Eventers was on the ground at POSSIBLE 2025. Among the many standout sessions this week, Gary Vaynerchuk’s was so far a highlight. Opting for a fast-paced Q&A format, he blended sharp critique with practical insight, challenging the industry’s growing disconnect from how audiences actually consume content today. His message was clear: it’s time to rethink how we define creative effectiveness, media investment, and success in a marketing world that now moves at the speed of relevance.
Rethinking the Role of Paid Media
At the heart of Vaynerchuk’s perspective is a belief that paid media has become a crutch — used less to scale strong creative and more to prop up work that hasn’t earned attention on its own. He advocated for a fundamental shift: brands should only invest in paid once a piece of content has demonstrated its relevance through organic performance.
This model, already in place across many of his ventures, flips the traditional campaign approach. It demands that marketers take more creative risks upfront and use organic reach as a benchmark before allocating budgets. As he put it:
“There’s zero reason to spend media dollars amplifying creative that hasn’t already worked organically.”
The Rise of Interest-Driven Distribution
Social media, he argued, is no longer about who you follow — it’s about what you care about. Platforms are prioritising relevance over relationships, making it possible for any brand, regardless of size or audience, to earn visibility if their content strikes the right chord.
This evolution presents both a threat and an opportunity. It erodes the advantage of scale but opens the door to newcomers who understand platform dynamics and can move quickly. For established brands, it requires a recalibration of what it means to be influential online.
Measuring What Matters
In an environment where distribution is driven by relevance, Vaynerchuk emphasised the need to redefine what “good creative” looks like. Rather than relying on subjective assessments or legacy frameworks, he pointed to earned reach as the only metric that truly matters.
The call to action was not just about making better ads — it was about producing more of them. He highlighted the mismatch between how much brands still invest in traditional production versus how little they put toward building a consistent, agile presence across digital platforms.
Preparing for What’s Next
Looking beyond the present, Vaynerchuk discussed trends he believes will soon become central to the marketing landscape — most notably, AI-generated influencers and live social shopping. In both cases, he encouraged marketers to engage early, not as a speculative bet, but as a practical step towards staying ahead of the curve.
He noted that much of this technology is already in use — audiences just haven’t realised it yet. The challenge, he said, is not whether these shifts will happen, but whether brands will be ready when they do.
Implications for Agencies
Vaynerchuk also addressed the agency world, urging those in the room to focus less on winning awards and more on delivering results. He spoke about the importance of continuity, internal culture, and truth-telling — even when it comes at a short-term cost.
In his view, agencies need to evolve from being reactive service providers to proactive partners, helping brands navigate a fast-changing environment with speed and clarity.
In Summary
Gary Vaynerchuk’s session was a pointed reminder that the fundamentals of marketing are shifting — and many in the industry haven’t caught up. As platforms become more algorithmic and audiences more selective, the ability to produce content that earns attention organically will be critical. For both brands and agencies, this means questioning legacy models, investing more in digital-native production, and adopting a mindset that favours iteration over perfection.