Our most important conversations are about effectiveness

Effectiveness is often treated as the fine print of our industry. The part you get to after the pitch, once the work has run, once the awards have been entered. But the truth is, it’s the only thing that really matters. Because if our work doesn’t work - if it doesn’t build brands, shift perception or sell things, then what are we really doing?

That’s why I believe effectiveness is the most important conversation we can have as an industry. It’s not a side hustle; it’s the main event. Clients are under pressure to prove return on every pound spent, and agencies are under pressure to show that creativity isn’t just a nice-to-have but a growth engine. When we put effectiveness at the centre, it stops being a retrospective measure and becomes a way of working - one that drives smarter decisions, braver creativity, and better business outcomes.

And that’s why the IPA Effectiveness Conference on October 8 matters. It’s a day to get out of the weeds, reflect on what really works, and hear from some of the smartest thinkers in our industry about how we can do even better.

Why conferences like this matter

So why should anyone give up a precious day in the office to attend the IPA Effectiveness Conference? Because stepping back from the emails, pitch decks and media plans gives us something rare: perspective.

A day like this offers the chance to learn from the best minds in the business, see the newest evidence, debate the biggest challenges, and bring back thinking that can genuinely change the way we work. It’s not just about adding slides to a creds deck; it’s about reframing conversations with clients, broadening our perspective, and sharpening our instincts about what really works.

And that’s more important than ever. Marketing effectiveness is facing some serious tensions right now: short-term vs long-term, precision targeting vs mass reach, borrowed influence vs earned brand equity. Conferences like this allow us to air those tensions in the open, look at the evidence, and make sense of them together.

Here are three topics I’m particularly excited about this year.

1. Go big or go home – Big brand behaviour matters

There’s an increasing obsession in marketing with precision. The idea that if you just get granular enough with your media targeting, you can unlock limitless growth. However, the truth is that if you behave like a small brand, you will remain a small brand.

I’ve seen this tension play out repeatedly with clients. It’s seductive to think that targeting only the people you know are in the market is efficient. But it creates a ceiling. If you don’t invest in mass reach and brand-building, you simply won’t generate the future demand you need.

That’s why I’m excited to hear Les Binet speak again. His work continues to remind us that big growth requires big investment and big brand behaviour. If you want to become a household name, you can’t just whisper to the people already listening. You have to broadcast. You have to show up, consistently, at scale.

For me, this is about rebalancing. Performance marketing is a powerful tool, but it’s not the whole toolbox. The biggest and most effective brands use it alongside mass brand-building to drive long-term growth.

2. SMEs – Cracking the effectiveness code for the underdogs

Another fascinating session this year looks at SMEs. As agencies, we know they can often take up a disproportionate amount of time and energy compared to their budgets because their challenges are complex. They don’t have the luxury of vast brand teams, established playbooks, or multimillion-pound media budgets. Yet their need for effective marketing is just as big – if not bigger.

What works for a global FMCG giant may not translate for a start-up trying to scale from £1m to £10m in revenue. That’s why I’m so interested in hearing more insights and evidence about what works for SME marketing. Something practical and accessible that could help these businesses avoid the pitfalls, focus their resources, and scale more effectively.

Because let’s face it: today’s SMEs are tomorrow’s market leaders. If we can help them embed effectiveness thinking early – balancing the short and the long term, building brands as well as sales – the whole industry will benefit.

3. The Wild West of influencer measurement – Bringing rigour to the new frontier

Finally, let’s talk influencers. For years, marketing plans have included a line that says “get influencers” as though that alone was a strategy. The problem is, until now, there’s been very little robust evidence on whether it actually works, and if it does, how it does.

That’s why the initiative to pool real-world influencer data into a proper databank is so exciting. It’s the first time we’ll have real rigour in this space – patterns of spend, strategy, ROI. That matters, because influencer marketing isn’t going away. It’s one of the fastest-growing channels, and clients are demanding answers about what they’re getting for their money.

But here’s the tension: influencers can’t be your brand. Borrowed interest is never enough. A brand still needs to stand for something itself. Influencers can amplify, extend, and contextualise that meaning - but only if you approach them as part of a broader strategy.

So yes, let’s treat influencer marketing like a proper channel. Let’s do it with the same discipline we apply to TV or digital. But let’s also remember that true effectiveness comes when the brand itself has something distinctive to say.

The bigger picture

All of these topics point to a bigger truth: effectiveness is not a solo sport. It’s a team effort, across disciplines, agencies, and clients. Data is a springboard, not a straitjacket. And culture matters. An effectiveness culture isn’t just good for business - it’s good for people. It fosters curiosity, collaboration, and shared purpose.

That’s why I’ll be in the room at the IPA Effectiveness Conference. To hear, debate, challenge, and learn. To come away not just with smarter slides, but with new ways of thinking.

Because effectiveness, at its best, combines logic, magic, and risk. And when we embrace all three, we don’t just create better advertising. We create better outcomes for everyone.

The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and were submitted in accordance with the IPA terms and conditions regarding the uploading and contribution of content to the IPA newsletters, IPA website, or other IPA media, and should not be interpreted as representing the opinion of the IPA.