AudienceCON – where audience intelligence becomes action

AudienceCON brought together marketers, researchers, creatives and data scientists to explore what it really means to put audiences first.

This hub pulls together everything from the event: full session recordings, key takeaways, and deep-dive blogs unpacking the themes. Whether you're shaping strategy, developing creative, or building insight frameworks, there’s something here to sharpen how you understand, reach and engage your audience.

Why did we create AudienceCON?

We launched AudienceCON to spark a movement - one that reimagines what audience insight can really do. In a noisy, over-analysed media and marketing world, we believed there was a need to slow down, dig deeper, and ask better questions about the people behind the numbers.

Our goal was to move from surface-level stats to genuine understanding - to champion strategies rooted in empathy, not just efficiency. We also wanted to build a space where professionals from different industries - whether they’re analysts, creatives, researchers or strategists - could come together to learn, connect, and challenge the norms of audience engagement.

By spotlighting the voices and perspectives that often go unheard, AudienceCON set out to lead a new kind of conversation - one that puts people, not platforms, at the centre of strategy.

What happened at AudienceCON?

Held in Pulsar’s London office, AudienceCON was designed to empower professionals with the tools, stories, and strategies to lead with audience-powered insight. It challenged established thinking around data-driven marketing and advocated for a human-centric, audience-first approach that balances instinct with evidence.

The whole event was live streamed so that audiences around the world could join in with the chats and Q&As, with a day-long feature on the homepage of the Independent website.

The day featured:

• Industry panels on AI in marketing, audience intelligence, and organizational transformation
• Keynotes from music and media leaders on blending data with creativity
• Actionable frameworks for applying insights in product development and storytelling
• Lively Q&As, networking opportunities, and real talk about the future of audience work

The Day’s Agenda

AudienceCON featured a full-day programme designed to thoroughly interrogate, inspire, and connect - all chaired by MC Audience Strategies Director David Boyle. Here’s how the day unfolded:

► Welcome, Kick-off and Introductions

Francesco D’Orazio (Pulsar)
We kicked things off with a call to look beneath the surface of audience data. Using the analogy of medical imaging, we explored how audience intelligence can move from static snapshots to something more diagnostic, adaptive, and human.

► Leveraging Audience Intelligence to Solve Disconnect in the Music Industry

Christine Osazuwa (CHIPS, Measure of Music, ex-Warner Music)
We explored how marketing strategies can be built from the ground up by understanding real audience behaviours - starting with grassroots communities and moving beyond dominant markets. The session challenged attendees to think critically about how to balance data with the authenticity that fans value.
Read more

► Decoding Digital Signals: Demystifying the Fundamentals of Audience Intelligence

Virginia Alvarez (Wunderman Thompson Data), Francesco D’Orazio (Pulsar), Mike Stevens (Insight Platforms), Rachael Lake (m/SIX), Alina Stan (TEAM LEWIS)
In this panel, we unpacked the core principles of audience intelligence - how to move beyond siloed tools, triangulate insights using multiple data sources, and why setting hypotheses matters. The session offered a practical framework for building more cohesive and reliable insight strategies.
Read more

► The Role of Deep Human Insights in Creative Strategy

Laura Simpson (McCann Worldgroup)
This presentation looked at how human truths can elevate brand storytelling. By combining qualitative observation with ethical data use, this session made the case for fusing emotional depth with analytics. The result? More resonant and inclusive narratives.

► Empowering Marketing Strategies: Trust, Insight, and Audience-Centric Approaches

Mike White (Lively), Edd Atcheson (Adobe), Visha Kudhail (ex-Pinterest, Google)
We focused on what it takes to shift organisations from business-centric to audience-first. Key themes included building trust through transparency, rethinking success metrics, and fostering long-term audience relationships through testing, feedback, and iteration.
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► Tuning into Instinct: The Power of Creativity over Data in Music’s Golden Eras

Miles Leonard (Token||Traxx, ex-EMI/Parlophone)
We revisited moments in music history to explore how instinct, cultural awareness and risk-taking can drive breakthrough success. The discussion offered a counterbalance to data-led strategy by emphasising the space for creative intuition.
Read more

► Crafting Impact-Driven Success Through Innovation and Product Development

Simon Miller (The Craftory)
We explored a framework for identifying unmet needs and translating them into innovation. With examples spanning CPG to pet care, this session made the case for embedding insight into organisational culture - not just process.

► ChatGPT Gets Us 80% of the Way There, Faster

Richard Bowman & Louisa Livingston (Audience Strategies)
This session examined the role of generative AI in insight generation - where it accelerates workflows and where its limitations lie. A live segmentation comparison highlighted how AI can support (but not replace) strategic thinking and qualitative depth.

► Working Session: What We Learned & What Happens Next

Group Discussion
We wrapped with a collaborative session to synthesise the day’s ideas and outline what comes next: more experimentation, more shared language, and more opportunities to build a future-ready audience community.

10 Lessons Marketers Took Away

Read the full blog: 10 Lessons for Marketers from AudienceCON

Who Spoke at AudienceCON?

Speakers and Contributors:

Watch the full sessions on-demand

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