From brand fandoms to scambaiting AI grannies, MAD//Fest London delivered insights in every form and we were there to soak it all in.
Marketing doesn’t stand still and neither do we. Recently, a few of Team Filter swapped our desks for the streets of Shoreditch to see what MAD//Fest London had in store.
From building brand communities to the evolving role of AI, it was a day packed with insights, bold ideas and more than a few laughs (plus a well-earned evening celebrating our PersonalizeWP nomination).
Our CEO & Founder Oliver Morrison, Project Manager Allie Tupper and Account Director Fergus McGloin recently spent the day at MAD//Fest London, held in the heart of Shoreditch at the Truman Brewery. It was a brilliant opportunity to hear fresh thinking, meet industry peers and explore the future of marketing and AI.
As Allie put it, the energy around the old brewery was “buzzing” with an agenda packed full of leaders pushing creative and technological boundaries. From Julia Goldin sharing how LEGO built a community that means more than any marketing campaign, to Skyscanner inviting startups to show how AI can supercharge personalisation, the sessions didn’t disappoint.
If one thing was clear from the day, it’s that brands are leaning hard into building communities, not just broadcasting messages. Fergus highlighted how tapping into passions rekindles creativity and builds loyalty in ways paid media simply can’t match. That means creating experiences people want to be part of, whether that’s immersive events over dull dinners, or ethical uses of AI that genuinely help (like O2’s scam-fighting AI granny that stole the show).
AI was everywhere on the agenda, with lively debates on how it’s shaking up discovery, search and even media planning. As Fergus noted, many are still experimenting, but the consensus is that traditional SEO is no longer the gold standard. For Allie, it felt like a return to “Content is King” days, only this time, content needs to be user-friendly enough to be surfaced by popular LLMs, and communities matter more than ever.
And perhaps most importantly, several speakers reminded us that marketing can, and should, aim to do good. Whether that’s using AI responsibly or ensuring your brand stands for something meaningful in the world.
The day didn’t end with the talks. In the evening, the Filter team swapped festival tents for the Alliance of Independent Agencies awards – where our own PersonalizeWP was shortlisted in the Best Product category. It was the perfect way to cap off a day of inspiration, surrounded by peers who are all pushing the industry forward in their own ways.
From braving 30º heat (shorts were absolutely the only sensible choice) to coming home with new ideas and even more passion for our industry, MAD//Fest was exactly the kind of in-person inspiration we all needed. We’re proud to keep showing up, listening, learning and pushing ourselves and our products like PersonalizeWP and Filter AI to be the best they can be.
Marketing Manager
Joy is Filter's voice to the outside world, developing our content and marketing strategies, and communicating the great work that we do to the widest audience. Joy manages our website content, social media channels, resource centre, the UnFILTERed video podcast series, our Enterprise Guide eBook series and every aspect of our marketing activity.
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