From True Crime to Trust: What We Learned at Advertising Week NY 2025

Another Advertising Week New York is officially in the books, and it's safe to say that we showed up and proved that audio is the leading channel to help marketers meet the future of the industry.

Oct 23, 2025

The advertising landscape is changing at rapid speed. But for brands and marketers navigating the terrain, this should come as no surprise. Whether it’s new generations taking over the workforce, new voices cutting through the noise, or new channels emerging as the “top dog,” it’s never been more crucial to remain in lockstep with the latest happenings of the industry.

At Advertising Week New York 2025, we aimed to help attendees do just that. We showed up with thought-provoking panels, mainstage sessions, and intimate activations to bridge the gap between the unknown and the future.

Tapping into the Unexpected Power Behind True Crime Podcasts

Morbid isn’t just a podcast—it’s a movement. What started as two friends diving into true crime and the bizarre has evolved into a full-blown cultural force, complete with millions of devoted “Weirdos” who tune in for the mix of dark humor, authenticity, and community they can’t find anywhere else. And even better, it’s now part of the #1 podcast network with listeners 18+ (aka, the SiriusXM Podcast Network).

At Advertising Week New York, hosts Alaina Urquhart and Ash Kelley sat down with Lizzie Collins, our SVP of B2B Marketing and Ad Innovation, to pull back the curtain on how they built a brand that thrives on trust, participation, and storytelling. From listener-submitted tales to brand collaborations that feel organic, they showed how Morbid continues to expand its universe—proving that when creators and audiences grow together, everyone wins.

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I think the biggest thing that makes us different is how engaged our listeners are. We give our listeners petitions to sign, we give them any kind of advocacy to do, and they’re there. They’re ready to fight for any kind of cause.”

- Alaina Urquhart on what makes the Morbid audience and podcast so different

Sharing the Table and Passing the Mic

Five years may have passed since we first launched Pass the Mic, but our mission has never changed: amplifying women’s voices and creating real, authentic spaces that foster connection, provide inspiration, and help build the next generation of female leaders. And during this year’s Advertising Week New York, we decided to move that mission from the mic to the dinner table.

Together with She Runs It, we were proud to host our first-ever Share the Table, Pass the Mic dinner. The goal was simple: Bring together women from all throughout the industry—media, marketing, and advertising—for an intimate evening filled with networking, authentic conversation, and wisdom.

The event was beyond special. But what made it so memorable wasn’t the setting (although it was gorgeous) or the guest list (although it was wildly impressive). Rather, it was the honesty and integrity with which the conversations were conducted.

With complete candor and a whole lot of heart, each of the women took turns sharing the stories that shaped them throughout their lives and their careers. From major wins and life-changing advice to the pivots and moments of doubt, everyone in attendance was reminded that the path to success is rarely straight—and no one walks it alone.

As we look to what’s next, one thing is clear: the mic is meant to be shared. And when we pass it, we make space for even more voices to be heard.

Want to connect with powerful women and learn from their advice? Join the Pass the Mic Collective.

Bridging Generations in the Modern Workplace

Today’s workplace has never been more dynamic—or more diverse. Multiple generations are now working together, each bringing with them unique perspectives, lived experiences, and expectations on what makes a cohesive team. With that comes an incredible opportunity to learn from each other in ways that push teams, ideas, and culture forward.

In a panel hosted by The Female Quotient, Nidia Serrano, our Vice President of Sales Marketing, sat down with some of the leading experts in the industry to explore how curiosity, empathy, and shared experience can break down barriers between age groups and unlock new forms of growth for individuals and organizations alike.

Hosted by Bashel Lewis, Host and Content Creator, Nidia sat alongside Joy Doyin Ogunneye, Global Innovation & Brand Comms Lead, Aveeno Body, Kenvue and Danielle McMurray, VP, Marketing, AARP Media Advertising Network, to discuss what the next era of leadership looks like.

The answer? It’s all about exchange—where knowledge, creativity, and perspective move both ways. Together, the panel discussed building teams that blend experience with fresh thinking, creating space for open dialogue, mutual learning, and innovation that transcends generations. Because when everyone at the table has a voice, the whole workplace moves forward together.

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Something that we notice is that people are very passionate about their identity. So if you identify as Gen Z, millennial, Gen X, or a boomer, you feel like you know your generation better than anyone else. And as somebody that works in data storytelling and who is telling stories about every single group, I have learned to not put my own hypotheses or biases about certain generations in place. Because what I’ve found through some of my work is that I had a ton of misconceptions about a particular age group—because the industry is full of them. There are a lot of misconceptions and generalizations about every generation. And different members of those generations have called it out to me. So I learned to take a step back and just allow members of those generations to lead, because I think the best work comes out of staying curious and staying teachable.”

- Nidia Serrano on learning opportunities that stemmed from working with different generations

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Making Audio Smarter, More Measurable, and Essential to Every Media Plan

At Advertising Week New York, our Chief Advertising Product Officer, Sherene Hilal, joined The Current’s Stephanie Paterik for a conversation on the future of audio—and how SiriusXM Media is leading the charge in an increasingly competitive space. From AI-driven audience insights to advancements in measurement and connected devices, Sherene shared how we’re transforming audio into a more intelligent, data-informed, and measurable channel for brands.

As audio continues to command more time and attention from listeners, the conversation made one thing evident: The opportunity for marketers has never been greater. Sherene explored how closing the gap between consumption and investment will unlock new possibilities for brands to reach audiences more meaningfully—and why audio isn’t just a complement to digital, but a force shaping the future of it.

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It first starts with the ability to understand who’s listening. The contextual and semantic part of how someone consumes audio allows you to really say, ‘Here’s what this person might be interested in.’ Being able to create the signal is the biggest innovation that I think has to happen in order for audio to be really understood in a way where brands are utilizing it as part of their media mix. And it’s not an add-on to digital—audio subsumes digital. It’s more prolific in terms of the signaling. And so you can actually think about it as the most upper-funnel and the most lower-funnel. And there really isn’t a format today that, I think, does well (like audio).”

- Sherene Hilal on the biggest innovation in the programmatic audio space

Maximizing Ad Spend Through Smarter Measurement

There’s no denying it: Economic headwinds have got marketing budgets under tight scrutiny. And when cuts are on the horizon, it isn’t just important that your dollar works harder. Your budget also has to work smarter. At Advertising Week New York, our own Sona Cederquist, Senior Director of Ad Effectiveness, joined some of the greatest minds in the industry to show how smarter measurement can help marketers do exactly that.

She hit the Innovation Stage alongside Lauren Manning (SVP, Global Data & Measurement, Cint), Allison McDuffee (Global Head of Brand Insights & Measurement, Roblox), and Neala Brown (SVP, Strategy & Insights, Teads) for a conversation moderated by Kerry Flynn, Media Reporter at Axios. Together, they explored how measurement tools connect data, build confidence, and prove impact when it matters most.

The biggest takeaway from the panel was that better measurement is an absolute must for marketers seeking future-proof (and economy-proof) media mixes. With AI, technology, and automation driving better insights and faster optimization, it’s possible to do more than weather financial headwinds—you can use them to move forward.

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We look at advertiser campaigns at a very granular and distinct level, because we want to provide those detailed insights on every type of creative execution. Because a lot of work goes into these creatives and these audiences and these media plans. But then we also want to look at it more holistically. So then we can take all of that data, combine it, and create a more holistic view of how your brand is performing, how your marketing is, and who your audiences are.”

- Sona Cederquist on balancing short-term initiatives versus long-term initiatives

Building Authentic Connections in Audio

Every great story starts somewhere—and for Nicole Ryan, it began at the front desk. At The Female Quotient Lounge during Advertising Week New York, the Morning Mash Up host from SiriusXM Hits 1 sat down with Maggie Mitchell, our SVP and Head of Communications, for an honest, funny, and surprisingly relatable conversation about her journey from receptionist to one of pop culture’s most recognizable voices.

Nicole got candid about what it really takes to build long-lasting, meaningful connections with listeners—she and Maggie discussed the importance of authenticity, humor, and personality in a space as fast-paced and unpredictable as a SiriusXM show.

The highlight and best advice from their conversation for brands was about leveraging the same level of authenticity and honesty in their messaging and media strategy to keep the wins rolling in. They also discussed how, with the launch of SiriusXM Play, our new ad-supported tier, brands can tap into that connection in fresh ways. Because in audio, being real isn’t optional—it’s everything.

The TL;DR on Our Time at Advertising Week New York 2025

If there was one theme that echoed through every stage, lounge, and dinner table at Advertising Week New York, it was this: connection drives everything. Whether it’s through data that brings clarity, stories that spark emotion, or voices that open doors for others, the future of media belongs to those who stay curious and stay human.

At SiriusXM Media, we’re proud to be part of that future. We’re committed to helping brands listen closer, think smarter, and connect more authentically with their audiences. Because in a landscape that’s constantly evolving, one thing remains true: when you build with audio, you build with impact.

Ready to get started? Let’s chat.