Audi’s consumer brand consideration had doubled before Covid, the highest in four years. Audi’s sales were up in 2020 versus a premium auto segment down 8.3%. Nikki Warburton says brand work and ‘charming creativity’ was the secret sauce.

As technology expands further into daily life post-Covid, Google's interim MD Rhys Williams expects more “focus and scrutiny” on how tech can improve and provide “benefits for people, communities and businesses”.

Covid, says Facebook MD Will Easton, made him realise society was more offline and physical than he expected. But the gap between the two opposing forces are now closing faster. And CMOs are back. 

After the “most significant moment” in recent tourism history, Tourism New Zealand’s Australian boss Andrew Waddel is betting on never reaching a true ‘post-Covid’ era. The people and brands currently flourishing, he says, are building the future into the why, how and what they are doing now.

Brands like Optus, L’Oreal, CBA, Subaru, Toyota and Stan have pushed the number of content briefs aimed at women up 40% for indie media group Mamamia. Time spent has gone up but more importantly engagement metrics are at an all-time high, says Mia Freedman.

A new creative culture must now strike a balance between data and creativity to better serve distinct audiences in meaningful ways says Sir Martin Sorrell’s S4 APAC CEO, Michel de Rijk.

What happens when you spend 2020 at home with a baby and a toddler and a virus that stopped village life? For Arnott’s Group Marketing Manager Kate Wright, it was reality. Here’s her personal account about the darkest of days and what she learnt about deleting social media apps, herself, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and leadership.

A beautiful creative idea executed in an above-the-line campaign can tick all the brand and ad recall boxes. But in this new reality, the next step is likely to be online so connect it all up, says Jen Davidson, because brand loyalty can disappear in two clicks.

IAG chief marketer Brent Smart says companies which invested in brand building through Covid will soon reap their rewards. For IAG it was a no brainer – no demand for insurance to convert in performance channels meant Smart doubled-down on brand investment. He's also perplexed by the favourable contracts and terms marketers accept from the likes of Google and Salesforce while agencies get screwed.