Highlights from the Shelly Palmer Innovation Series Breakfast at CES 2026
Presented by 3C Ventures, and the ANA
We brought together an exceptional group of industry leaders to share their transformative ideas and provide actionable insights. Here are some video highlights.
Shelly Palmer on Agents, Agency, and Your Agentic 2026
Shelly Palmer, CEO of The Palmer Group, delivered a keynote challenging marketers to rethink everything they know about reaching consumers. Palmer introduced the critical vocabulary of the agentic era—models, harnesses, systems, and skills—while demonstrating how AI agents are alreadyreshaping commerce through platforms like OpenAI’s Atlas. His message was clear: the transition from SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) demands immediate attention, and in a world where nothing can be trusted, brand equals trust. “Get your hands on keyboard every day,” Palmer urged. “This is a leadership challenge, not a technical one.”
Shakir Moin with Shelly Palmer: Coca-Cola’s AI Transformation
Shakir Moin, President of Marketing for Coca-Cola North America, joined Shelly Palmer to reveal the inside story of the Holidays Are Coming AI campaign—the highest-tested ad of 2024. Despite vocal criticism online, Moin shared that 99.96% of consumers approved of the AI-generated creative. More significantly, he announced an organizational redesign at Coca-Cola: new verticals for data, martech, and creative technology, all designed around AI as a principle rather than a tool. “We realized we are not designed to excel in the world that is coming,” Moin admitted. “We had to self-disrupt.”
Lisa Coffey and Suzy Deering with Michael Kassan: The Guaranteed Human
Michael Kassan, CEO of 3C Ventures, led a conversation with Lisa Coffey, CBO of iHeartMedia, and Suzy Deering, CEO of Publicis Sports, on the surprising consumer pushback against algorithmic control. Coffey revealed that while 70% of consumers use AI, 90% want their media from humans—a finding that drove iHeart’s “Guaranteed Human” promise. Deering emphasized that sports remains “AI-proof” because of its authentic passion and community, while offering career advice that resonated throughout the room: “Get into marketing through data.”
Esi Eggleston Bracey with Michael Kassan: Winning Hearts, Minds, and Machines
Esi Eggleston Bracey, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Unilever, joined Michael Kassan to reframe the growth equation for the AI age. “It’s no longer just about reaching people,” Bracey explained. “We have to reach the intimate intermediary—the machines that influence choices and purchases.” She introduced the concept of “knowledge media, interest media, and brand media” as the new framework for ensuring brands show up correctly in LLM recommendations. Bracey’s closing insight redefined the CMO role: “The CMO is now the Change Management Officer.”
Harry Kargman with Benoit Vatere: Applied AI and the Death of Programmatic
Harry Kargman, CEO of Kargo, announced the launch of Kera, an agentic AI creative and media buying platform, before turning to Benoit Vatere, Chief Media Officer of Liquid Death, to discuss what brands actually need. Vatere was emphatic: “AI will not touch Liquid Death creative—that’s where humans win.” But for scaling 250+ format variations and discovering unexpected audience opportunities? That’s where AI delivers. Vatere’s vision of a lean, agency-free team powered by intelligent platforms may signal where the entire industry is headed.
Doug Rosen: Actually Intelligent
Doug Rosen, President of Cadent, challenged the industry to distinguish between AI hype and actual intelligence. He unveiled Cadent’s rebuilt platform featuring micro-agents that work together—from audience discovery to campaign health—capable of moving from drift to decision in just 12 minutes with a 35% improvement in ROAS. Rosen announced a first-of-its-kind capability: linear to YouTube in one platform, one audience, one view. “AI should be yours, not ours,” he declared, advocating for configurable systems that match each marketer’s unique business objectives.
Michael Donnelly: The AI Imperative
Michael Donnelly, Global Marketing, Customer Experience & Digital Transformation Executive at the Association of National Advertisers, opened the morning by framing the stakes. With nearly $100 billion in strategic AI investments in the past year alone, he noted that the greatest barriers aren’t technological—they’re leadership, training, governance, and hesitation. “The future belongs to marketers who are activating and scaling now,” Donnelly declared. “It won’t wait for anyone.”
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