The year ahead demands a fundamental rethink of how regions position themselves, tell their story and compete. AI is rewriting who will work. Infrastructure strains are testing how we move. Policy changes are redefining what is incentivized. Utility expenses are restricting how much we plug in.

Hart announced today that Marc Paulenich has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective January 2026. Paulenich succeeds Mike Hart, who will transition from CEO into the role of Executive Chairman and continue to support the agency’s culture, client relationships and long-term strategy. 

With 2026 coming at us fast, here are the shifts we’re already seeing in how people consume information, how trust is built (and lost) and how brands earn attention in a world where almost anything can be faked. 

As the year winds down, there’s a particular kind of quiet that settles in. Calendars soften. Teams take a breath. It’s palpable. The mix of reflection and readiness that only comes at this pivotal time of year. For me, that feeling is especially meaningful. This year, Hart marked 60 years of doing what I believe great brands are meant to do: move people.

Hart announced today that the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) has selected the agency to lead a comprehensive modernization of its website, messaging, video storytelling and marketing collateral. The decision follows a national competitive process with nearly 200 proposals submitted.

As interest in the Detroit Region continues to grow among business leaders, innovators and site selectors, Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP) is shining an even brighter spotlight on the people driving that momentum through its ongoing Get Here campaign.

Last week I was in Dallas for SHSMD Connections 2025, and like most things in Texas, the ideas were big. Between the sessions, coffee conversations and dinners with healthcare leaders, one truth stood out: Healthcare marketing is shifting from message to proof.

In today’s world, disruption is no longer the exception; it’s the rule. From misinformation campaigns to AI-generated deepfakes, the threats organizations face are emerging faster and in places many leaders aren’t even looking. What used to feel like a once-in-a-decade crisis is now part of a constant backdrop of unpredictability. 

The hardest part of economic development isn’t chasing funding or wrangling policy; it’s that most places don’t even register in people’s minds. Ask a roomful of people about your region, and you’ll get polite nods, maybe a vague “I’ve heard it’s nice,” or perhaps a tired cliché. Translation: they have no idea. Blank slate. No essence. No story.

By any standards, the last 12 months have tested the Detroit advertising community. Losing one of its largest and long-standing advertisers set off a stream of layoffs and uncertainty. A town already running lean wondered if the city’s vibrant creative industry would survive. Well, that question was fully answered Thursday night as the 2025 AdCraft D Show showcased some of the freshest and most impactful thinking anywhere.

TOLEDO, OH — Hart and Children’s Minnesota have earned a Gold Aster Award for their breakthrough TikTok ad series, part of the hospital’s award-winning “Raise ’Em Up” brand campaign.

TOLEDO, OH — Hart, a full-service marketing agency with offices in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio, Detroit and Washington, D.C., recently won a Silver ADDY Award at the 2025 American Advertising Federation (AAF) National Awards. The recognition celebrates Hart's creative work on the "Because Reasons" campaign developed on behalf of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) for Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Four days on Mackinac Island. One grand porch. And hundreds of passionate leaders from across Michigan. Each morning, we rode Shepler’s Ferry across sparkling waters, joining a wonderfully mixed crowd of elected officials, state leaders, lobbyists, business execs and nonprofit changemakers. From sunrise coffee chats to late-night bar conversations, we networked, we brainstormed, walked the island, rode in horse-drawn carriages, and soaked up every ounce of this uniquely Michigan experience. And through it all, one thing was clear, we were all there because we care deeply about the future of our state.

As the travel and tourism sector continues to rebound and evolve, place marketers are stepping up in bold new ways. At Hart, we’re rethinking what destination storytelling looks like – especially after recently joining leaders at City Nation Place Americas in beautiful Ottawa, Ontario, where global place branding professionals explored how destinations can remain relevant, competitive and community-first.

Hart, a full-service marketing agency with offices in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio, and Detroit and Washington, D.C., has announced the appointment of Amanda Marko as managing director of its D.C. office. Marko joins the agency’s leadership team to drive strategic growth, foster innovation and expand Hart’s visibility in the D.C. market where the agency has been steadily building its presence for the past three years.

In 2025, women’s sports are no longer on the rise – they’ve arrived and they’re rewriting the rules of what we thought was possible in this industry just a short time ago.

Caitlin Clark? She’s that player. Her logo-range threes and no-look dimes didn’t just break records, they broke the internet.

Hart, a full-service independent brand transformation agency, has won Gold at the 42nd Annual ANA REGGIE Awards for its work with Nationwide Children’s Hospital on the emotionally resonant "Light Up The Lawn. Light Up A Life.” campaign. Honored alongside campaigns for brands like Dove, Cadillac, Jägermeister and State Farm, Hart’s campaign took top honors in the Purpose, Cause or Non-Profit Marketing category at a ceremony held on May 8.

Last week, I joined a few hundred peers in Orlando at the Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit (HMPS), and it confirmed for me what I think a lot of us in the industry have been feeling: healthcare marketing is no longer slowly evolving – it’s completely transforming. Fast.