Our top takeaways from Mad//Fest Up North 2025

Our team immersed itself in the latest insights on marketing, branding and consumer behaviour at Mad//Fest Up North last week. While the event reinforced many of the strategies we already champion at ICG, it was a great opportunity to share industry thinking about how to engage with audiences, build communities and stay ahead of the curve.

Here are our top takeaways:

Young People Value Trusted News Sources

It's easy to assume that Gen Z and younger audiences are disengaged from traditional news, but the reality is far from it. Research shared by Newsworks highlighted that while teenagers and young adults enjoy soft news (celebrity gossip, entertainment), they are equally interested in hard news, provided it comes from authentic, trusted sources.

The takeaway; Authenticity is non-negotiable, and younger audiences are increasingly adept at filtering out clickbait and misinformation.

Pain Points: Think Bigger Than Your Audience

Solving customer pain points is Marketing 101 but what about the pain points of the wider market? Angela Cameron of Mars Petcare gave the Whiskas Meowzer campaign as a example. Instead of simply targeting existing cat owners, Whiskas capitalised on the rising search demand for low-maintenance dogs and cleverly reframed cats as an alternative. The result? More cat adoptions, increased brand loyalty and a boost in cat food sales.

The takeaway: Expand your thinking. Instead of just addressing your customers' needs, consider adjacent audiences, cultural shifts, and unexpected opportunities.

Building a Community is a Long-Term Play

A successful brand community isn't built overnight. It requires constant nurturing, much like feeding a sourdough starter (a brilliant analogy shared by Melanie Goldsmith of Project 30 Ventures). Brands must continue engaging their core audience while strategically expanding to new ones.

A thriving brand community is more than just a fanbase; it's a valuable research tool. Your audience can provide real, unfiltered feedback, both on social media and offline. Organisations that foster this sense of belonging by listening, responding, and involving their community in decision-making create advocates, not just customers.

The takeaway: Nurture your core audience, but always be looking for ways to bring new people in.

Social Influence: The Pull' Factor

In a world of constant brand messaging, the most credible marketing doesn't come from brands, it comes from people. Eloquently put by Tom Ridges, CEO of Herdify, this isn't about paid influencers it's about creating real-world social influence that makes your brand naturally desirable, talked about and shared.

Think about how Prime Hydration went from an unknown product to a phenomenon. Yes, the Logan Paul and KSI connection helped, but beyond that, the real-world pull' factor limited availability, peer-to-peer hype, and word-of-mouth drove demand. When people see something being talked about and sought after in their circles, FOMO kicks in.

The takeaway For brands, the challenge is to create products, campaigns, and experiences that are so compelling and shareable that they don't need to be forced into conversations they naturally become part of them.

Psychographics Over Demographics

Kenyatte Nelson, Chief Membership & Customer Officer at Co-op, put it best: I'm more of an anthropologist than a marketer. While demographics (age, gender, location) still have their place, the real power lies in psychographics understanding people's values, motivations, and behaviours.

It's not about targeting a 25-34-year-old female it's about understanding why she buys certain products, what influences her decisions and how she interacts with brands.

The takeaway: Brands that understand their customers on a human level will always have a competitive advantage.

AI Can't Predict the Future

AI is powerful, but it's important to remember that it only knows what has happened before, not what will work in the future. While AI is brilliant for automation, data analysis, and predicting trends based on historical data, it lacks the intuition, creativity, and cultural awareness that human marketers bring to the table.

The takeaway AI should be embraced as a tool, but the real magic in marketing still comes from human insight, gut instinct, and creative risk-taking.

Stay True to Your Brand, But Adapt to New Markets

One of the most interesting insights from Mad//Fest was how brands are successfully evolving while staying true to their identity.

Lorraine Rothwell, Head of Brand at Weetabix shared how Weetabix pivoted from engaging with new audiences with inventive use of its iconic product, back to the hero' serving suggestion at the core of its latest marketing campaign, using inclusive humorous and culturally relevant situations.

Adam Zavalis, Vice President Marketing at Asda recently doubled down on Rollback pricing, northern family-based partnerships (Joe Wicks), and its nostalgic Leeds' brand voice (Jodie Whittaker) reconnecting with its core audience while remaining relevant today.

The takeaway: Brands need to evolve, but never at the cost of losing what makes them unique. Change what needs to change, but hold on to your brand's authentic voice and core DNA.

Hope you've enjoyed these insights. If you're looking to take your brand marketing, trade marketing, or digital strategy to the next level, get in touch -we'd love to help!

LINK:	https://www.icg.agency/blog/our-top-takeaways-from-mad-fest-up-north-2...
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