Aivanta Launches the Executive Intelligence Brief, a New Research Practice Delivering Specialized Industry Analysis for Media and Brand Leaders
The inaugural volume, The Microdrama Revolution, examines the forces reshaping serialized storytelling, brand-funded content, and monetization in the era of vertical microdramas — a global market that exceeded $8 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $26 billion by 2030.
NEW YORK, NY — March 25, 2026 — Aivanta, the AI-first experiential media and technology company behind the Brand Storytelling conference, today announced the launch of the Aivanta Executive Intelligence Brief, a new research practice dedicated to delivering specialized, actionable intelligence on the trends, technologies, and format shifts defining the future of media and brand storytelling.
The Executive Intelligence Brief is designed for the decision-makers navigating the most consequential changes in media and marketing — CMOs, brand strategists, media executives, talent agency leadership, and investors — and will publish on a regular cadence across subjects at the intersection of entertainment, technology, audience behavior, and brand strategy. The inaugural volume is available now.
Aivanta founder and CEO Donnovan Andrews said the Brief was born out of a gap he has observed throughout his career in the industry. “For years, leaders in advertising and media have had to rely on macro-level research coming out of investment banks and consulting firms — valuable, but often too removed from the realities of how our industry actually operates,” Andrews said. “Only a small fraction of that insight was ever truly actionable for the practitioners building, funding, and distributing content and creative every day.”
Andrews said the new practice is designed to close that distance. “With the Executive Intelligence Brief, we’re changing that. We’re bringing the same level of rigor, analytical depth, and global perspective — but grounding it in the lived experience of this industry. It’s informed by our internal reporting team and strengthened by world-class editorial leadership, including John Marcom as consulting editor, who previously served as President of Financial Times North America and European Bureau Chief of Forbes.” Andrews described the inaugural volume as the first expression of that vision. “The Microdrama Revolution is what we believe is the most comprehensive analysis of this category to date — designed not for observers, but for the operators, creators, and leaders defining what comes next.”
About The Microdrama Revolution
The first volume of the Aivanta Executive Intelligence Brief addresses one of the most consequential shifts in media and brand storytelling currently underway: the global rise of vertical microdramas. Serialized stories engineered for smartphone screens — built in episodes of 60 to 90 seconds, designed to sustain audience attention across dozens of installments — have moved from a Chinese mobile curiosity to a professionally governed, institutionally backed entertainment category in less than three years.
The report documents a $8 billion global market in 2024, with U.S. quarterly in-app spending approaching $350 million and growing 20% quarter-over-quarter. Its analysis goes beyond market size to examine the five structural shifts making the category impossible to ignore: Hollywood’s institutional arrival, through major talent agencies, union agreements, and studio investment; a lean production economics model that brings full series to market for $150,000 to $300,000 — a fraction of a single premium television episode; the mobile-native engagement behavior of Millennial and Gen Z audiences who now spend more daily time on leading microdrama platforms than on Netflix or Disney+; the emergence of brand-funded microdramas as a new model for serialized brand storytelling; and the convergence of narrative and commerce through shoppable video integration.
Among the case studies examined in the report: Procter & Gamble’s The Golden Pear Affair, a 55-episode branded microdrama released in February 2026 that revives — for a mobile-native generation — the same model P&G pioneered when it invented the soap opera nearly a century ago. The report also covers Crocs’ Charmed to Meet You, packaged by CAA and distributed exclusively on ReelShort, and JCPenney’s shoppable Spanish-language microdrama produced with TelevisaUnivision — the first of its kind targeting Hispanic Millennials and Gen Z.
The report maps the platform landscape, analyzes the competitive dynamics between performance-marketing-driven incumbents and institutional new entrants, documents the risks including customer acquisition economics and market fragmentation, and delivers strategic implications for brands, media companies, and investors. It is informed by primary research conducted between September 2025 and March 2026, drawing on industry reporting from Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, and Business Insider, alongside market data from Sensor Tower, Media Partners Asia, and eMarketer.
About the Aivanta Executive Intelligence Brief Series
The Executive Intelligence Brief is the research and thought leadership arm of Aivanta’s growing suite of offerings for media and brand leaders. As the company expands, the series will address a rotating range of subjects at the forefront of the industry — from the evolution of branded entertainment and the economics of creator-led media to the strategic implications of AI in content production, audience behavior shifts across generations, and the emerging architectures of brand-to-consumer connection.
Each volume will reflect the same standard of analytical rigor and editorial voice as the flagship inaugural report: industry data, executive perspectives, and a framework for decision-making that goes beyond trend reporting. The goal is to provide the leaders in Aivanta’s community with the intelligence they need to move with confidence and, where the opportunity warrants it, to move first.
The Microdrama Revolution is available for download now at aivanta.io/research/microdrama-revolution/.
The Microdrama Revolution is made possible with support from People Inc.
Aivanta convenes high-caliber leaders — and uses AI to make connection smarter, faster, and more personal.
How Donnovan Andrews Is Building Aivanta Around AI And Belonging
Originally published on Forbes (Forbes CMO Network)
By Afdhel Aziz, | Feb 06, 2026
Donnovan Andrews has spent his career in industries where the rules keep shifting — from the early days of digital to today’s algorithm-shaped media landscape. His latest move sits right in the middle of that change. He’s building Aivanta, an AI-powered holding company designed to acquire businesses with strong foundations and help them scale by embedding AI into how they operate.
But Andrews is clear that the point isn’t to automate away what makes those businesses matter.
“Where there’s people, there’s power,” he said. “We want to be an organization that brings together people in the gatherings of live events. AI will not change that.”
Aivanta Announces Acquisition of FPT Media, Parent Company of Brand Storytelling and Elevate Conferences
New York, NY — January 6th, 2026 — Aivanta, the AI-first experiential media and technology holding company, today announced its acquisition of FPT Media, the organization behind the renowned Brand Storytelling and Elevate conferences. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Aivanta’s mission to build a next-generation global platform at the intersection of media, marketing, creativity, and AI-driven innovation.
For more than a decade, Brand Storytelling—held annually during the Sundance Film Festival—has established itself as the largest brand-funded content event in North America, convening leading marketers, creators, publishers, platforms, and storytellers. Founded by industry leaders Rick Parkhill and Mike Pubentz, the organization has been instrumental in defining brand-funded content as a transformative force in modern advertising.
Parkhill reflected on the milestone, stating, “Over the last ten years, Brand Storytelling has built a community we’re incredibly proud of—bringing together some of the most influential brands and creative leaders in the world. It has been a privilege to help shape the future of brand-funded content, and we couldn’t be more excited to see the organization move forward in such great hands. Aivanta’s vision ensures this platform will continue to grow, evolve, and lead the industry into its next chapter.”
Co-founder Mike Pubentz echoed the sentiment, adding, “When we started Brand Storytelling, we believed brand-funded content would become a significant force in the future of media ad marketing—and that belief has only grown stronger. After a decade of remarkable events and community building, we’re thrilled that Aivanta is carrying the torch. Donnovan brings a powerful combination of strategic vision, technology expertise, and deep industry relationships that will take the platform to entirely new heights.”
Aivanta was built for this moment of global reassembly—when media, marketing, entertainment, and technology are being rewritten by the collision of creators, platforms, and artificial intelligence. More than a conference producer or brand-funded content platform, Aivanta is a next-generation holding company designed to scale experiences, communities, and intelligence across multiple sectors and formats. Structured as AI-first by architecture—not branding—Aivanta embeds human-centric AI across the organization to accelerate decision-making, deepen personalization, expand operational efficiency, and unlock new creative and commercial possibilities. This approach enables Aivanta to evolve beyond any single category, building a connected ecosystem where events, content, research, and innovation programs continuously learn, adapt, and compound value over time.
With this acquisition, Aivanta will integrate Brand Storytelling and Elevate into a broader, AI-powered global events and content ecosystem. The company plans to extend the Brand Storytelling platform across new U.S. markets and international regions, while deploying technology to modernize operations, expand programming, and deliver deeper intelligence to partners and attendees.
AIVANTA Founder & CEO, Donnovan Andrews, underscored the vision ahead:
“Brand Storytelling is a rare platform—trusted, respected, and beloved by the world’s leading marketers. We’re honored to carry forward the legacy built by Rick and Mike. Aivanta will leverage advanced technology, human-centric AI, and operational excellence to bring new efficiency, scale, and innovation to the Brand Storytelling and Elevate properties. We will expand these events in the U.S. and internationally, transforming them into a year-round global ecosystem for brands, creators, and the future of content.”
The acquisition accelerates Aivanta’s development of a globally connected suite of experiences—spanning conferences, salons, content series, award programs, and industry research—supported by the company’s proprietary AI technologies.
About Brand Storytelling & Elevate
Brand Storytelling is the premier gathering dedicated to brand-funded content, engaging senior marketers, creators, studios, and platforms each January. Elevate, its companion summer/fall gathering, provides immersive learning, workshops, and connection around the evolution of storytelling, media, and brand-supported creativity.
About Aivanta
Aivanta is an AI-first experiential media and technology holding company building the next generation of conferences, content platforms, and strategic intelligence tools. With a mission to empower creativity and commerce through human-centric AI, Aivanta develops global experiences at the intersection of marketing, technology, entertainment, and innovation.