Earlier this year, The Ad Council launched its “Agree to Agree” campaign, which seeks to reduce gun violence affecting children and teens by fostering common ground and civil dialogue. As Ro Patrick, VP at The Ad Council, explains, the campaign was born from research that showed both gun owners and non-gun owners alike felt strongly about the need to protect children from gun violence.

Ro joins the On Scope podcast to discuss how the campaign came to life and what other brands can learn from The Ad Council’s research-based approach of addressing a social issue in a time of high political tension and division. Along with host Mike Berberich, Ro covers how she and her team were able to depoliticize the messaging around gun violence, how other brands might approach identifying social issues they can take a stand on without getting caught in the political fray, and the importance of building coalitions and amplifying existing voices as a strategy for brands entering into these types of conversations.

On Marketing News You Might Have Missed, Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss a WPP Media report that found 84 percent of purchases are made by people already biased toward a brand, highlighting the importance of long-term brand building and challenging assumptions about the actual effectiveness of performance marketing.

Want to turn brand trust into your biggest advantage? Check out ANA’s Marketing Data Principles, your blueprint for using data ethically and driving growth the right way. You can learn more by visiting www.ana.net/DataPrinciples.

The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.

Earlier this year, Morning Consult expanded access to its proprietary AI-powered market research tool — which is powered by the organization’s more than 80 million consumer interviews — to users beyond its client base. By doing so, the organization is democratizing market research by providing brands big and small the ability to dive deep into market research.

Michael Ramlet, CEO and co-founder of Morning Consult, joined the On Scope podcast to discuss this tool, while also speaking to the broader impact AI will have on market research and how unlocking access to consumer insights for more people will change the way marketing strategies are built, curated, and executed. Along with host Mike Berberich, Michael covers the importance of democratized data, how his organization handles inherent bias baked into AI systems, what the future of synthetic audiences looks like, and why humans will continue to have a key role in all of this.

On Marketing News You Might Have Missed, Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discuss an Adobe forecast that shows holiday spending will reach $253.4 billion this year, a 5.3 percent increase over 2024. They speculate about who might be spending more this holiday season, given economic uncertainty in the marketplace, and share thoughts about how marketers might take advantage of this apparent spending windfall coming in Q4.

Insight is only power if you know how to use it. That’s what separates good marketers from great ones. The Certified ANA Marketing Professional program (CAMP) gives you the edge, the strategy, the analytics, and the know-how to turn data into growth. Get started on your certification by visiting www.ana.net/camp.

The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.

Despite being more than 50 years old, email continues to be perhaps the most powerful tool in the marketer’s belt. And according to Scott Cohen, CEO at InboxArmy and an email marketing veteran with more than 20 years of experience, that won’t be changing any time soon.

Scott joins the show to discuss why — despite its efficacy across virtually all verticals — email doesn’t get the love or respect it deserves from marketers. Along with host Mike Berberich, Scott covered some of the under-the-radar ways that email can be used to drive business results, what AI’s role in email should be now and in the future, and why email will continue to be a dominant channel — even with gen Z and gen Alpha.

On Marketing News You Might Have Missed, Mike and show producer Ryan Dinger discussed Gap Inc.’s new foray into influencer and creator marketing via a self-service affiliate and advocate platform. The pair shared their thoughts on what this means for the future of influencer marketing and how Gap might preserve brand safety with this new model.

If this episode got you thinking about how much potential sits in your email list, the 2025 ANA Impact Pulse Report is a must-read. Formerly called The Response Rate Report, this annual study shows how email stacks up against channels like paid search, social, and direct mail, and why it continues to lead in engagement and ROI. You’ll see how other marketers are performing, where response rates are trending, and how to use that data to make smarter marketing decisions. Get the full report by visiting www.ana.net/impactpulse2025.

The On Scope team would love to hear from you! If you have a topic or guest idea, you can email them at onscope@ana.net.