Before we succumb to the holiday haze and commit to “circling back” to whatever’s left on our lists in 2026—Katie’s taking a beat to talk about the state of our industry trade outlets and organizations. Many of which have experienced layoffs, leadership transitions and expanded remits under scarce resources that will be further strained by subscription and membership losses coming from Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG. Former Adweek Brand + Sports Marketing Reporter and current Editor for Fourth Quarter by Stagwell Sport Beach, Jason Notte; Executive Comms + Agency Consultant, Suzanne McGee; and Ad Industry PR Consultant Graham Nolan join in to share reflections and what they think comms folks need to cement realistic expectations and rules of engagement to set everyone up for success in the new year.

In this episode, special guest Ad Age Creativity Editor Tim Nudd joins the chat to unpack the most scrutinized marketing event of the year, the Big Game. Listen in to hear how coverage priorities have shifted, why previewing work is a non-negotiable, how recent public outcries might impact playbooks and the strategic value of surrounding the main event beyond the pricey ad buy. If you want to build reputation, consider this wisdom before locking those game plans.

Katie’s keeping the conversation about awards going—this time turning all focus on PR-centric programs and categories. What makes PR a wow factor in an initiative versus just headlines? Hear from global powerhouses who’ve steered multimillion dollar amplification efforts and haver served on recent PRWeek + Cannes Lions juries: Monica Corbett, Joel Chacha and Jaclyn Ruelle.

Move over pumpkin spice, it's actually Agency of the Year Award season. Entering the chat are MM+M Editor In Chief Jameson Fleming and former ad trade journalist and senior communications consultant Shannon Miller. They discuss the non-negotiables for winning entries, what makes for compelling (and underwhelming) submissions and other core considerations worth mulling over before embarking on serious hardware hunting.