Associate Director, Marketing
This year, I had the opportunity to attend AFROTECH on behalf of the Black Ascender Affinity Group, an Inclusion Resource Group at Ascendion . Every session offered perspectives that pushed my thinking and expanded my understanding of where marketing and technology are headed. Still, one session in particular stood out. It grounded me, challenged me, and reaffirmed the marketing instincts I’ve been building for nearly a decade.
As one of the largest multicultural tech conferences in the world, AfroTech brings together Black innovators, technologists, creators, founders, and leaders across marketing, engineering, venture capital, product, and culture. It’s a place where community, creativity, and innovation converge. Conversations about the future are rooted in lived experience and real industry movement.
One of the sessions that resonated the most was “Marketing to the New Consumer” led by Gabrielle Wesley, CMO of Mars Wrigley North America. Her point of view captured something many marketers may have sensed for a while: people today look for purpose, honesty, and connection, not just another product with a clever campaign.
Here are the themes that stood out, and why they matter for marketers aiming to build influence in 2026 and beyond.
Gabrielle Wesley and Arielle Poteau on the Blavity satage at Afro Tech 2025 durinng their session “Marketing to the New Consummer”
“I am obsessed with being consumer obsessed.”
By opening with this principle, Gabrielle set the stage for the session.
With Mars Wrigley North America currently serving five generations of consumers, the message was clear: you can’t market effectively without understanding how people actually behave—what they value, how they spend, what they’re motivated by, how they change, and why.
Embracing this mindset requires four essential traits:
These are the same qualities that guide my own marketing and social strategy work. Adaptability helps with quick adjustments when platforms or audience expectations shift. Agility balances immediate execution with long-term brand building without losing momentum. Curiosity fuels everything from trend exploration to cultural research to understanding how different generations engage online. Objectivity protects work from personal bias and keeps decisions tied to evidence rather than assumptions.
Because audience behavior changes rapidly, a consumer-focused approach remains central to effective marketing.
When asked how she protects creativity in a data-driven world, Gabrielle answered without hesitation.
“It is an art and a science. It is an and, not an or.”
Marketers often feel they need to choose between following the data or trusting their creative instincts. However, both matter. High-performing brands notice the early cues and determine what truly stands the test of time.
Data helps enhance creativity; it doesn’t stifle it. This “art plus science” approach defines the direction of modern marketing.
The session made it evident that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are rewriting the rules of influence, and their expectations are nothing like the generations before them. Understanding these differences is important for anyone shaping marketing strategies today.
“Gen Z and Gen Alpha do not trust brands. They trust people.”
The new generations of consumers can spot inauthenticity immediately. They prefer human voices over brand voices. They engage with creators, not corporations. To truly understand them, you cannot make assumptions. Instead, it requires a deep dive. Gabrielle looks closely at what younger audiences are viewing, follows the content they follow, pays attention to what they consume, and studies what they say matters to them. The goal isn’t to copy their behavior, but to understand it..
I see the same patterns in my own work. The most successful content is rooted in real storytelling, real voices, and real moments. It is why creator partnerships work, why authenticity matters, and why brands that refuse to evolve will lose relevance with the generations shaping the future of culture and technology.
Rather than chasing trends, modern marketers need to understand people. This calls for humility, cultural fluency, and a willingness to listen before speaking.
The session also explored leadership in today’s era, especially for those who often feel like “the only one” in the room. The old mindset of “do the work until you become a leader” is outdated. Now, leadership begins immediately: observing other leaders, learning their habits, consistently showcasing leadership, using your voice for good when you enter a room, and performing in line with the role you aspire to.
When you’re one of the few, it’s easy to shrink back or feel pressured to represent everyone who isn’t in the room. Instead, hold onto this powerful mantra Gabrielle shared: “I belong. I am supposed to be here. I have a unique point of view.”
One thread ran through the entire conversation: consumers expect brands to show up with purpose, act with authenticity, and build with intention.
Marketing today depends on work that is:
The next stage of brand building is defined by meaning, rather than visibility. This shift is already influencing how campaigns resonate and how influence is built.
AfroTech reaffirmed my thoughts on modern marketing: curiosity, courage, culture, and connection will shape the way forward and marketing is strongest when trust, cultural, and intentional leadership come together.
Associate Director, Marketing
Essence Smith is Associate Director of Marketing at Ascendion, where she heads social media and partner platforms across global markets. With deep expertise in digital storytelling and executive visibility, she leads campaigns that strengthen Ascendion’s position as an AI powered engineering company. Her experience includes roles at other large tech companies such as Microsoft and IBM, where she contributed to strategic marketing initiatives supporting enterprise leaders and global teams. Essence is passionate about purposeful storytelling, cultural fluency, and marketing that builds community, elevates voices, and drives meaningful business impact.
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