Marketing with Meaning: Key Takeaways from POSSIBLE 2025

This week, the Evergreen & Oak team attended POSSIBLE 2025 in Miami to hear about industry insights, make meaningful connections and dive deeper into key industry trends. Below, Evergreen & Oak’s Account Executive, Grace Douglas, breaks down her top three favorite sessions from the conference.

“New Year, Same Nihilism from the Loneliest Generation” with Ziad Ahmed

(Head of Next Gen at United Talent Agency), Aidan Kohn-Murphy (Founder & Activist at Gen Z Change), Jacyln Osterloh (Director of Social Media at The Coca-Cola Company) and Alicianne Rand (SVP and General Manager of the Fashion & Luxury Group Hearst Magazines)

This session didn’t sugarcoat Gen Z’s reality. They’re disconnected, distrustful of mainstream media and often feel like their individual actions don’t matter. Rather than viewing this as a marketing challenge, marketers should see this as a call to act with more empathy, clarity and honesty. 

Key Takeaways:

• Brands can’t just speak to Gen Z, they must create outlets for them to engage
• Surface-level marketing falls flat. Gen Z wants to do something, not just see something
• In-person and human connection matter more than ever in a digital world
• Ask your audience what they want, and do it both online and face-to-face

“Cultural Insights: How Societal Trends Help Shape Campaign Strategies” with Chaucer Barnes (CMO at Translation United Masters) and Danielle Ward (Senior Associate at MediaLink)

Culture isn’t a static box defined by race, gender, or job title. This session reframed culture as the networks people choose, the way they express themselves and the ideas they align with.

Key Takeaways:

• Authentic cultural marketing starts with representation. If you want to effectively reach a specific audience, their voices need to be present in the rooms where decisions are made
• Identity is self-constructed. Marketers must move beyond basic demographic labels and into lived experiences
• Cultural awareness requires listening first. Sometimes silence, when intentional, is more powerful than performative action

“Brave Ideas: How Risk-Taking Fuels Creative Breakthroughs” with Khari Motayne (VP at CMI Media Group) and Joaquin Molla (Founder & Chief Creative Officer at the community)

This session served as a standout reminder that creativity and courage go hand in hand. In an era of safe ideas and content saturation, brands must be brave enough to stand for something clearly and consistently. 

Key Takeaways:

• The biggest risk is playing it safe 
• Creative breakthroughs often come during moments of uncertainty or constraint
• Consider input from every team member, regardless of seniority. Their unique perspectives are what make the team stronger

The biggest thread connecting these sessions is the growing demand for substance and authenticity. Consumers, especially younger ones, are navigating loneliness, identity shifts and skepticism. They’re looking for brands that offer meaning, not just blank messaging. The future of marketing lies in showing up with honesty, purpose and relevance. 

Thanks to POSSIBLE 2025 for the conversations that challenged the norm and inspired us all to take risks.