In 1981, Nintendo launched a new video game featuring a giant barrel throwing ape named Donkey Kong, holding a woman named Pauline, hostage.

Five sessions at Navigate: Now & Next 2026 Singapore delivered the same uncomfortable conclusion from five different angles: the bottleneck in marketing is no longer technology. It is us.

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

Most marketing agencies have AI now, as well as every freelancer and every graduate. And that means AI capability is no longer impressive: it’s the bare minimum.

A review of the Connections & Conversations Balancing Tech & Touch Workshop in Singapore which revealed how tech should serve as a tool to enhance (not replace) the human qualities of empathy, storytelling and playful collaboration.

On 9 July, in London, we celebrated 40 years of The Marketing Society Global Awards. Marketing Innovation and Technology Highly Commended was Audi Match, How we helped prospective car buyers find their perfect Partner

This is playlist of the sessions from The Marketing Society’s Digital Day 2025—a bold, brilliant gathering of changemakers, tech experts and marketing minds, designed to...

One handy round up with all the main findings from Thinkbox's 2024 research