The Marketer’s Guide to Winning on YouTube in 2026

YouTube isn’t just where people watch videos - it’s where culture is created, brands are built, and buying decisions are made. In this exclusive session for the Marketing Association in Queenstown, Seth Zwart, Brand Lead of YouTube NZ, will cut through the noise and show marketers how to win on the world’s biggest stage for attention in 2026. Expect fresh insights, real examples, and practical takeaways you can put to work immediately.

What you’ll learn

• What’s trending now: The content and ad formats people are actually engaging with - globally and here in Aotearoa.
• Creative that converts: How to hook attention fast, optimise for retention, and design videos that drive real outcomes.
• AI meets video: How artificial intelligence is reshaping ad formats, targeting, and creative experimentation.
• Beyond the view count: Smarter ways to measure impact - from subscriptions and communities to sales and conversions.
• Next-gen skills: The capabilities every marketing team needs to stay ahead in YouTube’s evolving ecosystem.

Seth Zwart - Brand Lead, YouTube
Seth brings over a decade of experience from New Zealand's media agency landscape, where he held Director positions advising some of the nation's leading brands. Transitioning to YouTube two years ago, he now serves as Brand Lead, specialising in unlocking brand-building potential on what he considers the most diverse media channel on the planet. Seth is passionate about the strategic use of a diverse range of assets to weave comprehensive brand narratives. He sees YouTube's multifaceted environment as uniquely suited to support such holistic brand ecosystems.