Advertising Week takeaways from the Nomada Digital team

Last week, the Nomada Digital team swapped York for New York as we headed stateside for Advertising Week. We also made the most of the trip with in-person time with our US clients, plenty of networking and, of course, a spot of sightseeing.

It was great having the conference as our nucleus, as we could attend talks, co-work, and meet new faces all in one place. With over 500 sessions, 1,300+ speakers and around 20,000 attendees across four days, it was a jam-packed week of knowledge-sharing and making new connections.

The whole team came back with lots of thoughts and ideas about what we’d seen and heard, so rather than one big summary, each of us is sharing our own key takeaways briefly below.

Danny Sullivan, CEO & Founder:

My key takeaway: “US companies focus heavily on brand over non-brand. Budgets go into social, out-of-home and TV, yet we met businesses with hundreds of thousands of social followers that didn’t rank on page one of Google, or appear in AI search, for their core commercial terms.”

A moment that stuck with me: “Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) spoke about how much US marketing budget is wasted on reports that mean nothing. He described impressions and clicks being dressed up as success, with nothing commercial to justify the spend. I’ve been saying this for years, and it’s a big part of why I left larger agencies and set up my own venture.”

What it means: “Everything we’ve tested, learned and pivoted on, both ranking in Google and being recommended in AI search, is now incredibly valuable in the US. There’s also a real opportunity for UK companies to grow in the US through organic search, where non-brand gets far less attention.”

Luke Wilson, Agency Director:

My key takeaway: “Advertising Week was more panel-led than the SEO conferences I usually attend, but the bigger difference was culture. Relationships and face-to-face time matter far more in the US, and people genuinely want to hear what you have to say.”

A moment that stuck with me: “How little many of the businesses we met knew about SEO and AI search - even the basics landed well. One conversation summed it up, when they said they had no interest in reports or updates, just leads. It’s a useful reminder to lead with outcomes, not activity.”

What it means: “AI is the opportunity of a lifetime for smaller businesses. Big players are held back by red tape and process, and they lean on their name rather than what they produce. Partnerships and warm introductions will continue to drive our momentum in the US.”

Naz Uddin, SEO & Content Manager:

My key takeaway: “American founders and CEOs are hugely optimistic, and once they commit to an idea, they go all in. They’re far less reserved than we tend to be in the UK and far more comfortable taking risks.”

A moment that stuck with me: “I also took a lot away from Gary Vee’s talk - he spoke about the bottlenecks inside big corporations and agencies, where budgets pile into vanity metrics rather than what moves the needle. In an AI landscape that’s changing this quickly, that makes smaller agencies the stronger bet.”

What it means: “The organic opportunity in the US is huge across almost every industry. That’s especially true for startups, whose default is to spend heavily on advertising rather than build organic search and AI visibility.”

Kev Gall, Link Building & Outreach Lead:

My key takeaway: “AI came up in virtually every session I attended, even when it wasn’t in the title. Getting cited by AI was a recurring theme, with the emphasis on strong content and on a brand’s reputation, experience and relevance.”

A moment that stuck with me: “The session ‘From Discovery to Decision: How AI is changing marketing’ with Dave Dugan (OpenAI) and Molly Battin (The Home Depot). Dave’s point that ads sit below the answer in ChatGPT, and that the answer comes from organic sources, reinforced how much organic authority now matters.”

What it means: “If reputation, experience and relevance decide who gets cited, brands need to build that authority now, not later. That should resonate strongly with US companies and agencies, and it’s a conversation we’re ready for.”

Amy Allard, Head of PR & Communications:

My key takeaway: “The ‘Authority Has a New Algorithm: How AI Is Rewriting Brand Authority’ panel was a standout for me. It boiled authority down to corroboration, consistency and specificity. It also echoed a theme from other sessions - authority isn’t measured in clicks and impressions, it’s grounded in business impact, pipeline and revenue.”

A moment that stuck with me: “I had so many conversations in such a short time, and it was energising to hear from companies across different sectors and geographies. What stood out was how many businesses and agencies didn’t know where they, or their clients, were showing up in AI tools. Sometimes a less technical lens is exactly what’s needed to make sense of that landscape and the tools available.”

What it means: “A lot of what we heard is what good PR and communications has always been - consistent, specific, credible stories told through trusted third parties. The difference now is that AI is listening too, as a stakeholder in its own right. Earned media is part of how brands get found and cited, which puts PR firmly in the search conversation. I’m looking forward to seeing how that evolves over the coming months.”

Back in the UK

We had an amazing week, and we’ve brought a lot back to the UK with us. Across the businesses we met, the same gap kept coming up. Many are investing heavily in brand, yet don’t appear, or know if they appear, in Google or AI search when buyers are researching options.

Getting brands found in Google and recommended in AI search, for the commercial terms that drive leads, pipeline and revenue, is what we’ve spent time testing and refining. New York showed us how valuable that experience is on both sides of the Atlantic.

We’re also working on something new in the background that we’re really excited about, and we’ll share more soon. Expect plenty more Nomada news from York (and New York) in the months ahead.