CANNES — AI is transforming the media landscape, but for publisher Future the combination of data, editorial expertise, and passionate communities is creating new opportunities for both consumers and brands.
“AI is definitely reshaping the publisher landscape,” Matt Trotta, senior vice president of commercial at Future, said in this interview with Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Future, which operates more than 250 specialist media brands, sees AI not as a threat, but as a catalyst for better discovery, stronger ad performance and deeper commerce connections.
“It’s a win-win opportunity,” Trotta said. “It’s a win for the consumer because we’re creating all this incredible editorial content and now we’re able to leverage more discovery. And it’s a win for partners and brands because AI is helping us get stronger with our ad performance and our e-commerce business.”
AI advisor and evolution of content categorization
Future recently launched AI Advisor, a proprietary content categorization engine designed to enhance ad targeting and performance by diving deeper into the platform’s editorial content.
“It allows us to go so much deeper within the editorial content that our writers are creating day in and day out and leverage that for the performance we work on with brands,” Trotta said.
While AI began as a tool for efficiency, Trotta said brands are increasingly interested in exploring its creative potential.
“It started as an efficiency play, but we’re seeing more and more brands leaning in, wanting to understand large language models like ChatGPT and figuring out how they become a part of it,” he said.
Purchase intent, first-party data
Future’s strength lies in serving highly engaged, purchase-driven audiences across categories like technology, automotive, fashion and home appliances. As consumer concerns about rising costs drive more urgent purchase decisions, Future’s editorial content, ranging from expert reviews on Tom’s Guide to product comparisons on Who What Wear, positions the company uniquely in the funnel.
“Our first-party data has always stood out to partners,” Trotta emphasized, highlighting the company’s Aperture platform, which powers targeted campaigns. “You’re going to see more announcements from us soon around the next evolution of that, taking into account AI Advisor and all the work we’re doing in the AI space.”
Connecting passionate communities to brands
Beyond digital engagement, Future is expanding into real-world activations, allowing brands to connect with its communities in more meaningful ways.
“It’s amazing that these are digital communities, and brands want to connect with them in real life,” Trotta said, citing successful initiatives like live game streams, Marie Claire’s Power Mom events and activations at Summer Games Fest.
These experiences help brands forge relationships that extend beyond traditional advertising.
“It’s an opportunity for brands to really connect with these powerful communities in places where they are and build relationships that go further than the banner ad,” Trotta said.
As Future continues to scale, blending AI, data, editorial expertise and real-world engagement, Trotta said the company is well-positioned to help brands navigate the next evolution of media: “From my vantage point, I’m optimistic and excited about AI, and even more excited about what’s next.”
You’re watching “Dispatches from Cannes Lions 2025: Interviews on Innovation”, a Beet.TV Leadership Series at Cannes Lions 2025, presented by DirectTV, EXTE, Fandom, Future USA, Jivox, Kroger, New Tradition, Ogury, Pentaleap, Perion, Topsort, VuePlanner, and Walmart Connect. For more videos from this series, visit this page. You can find all of our coverage from Cannes Lions 2025 here.
