AI, GEO, Brandformance, and human expertise. These are the keywords that are going to be shaping 2027 as we saw on our latest event “Brandformance & Digital Trends 2027”. We gathered 11 top experts from the leading brands, agencies, and media in Spain across 3 round tables to discuss the trends that’ll be defining how the industry builds strategies and delivers values.
As 2027 approaches and everyone is stacked with more tools than ever, there is a lot of uncertainty about how we can stand out from the crowd. At the same time, AI is raising new challenges as the way people discover new information and make decisions, pushing experts to adapt to the new behaviors. Let’s go over all the conclusions that were drawn:
The idea everyone was on the same page:
AI tools will be available to everyone. What sets you apart is knowing how and when to use them to be efficient. Human expertise will be the most precious asset.
Session 1: Technology, Data, and AI
The first round table was taken over by leaders from different renowned brands and agencies making a difference in the industry. They went over how brands and agencies are using data and AI tools in their day-to-day, and what Brandformance means in practice.
Session 2: The brand and agency view
What changes in the brand-agency relationship when AI automates execution? That’s the question Veronica from Telefónica and Eva from Havas explored in our second round table of the day.
Conversational AI changes the funnel. Instead of searching on Google, people now ask an AI assistant, which filters options and makes recommendations. And there are no measurement standards yet. But, amid this uncertainty, a message stood out: Brands hire agencies from their judgment, not their execution.
Session 3: The AI era: the new value of editorial premium content
Finally, but certainly not least, it was time for the media to take the spotlight. Representatives from Europa Press, Libertad Digital, and Grupo Prisa, shared their thoughts on the future for digital publishers in a world dominated by AI.
Main takeaways: What should you watch over the next year?
If we had to sum up the day in five ideas, these would be them.
- Brandformance is here to stay. Speakers agreed that branding and performance work best as complementary parts of a full-funnel strategy.
- Technology alone isn’t enough. Your experience and good judgment are what will separate you from the rest, since everyone has access to the same tools.
- AI is changing how we discover brands. GEO and AI-powered ads are already here, even if measurement standards haven’t caught up yet.
- Trust matters more than ever. Several speakers pointed to verified content and loyal audiences as the best way to protect a brand.
- And finally, smarter data wins. The message was clear. Right signals beat large volumes of data.
Next steps: How can you stay ahead in 2027?
The million-dollar question, how can we get ahead of what’s coming in 2027? If AI tools are available to everyone, the real advantage has to come from somewhere else.
Here are the key steps every speaker seemed to agree on:
- Treat brand and performance as one strategy. Shared goals make it easier to measure what really works.
- Go back to fundamentals, with better tools and human judgement behind each decision.
- Focus on earning your audience’s trust by investing in quality content.
- Finally and most importantly, always keep the consumer at the center. Tools will keep changing. That focus is what will steer your efforts in the right direction.
Looking forward to next year
4 key moves were agreed upon the speakers: master the main basics, keep learning (cause the industry is moving very fast), test as much as you can, and always trust your gut. Most importantly: keep users at the center. Tools will change but keeping that focus would help steer your efforts into the right direction. If you want to be the first one to find out about future events and training sessions, sign up for our newsletter.
