Manchester summit explores AI, data & creativity in marketing
More than 100 senior figures from the eCommerce and marketing sectors gathered in Manchester to discuss the future of data, artificial intelligence (AI), and creativity in marketing technology. The event brought together leaders from established brands including Joe Browns, We Buy Any Car, Certas Energy, Castore, and Pharmacy2U to share practical insights on how digital, data, and performance disciplines are evolving.
Data-driven agenda
The event opened with a focus on the direction of marketing technology, highlighting the impact AI, real-time data, system automation, and privacy requirements are set to have in the coming year. Presentations throughout the day emphasised the mounting pressure on brands to adopt smarter digital strategies and make more confident trading decisions as technology rapidly advances.
Analytics evolution
Google Senior Engineer Alice Crawley offered an analysis of the 20-year evolution of Google Analytics, examining both retrospective lessons and forward trends. Crawley discussed the integration of AI-led features such as Analytics Advisor, and the shift towards automated and privacy-centric tracking methods. The ongoing development of GA4 was also highlighted in response to market demands for more immediate and transparent business insights.
"The next era of marketing technology will depend not just on data availability, but on how intelligently and responsibly brands use it," said Alice Crawley, Senior Engineer, Google.
Real-time performance
Fabric Analytics demonstrated how luxury fashion brand Nadine Merabi had changed its approach to analytics, moving from disconnected systems to comprehensive real-time monitoring via Fabric Real-Time, a proprietary live performance platform. This allowed the brand to assess channel performance as it happened, reallocate marketing budgets within minutes, and respond to peak periods, such as Cyber Weekend, with greater agility.
According to Dan Wigley, Co-Founder of Fabric Analytics, "We were delighted to bring so many leaders together to discuss what's next in 2026. Hearing their perspectives on data, AI and creativity brings a unique viewpoint for us all and ultimately helps every organisation in the room drive better results."
Media landscape shifts
Sessions led by Bonded and Skyrise explored advancements in media planning, underlining the importance of precision data and predictive modelling in a crowded market. Automation in media buying was identified as a driver of campaign accuracy, while the increased relevance of location-based, behavioural, and contextual information was discussed. The expansion of audio as a key component in multichannel strategies was also examined, reflecting its rising use across streaming services and smart devices.
AI and content strategy
Steve Underwood from Bonded and Microsoft's John Bodkin addressed the growing influence of AI-powered search on brand discoverability. The discussion covered the progression from traditional keyword optimisation to strategies focused on entities and intent, and considered how generative AI summaries could alter website traffic distributions. Brands were urged to update content structures, metadata, and site experiences to adapt to these technological changes.
Behavioural insight
Behavioural psychology featured in a session with Castore's Lizzy Francis and Christine Bookless from Fabric Analytics, who analysed how psychological triggers and biases affect consumer conversion paths. They illustrated, through A/B testing, how user interface design and messaging choices could shift buyer intent and increase commercial outcomes when closely aligned with behavioural science.
Industry panel
The event concluded with a panel of senior industry representatives discussing practical aspects of AI adoption, shifting customer behaviour, peak period trading, and attribution. The panel highlighted the operational pressures faced by rapidly growing digital brands and the need to maintain a balance between experimentation and reliability.
"We were delighted to bring so many leaders together to discuss what's next in 2026. Hearing their perspectives on data, AI and creativity brings a unique viewpoint for us all and ultimately helps every organisation in the room drive better results," said Wigley.
