Rethinking Your Brand Growth Framework to Maximize Influence

Joanna O'Connell, Chief Intelligence Officer, Omnicom Media Group, breaks down the new brand growth framework, why emotional connection matters more than ever, and how marketers must adapt to Gen AI, shifting trust, and ad avoidance. Takeaways Consumers are influenced by more sources than ever Information asymmetry is gone Trust is shifting from institutions to people and AI Attention is fragmented and declining Gen AI is now an influencer and gatekeeper Ad avoidance is a major barrier Economic pressure is reshaping buying behavior Traditional brand frameworks are no longer enough Emotional connection is now critical Brands must market to both people and machines Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the AdTechGod Pod and Joanna O’Connell 00:23 Why this conversation matters in today’s media landscape 02:05 How consumer influence has evolved 03:18 The explosion of information 03:49 The death of information asymmetry 04:26 The new trust economy 04:59 Fragmented attention and digital overload 05:28 Gen AI as a new influencer 06:14 The reality of ad avoidance 06:25 Economic pressures shaping consumer behavior 08:05 What a brand means today 09:10 The growing disconnect between brands and consumers 10:33 Brand versus performance marketing tension 11:44 Rethinking the brand growth framework 11:58 The evolution of physical availability 13:06 The challenge of mental availability 14:10 Introducing emotional availability 15:53 Building real consumer connection 17:37 The new three-pillar brand model 18:11 Practical strategies for modern brands 19:56 Marketing to people and machines 20:09 Where brands should show up today 21:53 The rise of AI-driven discovery 22:24 Final framework and closing thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices