Making Sense conference

Making Sense is a marketing conference that brings relevant, future-shaping topics to Estonia and puts them into a context that matters to local marketers. The stage features international experts who have worked with leading global brands and spoken at some of the industry’s biggest events, including Cannes Lions and Global Marketer Week.

The conference brings together business and agency leaders, marketing teams, creatives, and anyone who wants to understand what’s changing in the industry – and where those changes are taking us.

This year, the focus is on transformation and growth: how to create measurable impact at a time when the economy, technology, customer behaviour, and trust are all shifting. We’ll explore marketing effectiveness from a broader perspective, new agency models, the balance between brand and performance marketing, AI, and the current economic climate.

The day will be hosted by Kaidi-Kerli Kärner.

The day will wrap up with the Tulimust Awards, celebrating the most effective marketing work of the year.

09:00-09:50 Arrival, Breakfast and Networking

09:50-10:00 Welcome by Anniken Haldna, CEO of TULI

10:00-10:30 Mihkel Nestor (Chief Economist, SEB)

Topic: Economic Reality Check: The Environment Marketing Must Navigate to Drive Growth

If you look at the statistics, the Estonian economy isn’t doing all that badly. But ask people how they feel about it, and you might get a very different picture. Why are Estonians so pessimistic about the economy – and what impact does that pessimism have on the economy itself?

10:30-11:00 Asad Dhunna (CEO, The Unmistakables)

Topic: The Business of Relevance

Why reducing organisational lag is marketing’s next competitive advantage. Markets are changing faster than most organisations can keep up. Customer expectations, technology, demographics and culture are constantly evolving, yet many businesses continue to make decisions based on outdated assumptions.

The result is organisational lag: the widening gap between how the world works and how organisations operate .In this keynote, Asad Dhunna explores why relevance has become marketing’s greatest competitive advantage and shares a practical framework for helping organisations spot change earlier, make better decisions and unlock sustainable growth.

11:00-11:35 Johan Bryngelson (Head of Group Brand and Marketing, Swedbank)

Topic: Everything Is Changing. Nothing Has Changed.

Everything is changing faster than ever. New technologies, new customer expectations, and new ways of engaging with brands are reshaping the landscape every day. Yet the fundamentals remain the same: trust, relevance, and consistency are still the foundations of every strong brand. 

In this keynote, Johan Bryngelson explores how Swedbank navigate constant change without losing sight of what truly drives long-term growth.

11:35-11:50 Fireside Chat with Johan Bryngelson

11:50-12:05 Coffee Break

12:05-12:35 Albert Sten and Roshanak Fatahian (Forsman & Bodenfors)

Topic: How Human Perspectives and Non-human Perception Unlock Creativity

Distinctive brands aren’t born from consensus. They’re born from a deep understanding of the consumer and the courage to let that understanding challenge your own perspective. 

Roshanak Fatahian and Albert Sten of Forsman & Bodenfors show how human perspectives and non-human perception together create the friction that forces genuinely original ideas.

12:35-13:05 Lisse Mastenbroek (Director of Strategy, DEPT®)

Topic: The Rise of B2A

The new customer journey is now half human, half AI. Brands have two audiences — one human, one algorithmic — and you need to market to both. She calls it B2A: business to agent. Influence the agents through generative engine optimization, equip them with AI-native design systems, and connect to them through distributed applications.

13:05-14:00 Lunch and Networking

14:00-14:30 Fiona McArthur (EMEA Chief Growth Officer, Dentsu Creative)

Topic: The New Agency Model

Clients say agencies are central to their success, yet two thirds agree agencies undervalue their own work in how they charge. Drawing on the latest industry research and thinking, this talk discusses why selling effort loses in the age of AI, and how agencies can package their thinking and build models that reward impact.

14:30-15:00 Panel Discussion: The New Agency Model in Estonia

Speakers: Sandra Ollik (Sweep), Pärtel Vurma (Velvet) ja Birgit Karus (Realist).

15:00-15:30 Janne Waltonen (Global Marketing Lead, Ex-Supercell) 

Topic: The Perks of Failure

Building marketing teams that learn faster than they fear. Marketing runs on uncertainty, yet most teams are built to avoid being wrong. The result is quiet fear: of the failed campaign, the missed target, the difficult conversation with an agency. That fear is expensive, because it slows decisions, hides problems and kills the experiments that lead to real breakthroughs.

He will cover how to learn from failure and uncertainty in practice, how to build and sustain a team culture that stays positive when things go wrong, how marketers can stop working from fear, and how it leads to wins in business, relationships, and award shows.

15:30-16:00 Amy Kean (CEO, Good Shout)

Topic: A Robot Could Never

The amazing thing about the future is that we get to create it, together. Rather than being passive recipients of technology, we can pick and choose the best bits that complement – rather than replace – our humanity. And when it comes to marketing, people’s love for stories and depth, surprise and magic will never disappear. 

In this session, social psychologist Amy Kean explores the relationship between emotion and imagination, and why it’s so powerful in the process of making. Drawing inspiration from an Egyptian mathematician, Sinead O’Connor, and a brilliantly disturbing Australian horror film, she’ll highlight what’s unique about being human and why this messiness can’t be lost in the pursuit of real creativity. 

16:00-16:30 Break

16:30-18:00 Tulimust Effectiveness Awards Ceremony

The first speakers are:

• Asad Dhunna | CEO, The Unmistakables

Asad is Founder and CEO of The Unmistakables, an award-winning B Corp consultancy working with organisations to stay culturally relevant, commercially resilient, and trusted in a rapidly shifting world.

The firm partners with leaders to turn inclusion into strategic advantage, building relevance with employees, customers, and communities. He advises businesses including Greene King, Informa, London Marathon Group, Mother, TikTok, Uber, and Unilever.

Previously he held roles across Omnicom and IPG agencies including FleishmanHillard and
Weber Shandwick, working on accounts such as Netflix and Microsoft, and in-house at Triptease and Pride in London. Asad is also a Governor at the University of Brighton, contributing to its strategy to becoming radically relevant.

Topic: The Business of Relevance

Why reducing organisational lag is marketing’s next competitive advantage. Markets are changing faster than most organisations can keep up. Customer expectations, technology, demographics and culture are constantly evolving, yet many businesses continue to make decisions based on outdated assumptions.

The result is organisational lag: the widening gap between how the world works and how organisations operate .In this keynote, Asad Dhunna explores why relevance has become marketing’s greatest competitive advantage and shares a practical framework for helping organisations spot change earlier, make better decisions and unlock sustainable growth.

• Roshanak Fatahian | Head of DEI, Forsman & Bodenfors; Co-founder, All of Us

Roshanak Fatahian is co-founder of the award-winning inclusion network All of Us and head of DEI at Forsman & Bodenfors. Her background spans communications, tech and business, working with clients such as the Swedish Armed Forces, Klarna, Willys, Wasa, Vattenfall, Supercell and H&M. She has been named one of the most influential marketers of the decade in Sweden.

Topic: How Human Perspectives and Non-human Perception Unlock Creativity (Together With Albert Sten)

Distinctive brands aren’t born from consensus. They’re born from a deep understanding of the consumer and the courage to let that understanding challenge your own perspective. Roshanak Fatahian and Albert Sten of Forsman & Bodenfors show how human perspectives and non-human perception together create the friction that forces genuinely original ideas.

• Mihkel Nestor | Chief Economist, SEB

Mihkel Nestor has been keeping a close eye on the Estonian economy as an Economic Analyst at SEB since 2015. His job is to make sense of what’s happening in the economy and help both the bank and its clients turn that insight into better business decisions. He also co-hosts Nestor & Koppel – Estonia’s most popular economics podcast – with his former colleague Peeter Koppel.

Topic: Economic Reality Check: The Environment Marketing Must Navigate to Drive Growth 

If you look at the statistics, the Estonian economy isn’t doing all that badly. But ask people how they feel about it, and you might get a very different picture. Why are Estonians so pessimistic about the economy – and what impact does that pessimism have on the economy itself?

• Albert Sten | Head of AI and Creative Innovation, Forsman & Bodenfors

Albert Sten leads AI and Creative Innovation at Forsman & Bodenfors, developing and implementing AI capabilities across the agency. His background is rooted in culture and creative practice, spanning nearly a decade in photography, arts, and visual & media anthropology. He has worked for global brands including Puma, Breitling and Porsche, and lectures on the master’s program in Artificial Intelligence & Societies at Media University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.

Topic: How Human Perspectives and Non-human Perception Unlock Creativity (Together With Roshanak Fatahian)

Distinctive brands aren’t born from consensus. They’re born from a deep understanding of the consumer and the courage to let that understanding challenge your own perspective. Roshanak Fatahian and Albert Sten of Forsman & Bodenfors show how human perspectives and non-human perception together create the friction that forces genuinely original ideas.

• Janne Waltonen | Global Marketing Lead, Ex-Supercell

Janne Waltonen is an international marketer with extensive experience across gaming, sport and consumer brands. He began his career in dotcom startups and has since worked on nearly every side of the marketing ecosystem, through several market upheavals.

Most recently, he was Global Marketing Lead at Supercell, where he oversaw global marketing for selected games and services and led the company’s in-house influencer marketing transformation. During his time there, Supercell won two Cannes Lions Grand Prix, among other accolades.

Earlier, he spent a decade at WPP, working with clients including Airbus, Danone, Nestlé, TUI and Unilever, and later worked in Formula 1 sports marketing. Janne is passionate about behavioural targeting, strong marketer–agency relationships and inevitable change.

Topic: The Perks of Failure

Building marketing teams that learn faster than they fear. Marketing runs on uncertainty, yet most teams are built to avoid being wrong. The result is quiet fear: of the failed campaign, the missed target, the difficult conversation with an agency. That fear is expensive, because it slows decisions, hides problems and kills the experiments that lead to real breakthroughs.

He will cover how to learn from failure and uncertainty in practice, how to build and sustain a team culture that stays positive when things go wrong, how marketers can stop working from fear, and how it leads to wins in business, relationships, and award shows.

• Amy Kean | CEO, Good Shout

Amy Kean is not a robot. As CEO of L&D company Good Shout, she helps people find and use their voice with confidence, regardless of their gender, ethnicity or social background.

A playwright and poet, she’s also the bestselling author of The Little Girl Who Gave Zero Fucks, called a “feminist handbook” by Glamour, and host of the Unlikable Woman podcast, where she talks to the women changing the world and annoying the world at the same time.

Before going out on her own, Amy spent fifteen years shaping strategy and leading innovation for some of advertising’s biggest names, including Publicis, Havas, Mindshare and Coty. She’s also co-founder of DICE, a non-profit helping event organisers build more inclusive lineups, and has taught media strategy at Bournemouth University and the history of the creative industries at Kingston. Whatever medium she chooses, it’s Amy’s job to make people laugh and feel seen at the same time.

Topic: A Robot Could Never

The amazing thing about the future is that we get to create it, together. Rather than being passive recipients of technology, we can pick and choose the best bits that complement – rather than replace – our humanity. And when it comes to marketing, people’s love for stories and depth, surprise and magic will never disappear. 

In this session, social psychologist Amy Kean explores the relationship between emotion and imagination, and why it’s so powerful in the process of making. Drawing inspiration from an Egyptian mathematician, Sinead O’Connor, and a brilliantly disturbing Australian horror film, she’ll highlight what’s unique about being human and why this messiness can’t be lost in the pursuit of real creativity.

• Johan Bryngelson | Head of Group Brand and Marketing, Swedbank

Johan Bryngelson is Head of Group Brand and Marketing at Swedbank, one of the leading banks in Northern Europe. He leads the group’s brand, marketing and sponsorship for Swedbank.

Johan is responsible for building customer trust, strengthening brand performance, and ensuring a consistent and relevant customer experience across the group’s markets. With a strong focus on marketing effectiveness and customer-centric growth, he has led several transformation initiatives aimed at modernising marketing capabilities, simplifying ways of working, and creating stronger brand experiences at scale.

Johan is passionate about building distinctive brands and believes that long-term business success is created when brand, customer experience, and commercial performance work together.

Topic: Everything Is Changing. Nothing Has Changed.

Everything is changing faster than ever. New technologies, new customer expectations, and new ways of engaging with brands are reshaping the landscape every day. Yet the fundamentals remain the same: trust, relevance, and consistency are still the foundations of every strong brand.

In this keynote, Johan Bryngelson explores how Swedbank navigate constant change without losing sight of what truly drives long-term growth.

• Lisse Mastenbroek | Director of Strategy, DEPT®

Lisse Mastenbroek is the Director of Strategy at DEPT®, where she partners with leading local and global brands to define and realize their strategic North Star.

Grounded in an MSc in behavioral economics, her passion for strategy began as a brand strategist at J. Walter Thompson before she expanded her scope as an innovation consultant at PwC in South East Asia. Today, she connects and oversees the full spectrum of strategy disciplines across DEPT®.

Throughout her career, she has transformed digital businesses and customer experiences for industry leaders including Lufthansa, Ahold, Foot Locker, NN, and Oliver Wyman. Her current focus centers on guiding organizations through AI transformations and shaping the future of half-human, half-AI customer journeys.

She strongly believes that true innovation happens by breaking down the traditional silos between technology and marketing, finding the sweet spot where human-centered solutions drive business growth.

Topic: The Rise of B2A

The new customer journey is now half human, half AI. Brands have two audiences — one human, one algorithmic — and you need to market to both. She calls it B2A: business to agent. Influence the agents through generative engine optimization, equip them with AI-native design systems, and connect to them through distributed applications.

• Fiona McArthur | EMEA Chief Growth Officer, Dentsu Creative

Fiona McArthur is Chief Growth Officer at Dentsu Creative and Chair of the EACA Creative Agency Council. She has spent her entire career working agency side — across indies, holdcos and networks — and two decades in, that range is exactly what fuels her: a first-hand view of how creativity and commercial ambition play out differently depending on the size, structure and culture of the business around them.

What hasn’t changed across any of those settings is what drives her — people and creativity. Fiona believes the two are inseparable: that the best commercial outcomes come from cultures where people are genuinely backed to do their boldest work, and that creativity only thrives when it’s treated as a business priority, not a nice-to-have. She’s built her career around that belief — designing the structures, teams and cultures that let both flourish — and she’s energised by what’s next: how AI, new talent and new ways of working will reshape the industry, while keeping creativity and people firmly at the centre of it.

Topic: The New Agency Model

Clients say agencies are central to their success, yet two thirds agree agencies undervalue their own work in how they charge. Drawing on the latest industry research and thinking, this talk discusses why selling effort loses in the age of AI, and how agencies can package their thinking and build models that reward impact.

Estonian Marketing Association member ticket 125 €+VAT
Student ticket (with a valid student card) 125 €+VAT
General ticket 155 €+VAT

The ticket will include snacks, coffee, lunch, and the award ceremony of the effectiveness competition Tulimust which will be held at the end conference. 

The conference is co-financed by the European Union.Within three financial years, every Estonian company has the right to apply for up to 300,000 euros of state aid. For one company participating in the conference, up to 800 euros of minor aid is calculated which is reduced from those 300,000 euros. Read more.