Insights from State of Social

From Trump tweeting about Cracker Barrel’s logo to the backlash against DEI, the panel weighs whether marketers can authentically shape culture, or if values-driven storytelling is the only ballast in increasingly turbulent times.

They debate why brands obsess over their logos but not their sound, how memes like Jet2 Holidays became earworms by accident, and whether podcasts have hit their ceiling, or are only just beginning. Together, they imagine a 2040 world where audio surrounds us, from neural implants to AI-generated soundscapes.

From the boom in in-house teams to AI eating junior jobs, the panel debates whether agencies can still prove their value and whether the future belongs to nimble independents, fractional experts, or the holding groups .

They debate whether creativity and craft can survive in a world of 584 formats, how agencies redefine their value beyond “outputs,” and if advertising can still lead culture — or if entrepreneurs and communities are now setting the pace .

From Meta’s AI gone wrong with a feral cat campaign for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy to the risks of handing brand safety over to machines, the panel dives into where humans should still hold the reins. Together they ask: when everything can be automated, what’s left for marketers to do ?

From the collapse of Google’s cookie plan to the rise of first-party data, the panel digs into how brands can tell stories through numbers, when gut instinct still trumps dashboards, and whether AI is making it harder (or easier) to know who our audiences really are.

From lo-fi user-generated clips to high-end brand storytelling, the panel unpacks how entertainment, education, AI, and streaming are reshaping the medium. They debate whether synthetic talent and automated workflows can ever replace human creativity, and what “television” will even mean by 2050.

From video-first platforms and social commerce to the rise of AI “slop” and the decline of mainstream feeds, the panel explores whether we’re heading toward smaller niche communities, entertainment-driven platforms, or something stranger still.

Branded content has long since blurred the line between marketing and media — but where is it heading next?

Together, they unpack how “authenticity” is becoming performative, why influence is more about cultural moments than follower counts, and what happens when AI influencers enter the mainstream. It’s a deep dive into how communities, creators, and technology will define trust in the decades ahead.

If you’re wondering if your content and ads are getting lost in a never-ending shizstorm of content and ads, we’ve got two State of Social ’25 breakouts just for you.

Ever wondered: ‘Should we turn the comments off?’ Then, Quiip’s deep dive Q&A at State of Social ’25 will show you how to dial down the temperature and elevate healthy debate.

SOS25 All Access. Like turning yourself off and on again (but with gourmet eats, treats and coffee).

Whether you feel your content’s a little boooring or your strategy’s bombing bigly, we’ve got two deep dives that’ll jump-start your socials.

You register, slip on your lanyard and grab your first barista-brewed Hunt & Brew coffee. ☕

Eugene is a brand strategy consultant on a mission to make cultural chaos comprehensible for brands.