Recap Innovation Day 2026

Munich, 15 October 2026 – How can brands courageously seize opportunities, shape transformation and actively drive the future through action? How can setbacks be understood as valuable learning opportunities, and how can we maintain an optimistic outlook on the future? Today’s Innovation Day, hosted by Serviceplan Group, Ad Alliance, REPUBLIC, The Trade Desk, Samsung Ads, Salesforce, Contentful and Amazon Ads, focused on precisely these questions.

Under the theme “Explore More”, the 22nd edition of Innovation Day offered a diverse and interactive programme for around 700 guests from business, communications and media. It featured visionary talks and individual meetups with international speakers, hands-on masterclasses covering AI & Technology, Content & Customer Experience, and Brand Management, as well as innovative tech gadgets for attendees to experience first-hand.

Florian Haller, CEO Serviceplan Group: "Marketing faces a paradox today: never before have we had so much data, technology and so many possibilities, yet the courage to act is often missing. Anyone who wants to create real impact in a time of AI, uncertainty and rapid change cannot afford to wait for the perfect answer. Success emerges where curiosity meets courage and where learning becomes more important than control. That is why we need a new mindset: Explore More. Think agilely, make bold decisions and remain open to what we do not yet know. Because the future belongs to those brands that take the next step before every uncertainty has been resolved."

International Top Speakers on the Main Stage

Matthew Griffin, founder of the 311 Institute and advisor to G7 and G20 leaders, opened Innovation Day with a keynote. He demonstrated the impact our expectations of the future have and highlighted the challenges European marketers face in an era defined by AI and China’s pace of innovation and learning. Turning the traditional CMO into a CIMO with what appeared to be a simple typo, he explained the combination of skill-, tool- and mind-set needed for successful marketing in the future.

"AI actually helps you to accelerate things, build capabilities and increase capacity. The big question in the marketing industry is: What have you always wanted to do but couldn’t because the company said there was no budget or resources? Now, AI can help make it happen," said Matthew Griffin on stage.

In a conversation with Judith Wittwer, Editor-in-Chief of Süddeutsche Zeitung, Tobias Peyerl, Head of Strategic Intelligence and Analysis at OpenAI, provided food for thought on the evolving relationship between technology, business and society. Starting from themes of courage, curiosity and a willingness to experiment, he connected these ideas to the ultimate responsibility humans retain for AI-generated content: "AI advises and humans decide. Humans stay in control. The doctor verifies the result at the end."

With more than 48 million followers worldwide, the creator collective Elevator Boys has built one of Europe’s most engaged Gen Z communities and demonstrated how digital reach can be translated into scalable business models, successful brand partnerships and authentic cultural relevance. In conversation with Niat Asfaw Graça, Managing Director Serviceplan Social, they emphasized: "It’s cool if a brand has a vision, but if you have too much guidance and rules, you’ll cut creativity." Brands therefore need to think beyond traditional communication and become a genuine part of culture. "The challenge is not just entering cultural spaces, but activating and nurturing communities in an authentic way," they concluded.

Dr. Florence Gaub is a military strategist, futurist, and Research Director at the NATO Defense College. Speaking on the Innovation Day stage, she shared her perspective on geopolitical developments and their underlying dynamics, offering compelling insights into how closely our actions today are linked to shaping the future. "Whenever something in the future holds your attention, ask yourself: Is there something I can do about it? If there isn’t, stop thinking about it. Optimism comes from being in action." According to Gaub, a resilient society is not defined by the absence of threats, but rather by "a shared vision of the future and the confidence that everyone knows their role when challenges arise."

Insights from Marketing Practice in the Masterclasses

Across a total of 20 masterclasses, personal exchange in small groups took center stage. Leading experts provided insights into the latest trends, shaping the marketing and communications industry.

Christian Schmitz, CEO Plan.Net Group, and Hadi Lotfi, Managing Partner Plan.Net Agentic AI, demonstrated in “Marketing 2030: Transforming Organizations for the Intelligence Era” how marketing organizations must evolve and which connected operating models will integrate customer understanding, decision-making and execution in the future. 

Christian Rohr, Director Products & Solutions at REPUBLIC Marketing & Media Solutions GmbH, and Tino GK Meitz (PD Dr. habil.), CEO of EMPYRICA GmbH, demonstrated in “The Invisibly Effective: Why the Most Valuable Touchpoint Never Shows Up in a Report” why not every valuable touchpoint is reflected in reporting and why precisely these invisible touchpoints can be crucial for brand impact.

In their masterclass “Behavior to Action: When Behavioral Science Insights Become Business Impact,” Karin Immenroth, Global Chief Data Officer Mediaplus Group, and Sofia Soto, Senior Behavioral & AI Consultant Mediaplus Group, showcased Behavioral AI solutions and demonstrated in practical terms what happens when data, AI, and audience intelligence work together.

Additional masterclasses explored topics such as Agentic AI in Retail and Advertising, Connected TV, content and commerce strategies, customer experience, brand management, digital co-workers and new forms of data- and technology-driven brand communication. Experts from Serviceplan Group, The Trade Desk, Ad Alliance, Salesforce, Contentful, Amazon, Amazon Ads, Samsung Ads and other companies provided practical guidance on how marketing strategies can be developed to remain future-ready.

Inspiring Innovations

At Innovation Day, innovative technologies were not only discussed but could also be experienced directly by guests, including the Serviceplan Group’s AI agents. During “Pimp Your Profile”, guests were able to optimize their LinkedIn profiles, while Contentful’s website check enabled attendees to review their websites and receive practical advice on-site.

Photos from Innovation Day are available for download here.

Further information about Innovation Day 2026 can be found at Innovation Day.

Following the Event: The CMO Award Night

For the thirteenth time, the “CMO of the Year” will be honored in Munich this evening following Innovation Day.

Under the motto “by CMOs for CMOs”, the CMO of the Year Council, consisting of around 100 senior marketing decisionmakers from renowned companies across the DACH region, nominates potential candidates for the award and thereby ensures an independent selection process. Evaluation criteria include the individual, business success, innovation, customer centricity, purpose & sustainability, reputation and internationality.

A panel of experts assembled by media partner HORIZONT develops the shortlist from the nominations. The 17-member CMO of the Year Jury, responsible for selecting the winner, consists of members of the CMO of the Year Council as well as selected marketing and media experts. The decision is based on dossiers prepared by the Institute for Marketing & Customer Insight, University of St. Gallen.

The hosts of the CMO of the Year Award 2026 are: Serviceplan Group, REPUBLIC, Ad Alliance, The Trade Desk, Samsung Ads, Snap, Salesforce, Contentful and Amazon Ads, in cooperation with LinkedIn, Capital, ntv, HORIZONT, F.A.Z. and the University of St. Gallen.