the marketing practice. Her latest focus was on the holiday season — a time of abundant opportunity for brands that know how to get their messaging and targeting right.

On this episode of On Scope, Maggie joins host Mike Berberich to discuss how economic uncertainty and emerging consumer behaviors are poised to affect not just the 2026 holiday season but every holiday season going forward. Together, the pair covered:

• How the rise of social commerce has led to an accelerated purchase cycle and why many brands are failing to leverage this opportunity.
• The ways in which cultural identity and inclusive marketing are shaping the 2026 holiday season and beyond.
• The emerging behaviors that are forcing marketers to abandon legacy holiday planning models in favor of a more continuous, year-round approach.
• Why it’s not yet too late to capitalize on this year’s holiday season.

On “This Week in ANA Magazine,” ANA magazine editor Matthew Schwartz joins Mike in studio to spotlight a new article on the increasing importance of cultural fluency. Schwartz highlights a few of the brands that are excelling in this space — including Heinz 57, Purina, and e.l.f. — and shares some best practices experts shared for how marketers can effectively approach having their brand play in culture.

Whether you’re looking to develop campaigns that ensure every holiday season is a success, learn to become more culturally fluent, or have a different marketing problem to solve, you can find the answers at an ANA National Industry Conference. These premier events are where the industry’s sharpest marketers compare notes, set standards, and pressure-test what’s next. Attend the 2026 Masters of Marketing Conference, presented by Havas and taking place October 20-23 in Orlando, Fla., and you’ll hear from leaders at Coca-Cola, LEGO, P&G, GEICO, Rivian, Harley-Davidson, and Manscaped. To check out the full lineup of upcoming National Industry Conferences, visit us at www.ana.net/events.

Microgenerational research is a personal passion for Armida Ascano, chief insights officer at Trend Hunter. She first became interested in the field years ago when she noticed she was regularly having to defend millennials, reminding colleagues that her generation was not a monolith and was, in actuality, comprised of an entire spectrum of thoughts and perspectives around technology. Those experiences got Armida thinking about the misconceptions that might exist for every generation and how business professionals might be able to better understand consumers by categorizing generations into subsets or microgenerations. Since then, she’s been doing research at Trend Hunter, the world’s largest and most powerful trend platform and innovation accelerator.

On this episode of On Scope, Armida joins host Mike Berberich to review her organization’s latest research on microgenerations, highlighting the macro opportunities that exist within emerging microgenerational trends. Together, the duo covered:

• The defining misconception of each of the major generations, including baby boomers, gen X, millennials, and gen Z
• How brand marketers can navigate the use of AI without alienating audiences that have expressed a growing anti-AI sentiment
• How marketers can develop campaigns that balance “universal truths” with microgenerational personalization

On “News You Might Have Missed,” Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss new research that shows that, despite total AI spending projected to grow to $2.59 trillion this year, 57 percent of businesses are not seeing positive ROI on their investments. The pair posit some theories about why AI is not moving the needle on ROI the way many predicted it would and offer their thoughts on how organizations might approach AI implementation more realistically and thoughtfully.

Whether you’re looking to use microgenerational research to improve your messaging with a specific audience or leverage AI effectively and efficiently at your organization, you can find the answers at an ANA National Industry Conference. These premier events are where the industry’s sharpest marketers compare notes, set standards, and pressure-test what’s next. Attend the 2026 Masters of Marketing Conference, presented by Havas and taking place October 20-23 in Orlando, Fla., and you’ll hear from leaders at Coca-Cola, LEGO, P&G, GEICO, Rivian, Harley-Davidson, and Manscaped. To check out the full lineup of upcoming National Industry Conferences, visit us at www.ana.net/events.

Have a topic idea or guest suggestion for On Scope? Let us know by emailing us onscope@ana.net.