From June 1–4 in vibrant New Orleans, the 2025 Performance Marketing Insider Summit delivered more than just another transformative industry conference — it offered a front-row seat to the future of digital marketing. Through insightful panels, thought-provoking presentations, and energizing conversations with marketing leaders from top global brands, I left with a clearer vision of where our industry is headed. And the future? Innovation is accelerating — and it’s being driven by cutting-edge technology and the bold marketers ready to embrace change.
Big Brands, Big Affirmation
One of the most exciting parts of the summit was connecting with brand leaders from powerhouses like Coca-Cola and Nike. These conversations affirmed what we at Harmelin have believed for some time: we’re on the right track. With our proprietary platform, Harmonee, we’re not just keeping up — we’re innovating. We’re carving out a place as true leaders in client solutions and reporting, and this summit only reinforced that belief.
Search Isn’t Linear Anymore
Unsurprisingly, AI was a hot topic throughout the event. But while the buzz around artificial intelligence is real, the deeper, more lasting takeaway was about Search — and how much it’s changed. The traditional view of clean-cut funnel stages is quickly becoming obsolete. Today, search behavior is more like a pinball machine: unpredictable, multidirectional, and happening across every channel you can imagine. Conversions don’t follow a straight line anymore, and that shift demands a new kind of strategy.
Omnichannel Is the New Must
The word on everyone’s lips? Omnichannel.
The omnichannel approach is no longer optional — it’s essential. In a world of fragmented platforms and fluid customer journeys, the days of Paid Search dominating the bottom of the funnel are behind us. Acquisition isn’t about one moment or one tactic anymore. The leaders we heard from made one thing abundantly clear: attribution must be applied at every stage. The first touchpoint might be on TikTok, and the last might be via voice search. If your messaging is unified, your strategy needs to be, too.
Off-Google Discovery and the Rise of AI Tools
During the panel I hosted, What Do We Do Now That Search Is No Longer Just Google?, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ryan Jones, Senior Vice President of SEO at Razorfish; Brooke Hess, Vice President of Paid Media at NP Digital; and Sam Clarke, Managing Director and Head of Search at Crossmedia. Together, we explored the nuances of marketing in a space that’s increasingly moving off Google during the initial discovery. We learned that current trends are pulling people toward platforms like TikTok and YouTube at the beginning of their journey, and tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are only becoming more prominent. Ryan Jones expounded on the need to optimize toward these channels however we can with effective copy, as well as stay on our toes and be ready for shifts in the industry. The big takeaway from these experts? Stay flexible and stay open to how you can use AI to drive your agency forward.
Be Ready for What’s Next
Yes, the future of Search is still being written. It’s an uncertain and sometimes messy space — but it’s also a frontier full of opportunity. And as marketers, we get to be the ones to write the next chapter. After attending the Insider Summit, I’m more confident than ever that Harmelin is ready, not just to face the future, but to lead it.
For more information, visit harmelin.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn or Facebook.
