THE ADVERTISING WORLD IS CHANGING. BSWEI/THINKSTOCK The challenge is deciding what to do about it. As digital media upends old assumptions and practices, brands still need to communicate with prospective buyers. In a hypercompetitive marketplace, marketing is essential. ✱ Brands look to advertising agencies for guidance on approaching The Next Big Thing and the thousand little ✱ things that are evolving all around them. When But agencies are in flux too - both pressed for advice shaping and shaped by from their clients, creative their industry's directors, media buyers, and data transformation. specialists may be tempted to quote Captain Barbossa from 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean: "You're off the edge of the map, mate. Here there be monsters." ✱ But of course, a voyage to the unknown can also bring unprecedented fortune to those bold enough to seek it. i3 spoke to four agency leaders who are sailing past the map's edge to capture their current view of the horizon. These interviews can inspire others seeking to understand what marketing means at this moment. As the industry continues to accelerate into the future, there are uncharged waters ahead. Interviews have been edited and condensed. C TA . t e c h / i 3 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 39http://cta.tech/i3