Agency leaders and brand marketers gathered at the third annual Campaign Convene conference to assess policy whiplash, DEI retrenchment and the growing cost of playing it safe.
Less than 24 hours after President Trump delivered his 2026 State of the Union address, a room full of marketers gathered in New York City to assess a different barometer: the state of the advertising nation.
At the third annual Campaign Convene, Campaign’s flagship one-day conference, agency leaders, brand marketers and trade body executives gathered for a candid discussion about policy whiplash, economic uncertainty and the mounting cultural pressures reshaping the business — a continuation of last year’s Outlook 2030 panel, which similarly examined how politics was shaping the industry’s trajectory.
Moderated by Steve Barrett, VP and editorial director of PRWeek and Campaign, the session unfolded against a backdrop of rapid legislative shifts — from DEI rollbacks to tariff swings and evolving AI oversight — that have left much of the industry recalibrating in real time.
On stage were Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO of the 4As; Greg James, CEO of Havas Media Network North America; Seth Laxman, advocacy and activism campaigner at Lush; and Caroline Dettman, interim CMO and head of growth operations at World Business Chicago — each offering a different vantage point on business under pressure.
