"Strong brands grow through connection – with people, not with systems."

The start of a new year is always a special moment. It offers room for reflection and perspective. An opportunity to look ahead, but also to connect. In a rapidly changing landscape, collaboration is more important than ever. This is where strong brands make the difference.

In recent years, UBA has taken significant steps, and our community has grown rapidly. In just three years, the number of participants in our activities has tripled: from 7,000 to 12,000. This is no coincidence. It shows that the need for community, dialogue and direction is greater than ever in our sector.

2025 was a year of concrete impact:
CMO voices gave a powerful voice to inspiring business leaders within the broader business community.
With CIM One, we are among the global frontrunners in measuring digital media – local media and international platforms – within one single system.
And thanks to a renewed Advertising Council and JEP, self-regulation has once again become visible and credible. Think of the discontinuation of alcohol advertising on TikTok and the protection of youngsters under 16 against unhealthy food advertising.

These are not small steps. They show what is possible when we work together as a sector, transparently, proactively and with a sense of social responsibility.

And yet, in 2026, we are facing fundamental challenges.
The rise of AI is changing everything: faster than expected and more fundamentally than anticipated. It offers enormous opportunities, but also confronts us with difficult choices.

The central questions for the coming years are therefore the following:
– How do we build strong brands that create emotional connection in a world increasingly driven by the logic of algorithms?
– How do we maintain a thriving ecosystem in which advertisers, agencies and local media strengthen one another?

The faster and more efficient technology and systems become, the more crucial customer experience, relevant insights and emotional connection are. Strong brands grow through connection – with people, not with systems. That requires vision, insight and courage.

In a world where uncertainty is becoming the norm, UBA wants to be a beacon of trust, also in 2026. Not with ready-made answers, but with shared insights, open dialogue and focused collaboration. We continue to build a healthy communication ecosystem in which brands, agencies and media find their way together and help shape it in a reality full of dilemmas and new choices.

I wish you a year full of meaning, energy and inspiration. And I sincerely thank you for your trust in UBA.

With warm regards,

Luc Suykens
CEO of UBA