Medialink's Mark Wagman Breaks Down CES, and Why 2025 is the year of "Aggressive" Brand Energy

Next in Media spoke with Mark Wagman, Managing Director, MediaLink and Partner, UTA about his CES takes, particularly why the conversation around AI may be shifting from cost cutting to growth.  

Mark also discussed whether the TV industry is getting in its own way when it comes to identity and buying platforms, and whether any retail media networks will pivot to Amazon.

Takeaways:

AI Integration for Marketing Efficiency

• AI has transitioned from a cost-cutting tool to a potential superpower that enhances team performance, offering 20-30% better productivity and up to 50% improved ROI.

Identity and Targeting Challenges in CTV

• Cross-platform identity graphs and collaborative targeting, such as those by Disney and OpenAP, are emerging trends to address complexities in connected TV (CTV) advertising.

Retail Media Growth and Consolidation

• Amazon's "retail media in a box" strategy signals potential consolidation as companies streamline operations to leverage existing data and ad technologies.

The Rise of Incrementality in Measurement

• Marketers focus on measuring incremental value and reducing overlap in campaigns, leveraging tools like media mix modeling (MMM) and AI-driven multi-touch attribution (MTA).

Micro-Influencers Over Traditional Ads

• Brands are increasingly investing in micro-influencers, leveraging niche audiences for higher engagement and ROI compared to traditional banner ads or large-scale influencer deals.

Streamlining TV Advertising for SMBs

• Efforts are being made to simplify TV and streaming ad purchases for small and mid-sized businesses, moving away from complex traditional setups.

Ad Tech and MarTech Convergence

• The merging of advertising and marketing technologies, powered by clean rooms and shared datasets, offers new possibilities for seamless customer journey management.

Guest: Mark Wagman

Host: Mike Shields

Sponsor: Epsilon 

Producer: FEL Creative