Full Name
Debbie Aho Williamson
Job Title
Founder and Chief Analyst
Company Name
Sonata Insights
Speaker Bio
Debra Aho Williamson is the Founder and Chief Analyst of Sonata Insights, an advisory service that helps advertisers understand consumer AI behavior and the impact on marketing and paid media strategies. She also writes “The AI Ad Economy,” a Substack offering clear, level-headed insight about how marketing, media and paid advertising are changing as consumers gravitate toward AI platforms.
Debra brings more than 20 years of experience analyzing the evolving media landscape, focusing on how emerging technologies reshape consumer behavior, media consumption and marketing strategies. Before founding Sonata Insights in 2024, Debra served as an analyst at digital marketing research firm EMARKETER, where she led the social media research practice for 17 years.
Debra's analytical superpower is her ability to spot changes in consumer behavior that lead to significant shifts in marketing strategies. Debra developed one of the earliest forecasts for social network advertising revenues in 2007, and her landmark body of research about social media—amounting to more than 120 reports—enabled the advertising industry to see the power and potential of social media and helped make platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok integral to the marketing mix.
Debra is a sought-after speaker and commentator on the future of media and advertising, with a focus on AI's impact on marketing and the consumer journey. She has spoken at industry events including Cannes Lions, Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Influencer Marketing conference, VidCon, Shoptalk and Seattle AI Film Festival. Debra regularly appears on business TV `and her viewpoints have appeared thousands of times in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, Associated Press, Financial Times and Investor’s Business Daily.
Earlier in her career, Debra served as the founding executive editor at groundbreaking internet industry publication The Industry Standard and as interactive editor at AdAge magazine.
Debra is a graduate of Northwestern University with degrees in English literature and oboe performance. Although she no longer plays the oboe, she has a profound (some would say weird) obsession with learning to play the bagpipes. She hopes to one day become good enough to join a piping band.
Debra brings more than 20 years of experience analyzing the evolving media landscape, focusing on how emerging technologies reshape consumer behavior, media consumption and marketing strategies. Before founding Sonata Insights in 2024, Debra served as an analyst at digital marketing research firm EMARKETER, where she led the social media research practice for 17 years.
Debra's analytical superpower is her ability to spot changes in consumer behavior that lead to significant shifts in marketing strategies. Debra developed one of the earliest forecasts for social network advertising revenues in 2007, and her landmark body of research about social media—amounting to more than 120 reports—enabled the advertising industry to see the power and potential of social media and helped make platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok integral to the marketing mix.
Debra is a sought-after speaker and commentator on the future of media and advertising, with a focus on AI's impact on marketing and the consumer journey. She has spoken at industry events including Cannes Lions, Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Influencer Marketing conference, VidCon, Shoptalk and Seattle AI Film Festival. Debra regularly appears on business TV `and her viewpoints have appeared thousands of times in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, Associated Press, Financial Times and Investor’s Business Daily.
Earlier in her career, Debra served as the founding executive editor at groundbreaking internet industry publication The Industry Standard and as interactive editor at AdAge magazine.
Debra is a graduate of Northwestern University with degrees in English literature and oboe performance. Although she no longer plays the oboe, she has a profound (some would say weird) obsession with learning to play the bagpipes. She hopes to one day become good enough to join a piping band.
Speaking At
