Artificial intelligence
(AI), agentic services, privacy regulations, social media, media buying, and geopolitical causes are how brands communicate to shape business worldwide. This year
at Davos, advertising and marketing executives have a voice.
Dentsu Group, Omnicom Group, Publicis Groupe, and WPP are among those listed as partners for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.
Sir Martin Sorrell of
S4Capital, an ad holding company, was present and discussing industry topics including the
merger between Omnicom and IPG.
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Sorrell also provided an opinion on President Trump's thinking around U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland, saying, "I actually think President Trump has a point
about Greenland. The question is, is this the best way to go about it. Maybe it's better to work through NATO than to work against. But he is a real estate guy and believes in ownership."
He
also said that this year it's a very U.S.-centric Davos -- the first year that the United States has had this type of presence. And that companies are doing quite well despite all the chaos in the
world.
Goldman Sachs Research forecasts for the EPS to achieve a total return of 12% in
2026, which Sorrell called "stunning."
"Advertising is affected by geopolitical events," Sorrell said. "People in our industry tend to think it's
isolated. I think it's driven by it."
Some of the advertising-based themes being discussed are AI transformations, authenticity and human connections, as well as first-party data and privacy
measures.
At WEF, global leaders and advertising executives are
primarily focused on the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue." Discussions are centered on five key global challenges: cooperation in a contested world, unlocking growth, investing in people,
responsible innovation, and building prosperity within planetary boundaries, according to the the event's website.
Some companies have paid for major sponsorships. For
example, Microsoft and McKinsey are among the U.S. companies that spent up to $1 million each to sponsor a Davos venue that will serve as the base for U.S. government officials, ahead of
President Donald Trump’s visit, according to Fortune.
Executives at other companies, and the companies they work for, pay five- and six-figure sums each year to secure a coveted
place inside Davos’ most exclusive club. They hope that a few days of access in the Swiss Alps will translate into deals, influence, and brand exposure that justify the cost, Fortune writes.
Aside from President Donald Trump, who will speak on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be in attendance, along with global CEOs from technology,
finance, energy, and consumer goods companies such as JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
The World Economic Forum reported nearly 850 of the world’s top CEOs and chairs, and almost 100 leading unicorns and tech pioneers in attendance.
Davos, a ski resort near Zurich in Switzerland, hosts the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, which began on
Monday.