Paul Limbrey, Google’s VP of global 3P ecosystem, explores new Google-commissioned research on agency excellence from Boston Consulting Group. He breaks down how agencies can use structural shifts and innovation in the AI era to reclaim their role as indispensable strategic partners. This article originally appeared on Think with Google.

WFA regularly conducts research and creates best practice guides with our strategic partners to help members supercharge better marketing. Here’s our selection of the highlights from the last couple of months.

Over recent WFA member meetings, marketing leaders from some of the world's biggest brand owners sat down to compare notes on a question every organisation is wrestling with right now: what does effective change actually look like, and how do you tell it apart from 'transformation theatre'? A few clear lessons emerged. Rob Dreblow, WFA's Global Head of Marketing Services, outlines six of them.  

New WFA and Ebiquity handbook reveals the gap between measurement capability and commercial action  

Four of this year’s jurors at Cannes Lions reflect on their experience of judging thousands of entries from all around the world. Trends across multiple categories indicate how creativity can become embedded into the way organisations approach marketing, leverage data and drive business transformation.

Industry leaders discuss the importance of creativity and how to build it across brand organisations.

New research from WFA and LIONS reveals slow progress for many advertisers in prioritising creative excellence and identifying the role AI can play.

Just one in three are using AI to go beyond efficiencies to deliver better creative.

How people relate to media, ambition, technology and each other is changing. Katrina Dodd, Trends Editor at Contagious, shares on the tensions that are reshaping consumer behaviour in 2026.

Recording from Stockholm during WFA Global Marketer Week, in this episode David Wheldon reflects on what he has learned from CMOs and other top marketing thinkers over the first 50 episodes of the Better Marketing Podcast.