In this Talks With Teads conversation, Melissa Gordon-Ring of IPG Mediabrands shares how her team is embracing experimentation while staying rooted in measurable outcomes. She highlights a shift toward calculated risk, flexible partnerships, and a deeper understanding of how audiences consume content across platforms.
Key Insights
Thoughtful Risk Fuels Growth
Melissa describes a renewed energy across her organization, built on “thoughtful risk taking.” For her, risk isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about making informed decisions that help the team learn, stretch, and push one another into new territory. She stresses that growth comes from trying bold ideas while keeping a clear eye on objectives and performance.
Testing Drives Discovery
Melissa is a strong advocate for continuous testing. “We have to test all the things,” she explains, noting that experimentation is essential for identifying what truly resonates. She values partners who provide the flexibility to try new formats at scale, allowing her team to gather real-time feedback and pivot quickly when needed. This agile approach helps uncover opportunities that a rigid plan might miss.
Data and Content Keep Expanding
With more data than any team could possibly use and an ever-growing supply of content, Melissa sees a chance to create specialized, bespoke solutions. She believes the future belongs to marketers who can harness this abundance to deliver tailored experiences. “At some point there’s going to be more content than ever,” she says, pointing to the need for strategies that cut through the noise.
Innovation Meets Regulation
Even the most exciting creative ideas must pass through medical, legal, and regulatory review. Melissa acknowledges that this can slow the process but insists it’s a critical step. True innovation, she says, means finding ways to meet compliance requirements without losing momentum or creative edge.
Flexibility as a Competitive Advantage
Melissa also highlights the importance of partners who can adapt quickly. Whether it’s adopting new creative formats or measuring emerging metrics like attention, she looks for collaborators who can help her team act on insights in real time. That flexibility allows IPG Mediabrands to stay ahead as consumer behavior evolves.
For more insights from industry leaders, explore our Talks With Teads series.