DMEXCO

This week, DMEXCO was on tour with two strong stops in Cologne! 🙌

First at Shopware Community Day at Confex Koelnmesse GmbH, then at Ecommerce Day by Kaufland at RheinEnergie AG Stadion.

Our colleagues Lena Pletzinger and Pascal Palt met the commerce community, caught up with our cooperation partner Laura Kremer and joined several conversations. Thanks for the good exchanges! 🚀

September is getting closer. 👀

See you at DMEXCO 2026.

The biggest winner of the 2026 World Cup so far: The TV. 📺
75 % of fans plan to watch Germany’s matches on television. Are you one of them?

But that's not the only takeaway from our latest study with Civey:
👥 41 % say watching together with others is the most important part of the experience.
📱 More than half of viewers are likely to put their smartphones aside during the 90 minutes of play.
🏟️ Only 6 % currently plan to watch Germany's matches at public viewing events.

While feeds get faster and attention spans get shorter, football still manages to do something few media experiences can: Bring millions of people together at the same moment.
And among those who do use a second screen, nearly half use it to deepen the experience with stats, clips and football-related content.

That's just the first half. Read the full study via the link in comments. ⚽️

"You can't control the market, but you can control your ex*****on."
A strong reminder from our conversation with flaconi CEO Bastian Siebers at DMEXCO.

While many companies focus on trends, competitors, and the latest AI hype, sustainable growth still comes down to fundamentals: excellent ex*****on, strong teams, and deep customer relationships.

AI may change the tools we use, but it won't replace the importance of understanding customers and delivering on promises.

💬 What do you think will be the biggest competitive advantage in commerce over the next 5 years: AI, customer loyalty, or something else?

Performance marketing is changing fast. 👀

Less data, more automation and more AI raise one big question: how can brands still make performance transparent, measurable and trusted?

For René Roth, Managing Director of our new NexXt Business Performance & Partner Marketing Lounge powered by Oliro GmbH​​, this is exactly the kind of conversation that belongs at .

Because the future of performance marketing will not be shaped by tools alone. It needs clear strategies, open debate and real people in the room. 🤝

Thanks for the great perspective, we can't wait to see you in Cologne! 🚀

💡 Two industries, one destination.

Our DMEXCO Marketing Lead Eva and our colleague Cornelia, Marketing Lead at gamescom, headed to SXSW London to explore what’s next for marketing, gaming, technology, and culture.

Our biggest takeaway? The best ideas happen when different perspectives, experiences, and communities come together - especially at a time when AI is reshaping how people interact, live experiences are becoming more valuable, and creative thinking is emerging as one of the most important skills for the future. 🤝

That spirit of collaboration, curiosity, and cross-industry exchange was one of the defining aspects of our time in London. ✨

A big thank you to everyone we met. We’re looking forward to continuing the conversation in Cologne at DMEXCO26 on September 23-24. 📍🙌

An evening celebrating the people shaping our industry. ✨

This week, Berlin brought together some of the most influential voices in marketing, media and communications for the HORIZONT Awards 2026.

Congratulations to this year’s winners:
👏 Kim Notz, CEO of KNSK
👏 Christian Schmalzl, former Co-CEO of Ströer
👏 Christoph Werner, Chairman of the Management Board at dm-drogerie markt

Three leaders recognized not only for business success, but for their ability to drive transformation, provide direction and shape the future of our industry.

A big thank you as well to Eva-Maria Schmidt and Catrin Bialek for guiding the evening.