Five sessions at Navigate: Now & Next 2026 Singapore delivered the same uncomfortable conclusion from five different angles: the bottleneck

Insights and key take away points from the CEO Conversation event with Michelle Mitchell, CEO Cancer Research UK which was held under Chatham House rules.

The companies that will win in marketing are not those with the most tools or the most data, but those that can cut through internal complexity, connect technology to real business outcomes, and keep human judgement at the heart of every decision.

The discussion explored how marketing effectiveness is being weakened by short-term optimisation, fragmented measurement, and over-reliance on AI-driven efficiency, while reinforcing the need for stronger brand building, long-term thinking, and clearer strategic discipline.

A reflection from Navigate: Now & Next (Hong Kong), shaped both behind the scenes and on stage. Drawing on planning discussions and the event itself, this piece explores where marketers are converging on what matters most - from AI and trust to the balance between brand and performance.

An event takeaway from Navigate: Now & Next 2026 Singapore, exploring why the biggest marketing challenge of the AI era is not the technology itself, but how marketing functions are designed to use it

The marketing leaders getting the most from AI aren’t the ones with the best tools or the biggest budgets. They’re

Fourteen senior marketing and business leaders across APAC share their honest perspectives on the tensions defining modern marketing leadership, from AI and measurement to brand building and organisational complexity, in partnership with Ekimetrics.

In a recent Global Conversation event, fraud victim Tracy Hall, argues that trust is being exploited at industrial scale by AI-powered scammers, and that marketers must treat trust as a measurable, designed-in feature of every customer touchpoint.

Marketing is embracing AI but with mainly surface-level usage. The reality of this means a function best placed to benefit from AI, is quietly missing it entirely. Joe Hildebrand explains.

Gen Alpha isn't just "skibidi" slang and screens. With nearly half of Gen Alpha in APAC, these savvy digital natives are already influencing household spending and developing dreams for the future. To win them over, brands must bridge the gap between virtual play and real-world aspirations.

When AI can generate content at scale, human experience, judgment and authenticity are our most powerful and irreplaceable competitive advantage, Allison Beattie explains why.

Discussing mental health is not always easy, but it’s better to have a clumsy chat than not have one at all. Mark Simmonds suggests pointers to help kick off that important conversation.

In today’s fast moving marketing profession we need look after, not only our own energy and wellbeing, but that of the marketers in our care, Abigail Dixon reveals how.

The Marketing Society Member Emma Isaac shares her top take aways from Anthropy 2026.

Anni Townend's personal reflection on why leaders must deliberately carve out moments of stillness and self-reconnection in order to show up with greater intention, creativity and purpose

Michael Sani, Chief Exploration Officer at our always-on listening platform, Play Verto shares his thoughts on Anthropy 2026.

Michael Bayler's impressions of Anthropy 2026 - a highly satisfying and valuable experience.

Mediacorp's Jacqui Lim on the gap between what marketers know works - broad, omnichannel strategies - and what they actually do (defaulting to the same narrow, easy-to-measure performance channels) and what they need to do to address this.

Insights into The Marketing Society's 2026 Global Leadership Mentoring Programme which focuses on influence, navigating transitions, leadership presence, and strengthening marketing's strategic voice within organisations.

The Marketing Society's Rachel Letham reports back on the final day at Anthropy 2026 and offers key insights from The Impact of AI on Employment and the Value of Being Human in the Workplace session.