Industry leaders shared insights on AI, partner ecosystems, and platform-driven marketing strategies
Ansira Partners, Inc. (“Ansira”), the platform of record for brand-to-local ecosystems, hosted The Channel Effect, its sixth annual client summit, from February 23-25, 2026. The event brought together senior marketing leaders from across Ansira’s diverse client community to explore the evolving landscape of partner and channel marketing.
The annual event provides a forum for brands to exchange insights, learn from industry experts, and explore new strategies to improve marketing performance across complex partner ecosystems. A hallmark of the summit is the opportunity for marketing leaders to learn not only from thought leaders but also from peers across multiple industries including automotive, beverage alcohol, insurance and financial services, franchise, healthcare, hotels, travel and hospitality, manufacturing, QSR, retail, technology, and telecommunications.
“The Channel Effect continues to demonstrate the power of bringing our clients together,” said Ansira CEO Paul Tibbitt. “When marketing leaders from different industries share experiences, challenges, and successes in one room, it sparks ideas and strategies that extend far beyond the event itself. The insights exchanged during these few days often influence initiatives and innovation throughout the year.”
This year’s event welcomed leading brands including American Family Insurance, Auto-Owners Insurance, Bosch, Bobcat Company, CASE, Ciena, Cisco, COUNTRY Financial, Crunch Fitness, Dave & Buster’s, Dell Technologies, ECHO Incorporated, Edward Jones, Erie Insurance Group, Four Roses Distillery, Generac, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Hyundai Motor Company, Jacuzzi Group, LG, Luxco, McKesson, Microsoft, Moet Hennessy, Motorola Solutions, Nissan Motor Corporation, Northwestern Mutual, Ole Smoky Distillery, OneSource Consulting, Pella, Prudential Financial, Red Wing Shoe Co., Rheem Manufacturing, Riboli Family Wines, Sage, ServiceNow, Sharp Electronics Corporation, Sonesta International Hotels, Splunk, Starkey Hearing, State Farm, Tempur Sealy, and Ultra Mobile.
Industry Perspectives on Human Intelligence and AI in Media
Attendees heard from leading industry voices on how marketing is evolving as artificial intelligence and human expertise work together to shape modern strategies.
Keynote speaker Omar Johnson, former CMO at Beats by Dre and former VP, Marketing at Apple, emphasized the value of human intelligence in marketing. Johnson highlighted how judgement, domain expertise, and tribal knowledge – insights built through experience and cultural understanding – remain areas AI cannot fully replicate, providing opportunity for brands to become more human in how they understand context, behavior, language, and nuance to build authentic connections with consumers.
Guest speaker Nikhil Lai, Principal Analyst at Forrester, shared perspectives on how AI is reshaping the approach to media and marketing for brands and local rooftops. Lai discussed the broader shift toward AI-powered brand-to-local programs while Ansira experts shared how they are applying AI across organic search, buying, and strategy.
Real-World Brand-to-Local Insights
Throughout the three-day event, attendees received practical insights into how brands are evolving their marketing strategies across complex partner ecosystems through panel discussions and real-world success stories from Ansira clients.
Sessions covered topics including:
- Driving revenue through platform-driven marketing strategies
- Creating regional and local marketing synergy
- Empowering partners through eLearning and enablement content
- The role of flexible technology platforms in brand-to-local ecosystems
- Strategies for engaging long-tail partners
- Improving end-user engagement
- Leveraging data and analytics at every stage of marketing actions
- Practical approaches for applying AI
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