NXTGEN Agency Summit 2025: Recapping the Stage of the Future
A DMEXCO column by Paulina Schumann and Timo Sander on the highlights of the NXTGEN Agency Summit 2025 at this year's DMEXCO.
The NXTGEN Agency Summit 2025 as a barometer for the industry
DMEXCO 2025 showed once again why the NXTGEN Agency Summit has become a must-attend event for the industry. What started out as an experiment has now turned into something like the agency world’s self-help group: caught between the AI hype, the social-first dogma, and the immortal question: “Do we even need humans for this anymore?” This year the stage was more packed than ever: eight keynotes, eight panels, brands from Ford to Douglas to Vodafone, plus a lineup of up-and-coming start-ups.
AI dominates feeds—humans remain the ace up the sleeve
The program kicked off in fitting style with “AI or DIE.” Right from the start, discussions circled around whether agencies can even survive in the age of AI, and how much of our feeds will soon be dominated by generated content. The answer: pretty heavily, even if people keep insisting that human touch still makes a decisive difference. Meanwhile, another long-running topic sparked debate: good old segmentation. Neil from Play the Hype explained why consumer “milieus” are about as contemporary as graphic stills on TikTok.
Social first, TikTok power, and the eternal clash between media and creation
The Social First panel drew a big crowd. Suki (Alchemy), Marie (Huth + Wenzel), Pascal (charles & charlotte), and Holger from Ford discussed whether social-first agencies will set the tone in the future. The answer remained the usual: “It depends.” But one thing was clear: brands have finally understood that TikTok is far more than just a platform for dance videos. Today, brands are created and built on social. By the way, the authors of this article, Paulina and Timo, are firmly Team Social First: not because it’s some universal truth, but mostly because that’s how we pay our rent.
Another highlight: Media vs. Creative. Panels like “Creatives vs. Media Planners” or “Breaking Down Silos” felt more like couples therapy. The point was to finally work on solutions together, instead of sitting in meetings with arms crossed. The fact that we still need panels for this just goes to show how high the walls between media and creative still are.
From creator power to “F*ck the logo”: brands are rethinking social media
The topic of creator content naturally had its place too: from travel influencers to agencies to creator-managements and brands, the debate centered on whether creator relations should be handled in-house or outsourced. When it came to sponsorships, Vodafone and Borussia Dortmund (BVB) presented one of the year’s most talked-about cases: the red logo on the yellow jersey that first sparked outrage and later excitement. Fittingly, there was also a panel titled “F*ck the Logo” that made the case for why experiences matter more today than a logo on a stadium advertising board. Social commerce got its share of attention as well, showing how feeds are turning into shopping malls (whether we like it or not). Douglas, TikTok, and others offered sharp insights into how scrolling is increasingly becoming shopping. For dessert came the Start-up Specials: Wyrld showcased virtual shopping, Henriette from KIDDINX explained the success of Bibi Blocksberg on TikTok and Hitschies revealed how their “Drachenzungen” candy became the hype product of the year.
NXTGEN Agency Summit 2025: Meeting place for the future of agencies
The NXTGEN Agency Summit is long past being just another stage. It has become a meeting point where the industry renegotiates its future. Between provocative theses, inspiring minds, and spontaneous debates, an energy emerged that you rarely find at other events. Sometimes it was about practical questions, other times about grand visions. That mix is exactly what makes it so compelling. And honestly: Eko Fresh alone would have been worth the ticket.
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Timo has found the answer to the new social-first reality with the agency JUSTADDSUGAR and helps major brands such as REWE and congstar achieve real growth through social media. The more than 110 Sugars see themselves as creative social all-rounders and bring everything a brand needs in social media to the table.
