Written by Ariadna Estrada, Business Lead for Spark Foundry
As part of our Inside the Jury Room series, we spoke with Ariadna Estrada, Business Lead for Spark Foundry to hear her perspective as a judge for this years Festival of Media Latin America Awards 2026.
In the interview, Ariadna shares her views on the biggest opportunities for media over the next 12 months, how media’s role in shaping consumer behaviour continues to evolve, and the ways brands are using AI to drive greater relevance and effectiveness. She also highlights the campaigns and brands setting new industry benchmarks, what excites her most about this year’s entries, and her advice for entrants looking to impress the jury.
Although the final deadline for the Festival of Media Latin America Awards has passed you can contact our team now to request an extension for your entries. Enter now to benchmark your work against the industry’s best, gain global recognition, and secure your place among the world’s leading media campaigns.
Request an extension today: Fomawards@festivalofmedia.com
What do you see as the biggest opportunity for media over the next 12 months?
For me, the true breakthrough lies in connecting AI with Retail Media and first-party data in a genuinely human way. The opportunity isn’t just hyper-personalizing for the sake of technology, but using that data to deliver the right message at the exact right moment—while strictly protecting privacy and, above all, respecting the local culture of each market.
How has the role of media evolved in shaping consumer behaviour in recent years?
Media has shifted from being a megaphone to a gathering place. Today, nobody buys a product just because they saw a one-way ad; we buy based on recommendations, community trust, and creators we genuinely believe in. The role of media is no longer just about driving reach or visibility, but about building identity and real relevance in people’s everyday lives.
How are brands leveraging AI in smarter ways to create more impactful campaigns?
I love seeing AI used for ‘better understanding’ rather than just ‘doing things faster.’ The smartest brands are leveraging technology to anticipate needs and deepen empathy—analyzing everyday data patterns to create moments that feel deeply personal, not robotic.
Which campaigns or brands do you think have set new benchmarks recently in the media industry?
My favorites are the ones that seamlessly blur the line between content and commerce. Brands that take a cultural or everyday moment and instantly turn it into an interactive conversation. When a campaign makes the transition from inspiration to action feel natural and fun, that’s where the new benchmark is set.
What excites you most about this year’s Festival of Media LatAm Awards entries?
What excites me most about our region is that unique spark for solving complex problems amidst challenging contexts or tight budgets. I can’t wait to see how LatAm brands are tapping into cutting-edge technology without losing the heart, flavor, and deep cultural resonance that defines us.
What advice would you give to entrants of the Festival of Media LatAm Awards who want to impress the jury this year?
Tell an honest story. We want to see a crystal-clear narrative thread: what was the real problem, what was that human insight you uncovered, how did you brilliantly execute it through media, and how did that actually move the business needle? If creativity lacks data to back it up, or if data lacks a great idea behind it, the case falls short.
