Key Takeaways from NextM 2025

NextM has wrapped up in Stockholm, leaving attendees buzzing with insights into the rapidly evolving digital landscape. This year’s event tackled the question of how to thrive in an AI-first world, with a focus on practical strategies and future-proof solutions. While AI predictability dominated discussions, the emphasis was on harnessing its power responsibly and ethically. From the transformative potential of AI-driven personalization to the challenges of maintaining trust in an increasingly automated environment, NextM 2025 provided a crucial roadmap for navigating the next wave of digital innovation. Key takeaways from keynote speakers and breakout sessions are compiled below.

 

Innovating Growth: Navigating the new reality with an experimental DNA

Lovisa Smedberg, Head of Data & Tech Consulting at Choreograph & Andreas Nordfors, Lead Growth Architect at The Boston Consulting Group.

  1. An experimental approach: Navigating the new reality of the media landscape provides a myriad of opportunities for brands, all which can be tapped into through an experimental approach.
  2. Flexible platform for marketing growth: The key to success is through a flexible platform that serves current and future needs by promoting an incremental understanding of all marketing activities.
  3. Curiosity, growth, efficiency: Stay curious, always seek growth opportunities, and dare to kill pockets of inefficiencies.

If you are interested in the full presentation, click here!

 

The Future of TV – Unlocking Nordic Potential in a Personalized World

Ann Jack, Director of Media Solutions at GroupM Norway, Gustaf Möllefors, Head of Programmatic at TV4, Christian Hunstad, Sales Manager at Viaplay Group & Anna Martinkari, CEO of Mindshare Sweden.

  1. Evolving consumption, evolving strategies: Nordic viewers are shifting to streaming and video-on-demand. In Sweden, e.g., digital video ad spend is forecast to surpass traditional TV. Advertisers should blend linear TV with Connected TV to reach both mass and niche audiences. 
  2. Unlock the power of coexistence: Linear and addressable TV work best together, as they allow advertisers to combine broad reach and targeted relevance. Campaigns that utilize both have seen up to a 30% higher ROI compared to those using linear alone. 
  3. Unlock the power of addressable TV: Addressable TV delivers personalized ads to targeted households, boosting engagement and reducing ad waste. Nielsen, a global measurement and data analytics company, e.g. reports that this approach improves conversation rates. 

 

Babysat by Algorithms – Three big shifts everyone should know about the next generation of consumers

Jake Webster, Global Creative Strategy Director at EssenceMediacom

  1. Gen Alpha is a massive, emerging consumer group ready to be targeted: With 2 billion members and the oldest reaching advertising-targetable age in 2026, Gen Alpha represents a significant market opportunity that businesses need to prepare for.
  2. Gen Alpha’s inherent digital fluency requires a fundamental shift in marketing strategies: Unlike Gen Z, Gen Alpha has always been immersed in a digital world. This means brands must move beyond traditional media and embrace new formats, channels, and collaborative approaches to connect with this generation.
  3. Anticipating macro-cultural shifts is crucial for future success: While predicting the future is impossible, understanding the key differences in Gen Alpha’s perspective and behaviors allows businesses to proactively evolve their strategies and capitalize on the growing cultural and commercial influence of this generation.

If you are interested in the full presentation, click here!

 

Priming for Profit – Why brand building means business, and why the CMO should be the CFO’s best friend

Elias Betinakis, Chief Strategy Officer at GroupM Sweden & Magnus Kjellberg, Director of Insight Strategy, GroupM Sweden

  1. Brand & marketing – a profit driver: View branding and marketing as a profit engine, not just an expense. A strong brand is 14X more likely to be chosen, and long-term profit ROI averages 4.1X.
  2. Priming – the long game: The priming phase is 29X longer than the active phase, emphasizing that building a strong brand is a marketer’s most crucial job.
  3. Strategic, creative reach: Start with your brand’s “why”, create engaging advertising (since audiences are often disengaged), and reach the right people at the right time with the right message.

If you are interested in the full presentation, click here!

 

The Productivity Trap – Why AI Should Help Us Play, Not Just Perform

Matthew Cox, Senior Strategy Director at Wavemaker Denmark

  1. Efficiency is flattening creativity: AI is making work faster – but also making everything look and sound the same. We risk losing originality by over-optimizing.
  2. Imagination is undervalued: 1 hour of creative play a week could be worth more than all productivity gains – €96B vs. €60B – if it sparks ideas – which it will if used properly.
  3. Four GPT’s to spark play, not just performance: Use these tools to escape sameness: 1. Zombie Diary, 2. Channel Flip, 3. Brand Escape, 4. Map Magic

If you are interested in the full presentation, click here!

 

AI and the Radical Evolution of Marketing

Roy Armale, Chief Product and Growth Officer at WPP Open

  1. AI – A behavior-first revolution: AI is fundamentally reshaping marketing, shifting focus from traditional methods to understanding and responding to user behavior. WPP is leading the charge by strategically embedding AI into core workflows and user experiences, unlocking new levels of efficiency, creativity, and data-driven insights across the entire marketing ecosystem.
  2. The empathy gradient – guiding ethical AI integration: Use the “Empathy Gradient” framework to strategically integrate AI, determining whether to automate or augment human capabilities based on the level of empathy required. This ensures ethical and effective AI implementation.
  3. Unlock data’s untapped potential – drive informed decisions: Leverage existing data resources more effectively by focusing on understanding data demand and user behavior. This will unlock valuable insights, improve decision-making, and drive more impactful marketing strategies.

If you are interested in the full presentation, click here!

 

The Future of Influencer Marketing – Growth and Restrictions?

Kenneth Danielsson, CEO at IAB Sweden, Peter Knutsson, Reklamombudsmannen, Sara Johansson, Strategic Media Manager at Arla & Camilla Sundström, Head of Influencer Marketing at Goat

  1. Influencer marketing’s growing ROI: Influencer marketing is booming and delivering strong results. Capitalize on its potential for brand growth and engagement.
  2. Prioritize transparency and ethics: The market faces increasing pressure from regulators. Protect the industry by working with transparent agencies that prioritize ethical practices and clear ad labeling.
  3. Act responsibly: Elevate standards for sustainability. Develop better briefs, support self-regulation, and partner with educated creators and certified agencies that follow ICC recommendations for a professional approach.

 

Stop Controlling Your Brand – Start Curating Chaos

Calle Chowdhury Hemström, Head of Creative Services at GroupM Sweden, Johanna Östling, Strategy Director, Influencer Marketing at GroupM Sweden & Linn Muhr, Senior Addressable Strategist at GroupM Sweden.

  1. Focus: Don’t try to solve everything at once. Pick a specific area and begin experimenting. Simply starting will likely put you ahead of the curve.
  2. Work smarter: Lean on technology and tools that can enhance both the scalability of your efforts and the creativity of your team.
  3. Be vibrant: Don’t be afraid to loosen control. Allow for a multitude of interpretations and expressions of your brand’s identity.

If you are interested in the full presentation, click here!

 

The Results Are In – Now What? Turning Insights into Impact with TikTok

Anna Erlandsson, Head of Measurement at TikTok Nordics & Central Europe, Adam Lodin, Digital Media Manager at Comviq, Emma Lundgren, Head of Agency Partnerships at TikTok Nordics & Lisa Gröning, Strategy director at GroupM Sweden.

  1. TikTok Drives short-term sales efficiently: TikTok proves to be a highly efficient channel for driving short-term sales, outperforming other social media platforms with a strong ROI index of 134.
  2. Significant growth potential exists: Analysis suggests a potential to triple current TikTok investment levels while maintaining performance, indicating substantial headroom for growth and increased sales.
  3. Sales-driven campaigns deliver higher ROI: Optimizing TikTok campaigns for sales yields significantly higher efficiency, delivering 3.5X higher ROI compared to campaigns focused solely on branding objectives.

If you are interested in the full report, click here!