The Media Leader Podcast

Columnist Nicola Kemp joins host Jack Benjamin, editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Ella Sagar to unpack earnings results from swathes of Big Tech companies, including Meta, Amazon, Google, Spotify and Snap.The group discusses the big winners of earnings season and whether media has become too concentrated in fewer, more dominant players. As US senators ponder regulation of social media, Kemp and Oakes consider moral and business arguments for doing so."We have this huge existential crisis as an industry in terms of what we are actually doing to adequately police these [social media] platforms, because clearly what we're doing is not enough, particularly when it comes to the impact on children's mental health," said Kemp.Also mentioned: TikTok and Universal Music Group's fallout; Fox, Disney and Warner Bros Discovery's new live sports streaming service; what the latest Barb figures say about streaming growth; Apple Vision Pro's upsides and downsides; and whether Super Bowl ads matter as much as they used to.Highlights:5:13: Disney, Fox and Warner Bros Discovery's live sport offering7:27: Meta's impressive earnings and an "unprecedented moment" at last week's US Senate hearing14:10: Why Snap doesn't want to be considered "social media"18:30: Spotify's new non-exclusive podcast distribution strategy and growth in audiobooks23:23: Is Amazon more of an advertising company than a retailer?27:33: Does Google have a future-proof business model?31:10: Adspend is continuing to consolidate: is this healthy for the industry?34:50: Quick hits: Spotify takes aim at Apple; Apple Vision Pro reactions; TikTok and Universal Music Group's fallout; UK SVOD dips despite global uptick; Super Bowl Sunday.Note: During this episode there were two mentions of United Music Group. This was supposed to be Universal Music Group. ---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

At The Year Ahead 2024, Charlene Williams, Pearl & Dean's group senior operations and business analyst, and member of our Future 100 Club, pleaded with industry leaders to renew their focus and care towards diversity, equity and inclusion. Was the message received?Williams discusses this on the podcast this week alongside host Jack Benjamin and special guest Sam Tidmarsh, Adwanted Events' head of conference production.The trio also delved into cinema's road to recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, how advertisers are leaning in to in-person events and experiences, and whether stay-at-home habits die hard when it comes to movies.Highlights:2:30: Why stagnating progress on DEI is leading to a talent exodus11:54: How are advertisers leaning in to the high-attention environment in cinemas?15:30: The slow but continuing post-pandemic box office recovery26:57: Impact of the writers' and actors' strikes on cinema this year31:50: Awards season predictions---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

At last month's The Year Ahead 2024 event in London, media's current and future leaders convened to discuss what is likely to happen in 2024 and what they would like to happen over the course of the year.Editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Ella Sagar were on the scene to interview a number of delegates. One key question they asked was: if you could wave a magic wand, what would you do to improve the media industry in the year ahead?Responses varied greatly. Some called for a creativity renaissance, while others warned of the need to be better on sustainability and DEI practices.Interviewees included: TikTok UK general manager Kris Boger; UM London CEO Kara Osborne; Clear Channel UK managing director Richard Bon; Newsworks insight director Heather Dansie; Pearl & Dean group senior operations and business analyst Charlene Williams; Initiative chief digital officer Lauren Ogúndèkó; and Acast managing director, international, Megan Davies.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

The medium is the message. A well-known phrase in this industry, but how do you quantify how much that is true?Richard Kirk, joint chief strategy officer at EssenceMediacom, sat down with Ella Sagar to unpack what this means in practice through new research into "signal strength," which Kirk explained "is very likely to be an enduring thing that does not change much."Kirk also debunked some misconceptions about the correlation between time spent and actual cost of media with how special or trusted consumers perceive a media channel to be.Read Kirk's corresponding Strategy Leaders column: How to map media quality for physical and mental measuresHighlights01:04: What can we learn from God's agency brief?04:40: Signal strength and peacocks08:55: Four big findings13:09: Young people much more open to suggestion of advertising16:39: Two key ingredients for signal strength18:51: Communicating signal strength and outcomes to clients20:19: How to use signal strength in planning31:38: EssenceMediacom's eight "out there" 2024 predictions35:25: Why are you passionate about media?---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Columnist Nick Manning returns to the podcast alongside host Ella Sagar, editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Jack Benjamin to discuss the latest results from Netflix and why Omnicom's recent acquisition of Flywheel reflects the increasing importance of digital commerce and retail media.The group also looks at a number of recent industry reports, including last month's US Association of National Advertisers programmatic study, last week's IPA Bellwether Report and, out this week, the Advertising Association/Warc Expenditure Report and the IPA Agency Census.Highlights:0:40: Why Omnicom's acquisition of Flywheel could change the face of adland6:32: Is marketing a "bellwether" sector any more?12:29: Netflix's financials: where is growth coming from?21:36: ANA programmatic study shows staggering digital waste34:35: IPA Agency Census – nothing to write home about37:36: S4 Capital lowers forecasts38:50: BBC Mid-Term Review – reports of lack of trust in the organisation are overblown---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Like other social media companies, Reddit has made big changes over the past few years as it seeks to become a more attractive digital platform for advertisers. These include a redesign in 2018, changes to its API last summer and a broader focus on sharing video content. A subset of Reddit users has at times decried such changes, even as they make Reddit a more commercially viable platform.Much like TikTok and Pinterest, Reddit is billing itself as the place for communities to form online. The old saying goes that there is pretty much a subreddit for anything you could imagine, from the Premier League to celebrity gossip to global news. That also includes unseemly topics, for which Reddit tackles using volunteer community moderation.Reddit says it can offer opportunity for brands looking to reach audiences in ways that are often hard to find elsewhere. Gamers and tech enthusiasts, for example, go to the platform for news, product recommendations and crowd-sourced knowledge.Paul Peterman, Reddit’s senior managing director, large customer sales, North America, joined host Jack Benjamin to discuss the future of the platform, its usefulness to advertisers attempting to reach niche communities and whether changes made to please advertisers risk alienating its existing user base.“If traditional social media is people you know really well talking about things that you may not care that much about, then community is people that maybe you don’t know talking about things you care deeply about," said Peterman.Highlights3:22: Impressions of CES5:29: Why Reddit sees itself as a "community of communities" as opposed to a more traditional social media9:14: How should marketers target hard-to-reach audiences like gamers?18:01: The relationship between AI and Reddit communities20:48: Reddit's embracing of the ad community and its relationship with users23:31: Reddit's content moderation strategy27:10: The transitioning of social media from "me" to "we"---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Cass Naylor, strategic advisor at Purpose Union and co-director of advocacy at Outvertising, returns to the podcast alongside host Omar Oakes and reporters Ella Sagar and Jack Benjamin to unpack 2024 predictions in media and advertising and what was said by industry leaders at The Media Leader's annual Year Ahead event.They discuss their anxieties around AI-generated content spreading misinformation and disinformation during an election year, whether the ad market will remain strong throughout the year and why tech companies continue to lay off staff.The quartet also touch on the latest IPA Bellwether Report, the future of Kantar Media and the runaway success of Mr Bates vs The Post Office on ITV.A special shout-out to Ella, who featured on BBC Radio 4 this week to discuss Amazon Prime Video's new ad tier. Be sure to give her a listen.Highlights:10:29: Trepidation and frustration with AI-generated content14:36: What explains recent job cuts across the tech sector?16:37: How this year's elections and developments in AI will impact trust in media33:00: Gerry D'Angelo and Lindsay Clay want media to rediscover its sense of creativity35:47: IPA Bellwether's optimistic outlook for 202437:17: Netflix and Disney's CES announcements38:52: Will Kantar Media be sold?41:09: Does ITV's Mr Bates vs The Post Office prove we're underrating the power of TV?43:52: Future 100 Club pushes for progress on DEI and talent retention---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Cookies are deprecating on Google Chrome – finally – although they aren’t going away all at once. Just 1% of Chrome users have seen the cookieless future so far, with more to come over the next year.In response, many media agencies, media owners, publishers, adtech companies and, well, just about everyone wise in the digital media industry have been hard at work creating new advertising solutions to allow marketers to target consumers online without infringing on their privacy.One such company is Havas Media, which earlier this month announced a relaunch of its Converged platform that can act as an AI-powered solution for transparent, cross-platform media planning.Host Jack Benjamin sat down with Havas Media Group’s chief data and product officer, Laura Kell, to talk about Converged, life after cookies, data privacy and what she thinks of the current media agency model."When you look at what the cookie actually delivers, it delivers short-term media metrics to track performance against and it delivers quite short-term targeting options," Kell explained. "I don't believe these are the ways brands actually grow their business."You need to properly understand people, not just look at what [they're] doing online and the websites they go to."Highlights2:03: What advertisers need to know about where we are in the process of cookie deprecation5:58: Do cookies deliver effective media results?7:33: Havas' relaunch of Converged as a post-cookie product15:35: The value of first-party data in a cookieless future23:50: How should media agencies adapt to better fit their clients' needs?---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Columnist Nicola Kemp returns to the podcast alongside host Ella Sagar and reporter Jack Benjamin to review the past week's news in media and advertising.In her latest column, Kemp wrote about how the hustle culture is having negative effects on us all – especially caretakers. She implored media professionals to embrace the art of saying “no” this year.The trio discuss the column, as well as how and why ads are coming to Amazon Prime Video, plus the downturn in the TV ad market resulting in lay-offs at Channel 4.They also touch on 2023's box office revenue figures, the post-cookie future and how publishers must innovate in response to losing traffic from social media.Highlights:1:13: The art of saying "no" to hustle culture creep8:35: Context for Channel 4's lay-offs14:00: Will Amazon Prime Video's ad tier be a success?27:10: Publishers considering cost-cutting measures in response to reduced traffic from social29:39: Substack's backlash32:17: Will box office ever surpass pre-pandemic levels?35:14: What do people need to know about cookie deprecation?38:28: Our favourite films and TV shows of 2023---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

2024 is guaranteed to be a year of change for media and advertising, with higher interest rates, more AI and general elections in the UK and the US.What will it mean specifically for media agencies and agency networks, and what is the mood of the investment community in a world where debt is more expensive and cash becomes even more important?Editor-in-chief Omar Oakes interviews Richard Pinder, one of advertising's most influential executives in recent times, with 30 years' experience in a number of roles across the industry and has led businesses in the UK, Asia and EMEA. He spent five of those years as chief operating officer at Publicis Groupe, where he helped then CEO Maurice Lévy expand in the US and digitally transform. Pinder has built or helped to build startups such as the ad network The House Worldwide and Universum, an employer branding company that sold to Axel Springer. He now runs Rankin Creative, the agency founded by the famous photographer.Highlights01:42: Economic shifts in 202406:41: Media consolidation and its impact on advertisers11: 34: Ad agency value and creativity18:54: Private equity investment26:13: Procurement and advertising reviews30.25: Improving the industry through better pitching processes35.23: Why marketers create waste and inefficiencyThis episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Omar Oakes, Ella Sagar, and Jack Benjamin are back on the podcast following the holiday break to catch you up on all the news in media and advertising.They review the potential for a Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount merger, The New York Times' lawsuit of OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged copyright infringement, and X's declining valuation.The trio also shares their predictions for what they think will and will not occur this year, including surprising takes on X and Threads, why 2024 will be a big year for linear TV and traditional publishing, and a better year for the job market, plus whether we'll reach "peak podcast."Show highlights2.07: A mystery guest!5.20: Warner Bros Discovery - Paramount merger talks14.57: New York Times sues OpenAI23.11: Elon Musk and Twitter's valuation drop25.08: Predictions for the year ahead---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

2024 is set to be another big year for large media agencies with many major global and UK accounts set to be reviewed by advertisers.But only one in 10 (11%) major multinational brands believe the current agency model fits their future needs.Even worse than that, one in four big brand marketers believe the current agency model is “unfit for future purpose”.Those are the tough findings from the World Federation of Advertisers and the consultancy MediaSense, whose Future of Media Agency Models report in October called for a new breed of agile, specialist, tech-focussed agencies to add value to a more centralised model”. So what have we learned since then? What has been the reaction to the report and what should needs to improve in 2024 between media agencies and the brand advertisers that employ them?Joining Omar Oakes to talk about why so many marketers seem to have a problem with the way they hire and work with agencies is Ryan Kangisser, director and practice lead, models, at MediaSense.The study found that while nearly all (92%) of the brands surveyed believe speed and agility are important, just 31% are satisfied with how their agency delivers in this area, creating a gap of 61 percentage points.”This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Are social platforms good media to receive accurate news and information?Ramin Beheshti, founder and CEO of The News Movement, thinks so.Reporter Jack Benjamin discussed with Beheshti The News Movement's content and business strategy, how it looks to make money through diverse revenue streams, and whether short-form video is inherently a good medium for news presentation.More and more people, especially young people, continue to go to social media platforms with the explicit intention of using them for their news consumption. That is especially true of the highly popular short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram, but these come with concerns about misinformation and disinformation.Founded in 2021, The News Movement is a social-first news outlet seeking to address such a concern. The company produces short- and long-form video news content on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and more. They have now racked up nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok and 45,000 followers on Instagram.The company was co-founded by Sir William Lewis, who is leaving his position as CEO to lead up The Washington Post, as well as former BBC editorial director Kamal Ahmed and Ramin Beheshti.This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

How hard is it for a traditional broadcaster to build a streaming service?“It’s a really easy thing to say, it’s quite a hard thing to deliver," ITV CEO Dame Carolyn McCall told editor-in-chief Omar Oakes at The Future of TV Advertising Global in London earlier this month.McCall reflected on the launch of ITVX, ITV's ad-supported streaming service, one year after its launch, and discussed what's next for the broadcaster as it seeks a more global footprint.ITVX now has 40 million registered users and has racked up 2.5 billion streams.A full write-up of McCall's interview can also be read on The Media Leader.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

What a year 2023 has been. The media industry has seen the expansion of generative AI, rising interest rates impacting businesses and in some cases media investment, a tough and transitioning market for TV, the 50th anniversary of commercial radio coinciding with a burgeoning podcast market, years of "efficiency" at major tech companies, a succession plan for Rupert Murdoch, and of course, Elon Musk dominating headlines for his tumultuous ownership of Twitter.In a special year-end episode of the podcast, host Jack Benjamin is joined by editor-in-chief Omar Oakes, reporter Ella Sagar, and guest Cass Naylor to debate the question: what was the biggest story in media this year?Highlights:1:55: Omar's biggest story: AI goes mainstream10:45: Ella's biggest story: Commercial radio's Brucey bump12:37: Out-of-home and cinema's post-pandemic comeback22:51: Jack's biggest story: 'Contentification' — how social video is changing other mediums30:07: TV's big streaming transition32:25: Cass's biggest story: 'Enshittification' of the internet---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

With more people turning to the likes of Instagram and TikTok for their entertainment, advertisers, including and especially luxury brands, have begun using influencers to help spread their brand messaging and sell their products in more ostensibly authentic ways.Working directly with such talent can be both a big creative boon, and a headache for brands and advertisers. Influencers are regularly flagged by the Advertising Standards Authority for breaking existing codes of conduct. That is why some more recently are turning to AI influencers, which are growing followings. One Spanish agency, The Clueless, recently used AI tools to create Aitana, a 25-year-old pink-haired "woman" from Barcelona who, according to the agency, looks real enough that an unnamed human celebrity slid into her DMs to ask her out. Aitana reportedly has netted the agency $11,000 in monthly revenue and has over 170,000 followers on Instagram.Scott Guthrie, director general of the Influencer Marketing Trade Body, joins Jack Benjamin to talk through the opportunities and risks of developing and employing AI influencers, and also touches on the importance of professionalising the influencer market to create a sustainable growth outlook for the industry.Drawing a distinction between influencers and other talent used in marketing, Guthrie said: "Influencers live and die by their community."---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

At The Future of TV Advertising Global event this week in London, there was an air of anxiety over the future of TV and whether the medium can stave off threats from Big Tech to reduce its prominence on media plans.Editor-in-chief Omar Oakes breaks down takeaways from the event alongside reporters Ella Sagar and Jack Benjamin. The trio discuss the challenges facing the TV ad market, how Netflix and Disney+ have faired in their first year after instituting ad tiers, and why broadcasters are making a stronger effort to sell themselves to advertisers.Oakes also asks Sagar and Benjamin about X losing over a million UK users in under six months, major job cuts at Spotify, out-of-home regaining pre-pandemic form, and the latest flurry of global adspend reports.Highlights1:05: Anxiety around proving TV's worth3:00: Key talks: ITV CEO Carolyn McCall, analyst Ian Whitaker, Disney ads chief Rita Ferro, Netflix VP of ads Peter Naylor.21:35: The most interesting things Jack and Ella heard at the conference28:53: Peter Field's barnstorming talk on why TV investment should not just continue, but increase34:47: Why X has lost so many UK users36:13: Job cuts at Spotify37:56: ITV restructuring its audience analytics and data science team39:07: Comparing GroupM, IPG and Dentsu global adspend reports41:55: Out-of-home is back to pre-pandemic revenuesOr, if you just fancy hearing an American try to do a Winston Churchill impression, skip to the 25-minute mark....---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Each December, GroupM, the investment arm of WPP, releases its annual This Year Next Year report. The report highlights an all-encompassing view of the global ad market, summarizing both the past year, and looking forward to what we can expect from the next year and over the next five years.This year’s report estimated global ad revenue growth to be 5.8% to total $889bn. GroupM anticipates next year will see a slight deceleration to 5.3%.Kate Scott-Dawkins, the author of the report and GroupM’s global president of business intelligence, highlighted that, following years of volatility during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, she expects a normalization of growth over the next five years at a 5.6% compound annual growth rate.Scott-Dawkins spoke with host Jack Benjamin about the latest expectations for the global ad market. The pair discussed key takeaways from the This Year Next Year report, the state of the UK ad market, the year in retail media, TV’s transition away from linear, how the sluggish Chinese economy has both helped and hurt the global ad market, and digital’s overall dominance."It seems a little bit funny to still be talking about the pandemic, but we're still working through the financial movements and implications that happened as a result of that," she said.A full write-up of the This Year Next Year report can be found on themedialeader.co.uk.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by reporter Ella Sagar and The Guardian’s director of clients, marketing, and research James Fleetham to discuss takeaways from The Guardian's upfronts and how publishers are looking to highlight the importance of trust as misinformation on social media platforms runs rampant."We've become a rarer commodity," said Fleetham. "If there's less stuff you can trust out there, the places that you can trust become more important. That's common sense to me."Fleetham is a member of The Media Leader's Future 100 Club.The trio also touches on media coverage of Cop28, Meta allegedly knowingly collecting data of underage users, Google selling ads on questionable sites against their own policy, and the latest intrigue over The Telegraph sale.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Renowned advertising effectiveness expert Peter Field joins editor-in-chief Omar Oakes for this interview.Field discusses why he will be telling our upcoming Future of TV Advertising Global conference that "TV is still at the heart of effectiveness".He will use the latest effectiveness evidence from the UK and Australia to explain why TV remains such a powerful medium, despite the well reported challenges that it faces.Field also admits to the mistakes he's made in his career, why he's so excited about the recent wave of attention research in the industry, and why trust in media has become so important to consumers as to impact their advertising responses.Some choice quotes from Field's interview:"The three certainties in marketing are death, taxes, and people taking potshots TV.... it just starts to look a little bit like a relentless kind of attempt to take TV down. The fact of the matter is, and I will show this at the conference, is that TV plays, if anything, a strengthening role in effectiveness.""Any sensible marketer would be crazy to walk away from TV, even with younger viewers, even with those difficult 16 to 35 [demographics]. There is no sane case for walking away from TV."---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

The Media Leader PodcastHost Ella Sagar is joined by editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and columnist Nick Manning to discuss takeaways and announcements from the ITV Palooza, the UK's biggest commercial broadcaster's annual upfront.The trio also talks about Manning's latest column about impact and effectiveness, and how a brand can grow through mass reach and a targeted approach.The proliferating options with channels and technology led Manning to say: "If I were a media planner right now, I would be thinking this is the moment."In the quick hits, they cover the biggest media news stories of the week including OpenAI's CEO, The Telegraph sale being put on hold, Meta's change in fortunes, major advertisers leaving X, whether Nigel Farage is worth a reported £1.5m for ITV's I'm A Celebrity and Amazon's deals with social media platforms.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

What has made gaming so hard for marketers to crack?According to Rob Gay, the CEO of gaming adtech company Venatus, agencies and brands still need to get better educated about the burgeoning medium.Gay spoke with Jack Benjamin at our The Future of Gaming event in London last month about the different options brands have to speak to gamers, including in-game advertising, next-to-the-game advertising, and around-the-game advertising.He would rather 'start small and do gaming advertising right' and then build up to larger budgets, as opposed to starting with a big, risky activation that could sour brands off of gaming altogether if it fails."If it doesn't work, we're all burnt. If one gaming advertising company burns them in mobile or burns them in console, they're burnt for gaming. [...] We need brands to trust the environment they're going into."A write-up of the key takeaways from Gay and the rest of the Future of Gaming delegates can be read online on The Media Leader.---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

On Halloween, industry wellbeing charity Nabs released the results of its All Ears consultation. The report found that more than one-third of industry professionals feel unable to discuss mental wellness in the workplace, that stress and burnout are normalised, and that those with a minority ethnic background are significantly less likely than those with a white ethnic background to see a future for themselves in media.Nabs CEO Sue Todd and Assembly managing partner James Appleby join Jack Benjamin to examine tangible steps agencies and industry leaders can take to better the working lives of their staff.Appleby, who also works to lead Nabs’ Fast Forward training programme, explains the challenges and positives of the pitch process, and how to handle both acute and chronic mental health challenges.“Everyone’s got the same expectations of work and wishes of work," said Sue Todd. "People want clear boundaries between work and home. People want safe spaces to have conversations. People feel the same sorts of pressures.”---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by reporter Ella Sagar and Outvertising and Purpose Union's Cass Naylor to discuss fears of AI's ability to spread disinformation, Journalism Matters week takeaways, and the strength of the ad market as we approach the holiday season.The trio also digs into whether recent box office figures are sustainable, the IAB's first ever brand-building campaign, and whether CEOs are entering their 'supervillain era' in mandating returns to the office.Commenting on takeaways from last week's AI summit, Naylor said: "The most important things that came out of Bletchley were A) an identification of the problem and a mutual agreement of what the problem is among the people that matter — America, China, and the EU — all of whom are taking different speeds in their approach to this; and B) proposals for the industry to institute various forms of self-regulation, which I think is the only way we're going to keep ahead of this."Show highlights:1:30: The risk of AI-generated misinformation8:31: The dangers and possibilities of tailored GPTs15:13: Big Tech’s ‘existential threat’ to news publishers17:45: The strength of the ad market heading into Christmas season20:44: Growth of the holiday season and favourite Christmas ads28:59: Rapid fire questions29:33: IAB’s “chief digital cheerleader” brand-building campaign31:17: Is the UK’s recent box office success sustainable post-Barbenheimer?34:51: Clear Channel’s earnings and upfronts36:15: Support for the media in the king’s speech39:05: Return-to-office mandates – are CEOs entering a supervillain era?41:54: Why is Cass passionate about media? ---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderX: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Is the metaverse dead? Was it ever alive to begin with?At last month's The Future of Gaming event in London, host Jack Benjamin took the stage alongside Shay Thompson to chat about her views on the gaming market.Thompson is a presenter and broadcaster covering gaming, and among the most respected journalists in the UK on the subject. She has collaborated with the likes of Bafta, McLaren, Xbox, Activision, and Ubisoft, and she currently appears on the BBC Sounds podcast Press X to Continue.In the fireside chat, the pair ran the gamut of gaming topics, talking about everything from this year’s biggest releases and how The New York Times has become a major gaming company to why Shay thinks the metaverse is “dead in the water”.A write-up of the debate over the metaverse can be read online on The Media Leader.---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and columnist Nicola Kemp to discuss NABS' All Ears consultation results, hybrid working pressures, and the latest AA/WARC figures, which found that TV experienced a summer recession.The trio also digs into the latest earnings results for Meta and Amazon, and gives one word for what they think about Boris Johnson's new gig as a presenter for GB News."There is a really big 'say-do gap, particularly in media," warns Kemp. "It's really important that we have leaders sharing thought leadership articles on mental health... but is it having an impact on the lived experiences of employees? This All Earns research suggests that no, it isn't."Addressing that say-do gap is so vital, because otherwise, leaders look not just out of touch, but they're in danger of gaslighting their own employees with their words."Read Kemp's latest column: "Don't blame women for working flexibly"Show highlights:1:49: Mental health in the workplace, the say-do gap.4:23: Hybrid work and its impact on mental health.9:38: Hybrid work model's impact on mental health and communication.15:05: Workplace flexibility and gender equality.19:39: Why the UK TV advertising market has had a tough summer + Paramount's decision to scrap My5 as a separate BVOD service30:04: Rugby World Cup: why is sports broadcasting not innovating?35:15: Quick-fire round: Meta, Amazon and retail media, Boris Johnson on GB News.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderX: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Yannick Bolloré, CEO and chairman of Vivendi and Havas, talks to editor-in-chief Omar Oakes about the future of media, how Vivendi can compete on a global scale, what's the grand strategy behind the company's acquisitions and where Havas' new ad agency Uncommon fits in.Speaking at our recent The Future of Media conference in London, Bolloré also answered questions about greenwashing and working for Shell as a new client and how the company has a policy around sustainability and making sure advertisers adhere to policies.With thanks to audience questions from columnist Nick Manning, Liberty Sky Advisors' Ian Whittaker, and Pixability MD Cadi Jones.Read a write-up of the conversation by reporter Ella Sagar here.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderX: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Host Jack Benjamin and is joined by reporter Ella Sagar and editor-in-chief Omar Oakes to discuss this quarter's Rajar figures and how podcasts are not just an audio format anymore. So if podcasts aren't just audio, why are we still calling them "podcasts," asked Oakes.The trio also talks about the latest earnings results for Spotify, Netflix, and the major media agency holding companies, as well as argue why advertising on streaming video platforms like Netflix and YouTube makes for such a bad user experience.Read Oakes' latest column: "Let's ditch 'Podcast' and other messy media labels"Show highlights:1:27: Rajar run down5:52: Time to ditch the ‘podcast’ label15:22: Short form long form and midform: the future of ‘content’22:04: Rapid fire… Spotify earnings24:37: Why video is leading digital adspend growth27:28: Why IPG earnings are lagging rival agency groups29:26: Can Netflix they keep raising prices?34:29: Meta sued over mental health concerns38:35: What’s is the TML team working on next?---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderX: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

"The Duracell bunny" of advertising — that’s how ITV describes peak time TV spots, because, they say, their benefit keeps going and going.ITV and media investment analysts ViewersLogic have published a cross-market study that proves the value of peak airtime of responsive advertising. They say that peak TV spots deliver direct responses in the short term, but their hidden value is in their longevity, generating responses long after other TV spots advertising have finished working.To explain why and how, Omar Oakes is joined by Neil Charles, the Measurement and Modelling senior manager at ITV, and Ronny Golan, the CEO and cofounder of ViewersLogic."When it comes to TV, I do think that going beyond the five-minute, 10-minute attribution that shows that daytime really works, and understanding the actual effect over a week, a month, three months will enable brands to also change the mix within their TV advertising," said Golan.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Digital ad platform Teads has in recent years expanded its footprint beyond its digital display roots into connected TV. And, like many digital players, it is looking to leverage AI and machine-learning tools to the benefit of clients.Teads co-CEO Jeremy Arditi caught up with host Jack Benjamin to talk about how AI is powering creative solutions while being capable of respecting user privacy.Speaking from Advertising Week New York, Arditi explained: “It might feel like, to a user, that they're seeing ads that are much more personalised, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the machine needs to know a whole lot of specific attributes, and private attributes, of that user."Arditi also discussed how moving into CTV has been "organic and natural" for Teads, despite some challenges.Read the full write-up of the interview on The Media Leader.---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by reporter Ella Sagar and editor-in-chief Omar Oakes to unpack the key takeaways from last week's The Future of Media and The Future of Gaming events in London.The trio also discuss how the Israel-Hamas war has caused trouble for social media companies and the BBC alike.Read Raymond Snoddy's latest column: "BBC’s rigidity over ‘the T word’ is damaging its reputation"Show highlights:1.58 Key takeaways from The Future of Media - how can we measure the full "impact" of media?5:15 Retail media: so much discussion but was it all "hot air"?12:25 The Future of Gaming: key takeaways 24:41 BBC impartiality in Israel-Palestine coverage34:53 Misinformation and propaganda on social media46:05 WPP merges ad agencies VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson — do agency brands still matter? Plus The Guardian's new advertising council , TikTok moving into OOH and cinema, and Netflix's expansion into brick-and-mortar retail.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Ahead of the online video giant's YouTube Festival event to woo UK advertisers this week, Kevin Allocca tells editor-in-chief Omar Oakes why being 'viral' is less important and how the rise of TikTok and changing attitudes to online video have impacted YouTube's strategy.Allocca and Oakes also discuss why YouTube's research claims more than half of YouTube viewers are happy to watch ads attached to content of favourite creators in order to support them, and why 42% of viewers in the UK say that YouTube enables them to find the exact content they like at any moment.Kevin Allocca is global director of Culture & Trends at YouTube, where he tracks popular video phenomena and manages trending content initiatives. He is also the author of Videocracy, an exploration of YouTube's most interesting trends and the impact of video in our culture.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Over the past year, The Media Leader has been championing three key issues facing the media industry: declining trust in media, sustainability, and the talent crisis.Those issues have frequently been discussed in this podcast and our coverage this year. At last October’s The Future of Media conference, we held a debate on what we should champion and those were the topics chosen by the audience.And in just a few days at The Future of Media this year, it's time to debate the most important aspects of media and advertising to zero in on for progress in 2024. To preview this year's event in London, columnist and media agency founder Nick Manning joins Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes to unpack the key issues facing the media industry.The trio discuss whether progress has been made in the past year on trust, sustainability, and talent, and Nick makes his case for why he believes effectiveness is at the core of all issues facing media.“I have a long-held belief that the only solution to the lack of trust in the media ecosystem from a client point of view is in proper effectiveness measurement; that requires absolute transparency," he said.The group also takes a look at the latest drama at GB News, the forthcoming Telegraph sale, and what now for ads on Netflix with the exit of commercial boss Jeremi Gorman. ---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar preview the Future of Media in London on 11-12 October. The trio look ahead to the big event and discuss some of the biggest stories from around the industry.The key players in The Telegraph sale: Jack lists who has thrown their hat in the ring for The Telegraph, and why Sir Paul Marshall in particular may have a tough time juggling a bid while fending off Ofcom investigations at GB News.Read Raymond Snoddy: "The future of Ofcom and the future of The Telegraph are at stake"SEC's crackdown on Clear Channel: Ella talks about the recent charges filed by the US Securities Exchange Commission against outdoor company Clear Channel, why they occurred and what it means for the company.Commercial radio's big anniversary: A series of interviews written by Ella take a look at the state of the commercial radio industry and how far it's come since the very first broadcast in 1973. She discusses some key takeaways from her discussions with News UK and Global.Brainlabs taking on the world: Jack, who interviewed Brainlabs's global CEO Daniel Gilbert, talks about his vision for the future of the agency following a major new investment from Falfurrias Capital Partners.Plus: The trio talk about what they're most looking forward to at The Future of Media and The Future of Gaming next week, and reveal why they're so passionate about media.Omar's column: Why passion is the best litmus test

This summer, climate change-caused unseasonal weather events continued to devastate huge areas of the world, and yet, earlier this month the UK Government diluted its 2030 net zero commitments. As the climate crisis gets worse, it is more important than ever to ask what a sustainable media and advertising ecosystem looks like.Anne Coghlan, the chief operating officer and co-founder of carbon emissions data specialist Scope3, and Hannah Mirza, the founder of The Responsible Marketing Agency, join Ella Sagar to unpack the state of sustainability efforts, media's immediate climate goals, and the ethics of advertising for fossil fuel companies."Purely looking at the supply chain of the execution of advertising, I think there's more opportunity to get to net zero faster," said Mirza. "I'd love to see that."---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

After months of it being an open secret that Facebook was looking to reduce its emphasis on news, parent company Meta announced this month it would be “deprecating” news on the platform in the UK, France, and Germany beginning in December.While publishers likely saw this coming, it is just the latest bit of news in what has been a challenging year for the digital publishing industry.Ozone CEO Damon Reeve joins Jack Benjamin to discuss the state of news publishing and how publishers are navigating a pivot away from relying on social media for audience growth and toward building up their own brands, as well as how advertisers can help support a transitioning industry.The pair also speak about consumers' waning trust in news, advertisers' trust in publishers, and how outlets are working to diversify their revenue."If brands took an active interest in knowing where their advertising spend goes, very quickly you would see that spend gravitate towards places that are trusted and safe," said Reeve.---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Why are women in media leaving the jobs they love?That is one of the questions The Media Leader has tried to tackle this year as part of our mission to promote talent in media and advertising. Issues raised this year, in our op-eds and analysis, include concerns about better flexible working, accommodating women going through menopause, and how to stop women bearing the brunt of the industry's 'missing middle' phenomenon.As summer comes to a close and it's back to school or work for most this month, it's a good time to reflect on the many within the media industry who balance various responsibilities as well as their work. Ella Sagar sits down with two leading women who have worked agency-side and media owner-side to discuss the unique experiences and challenges faced by women in their media careers, and how the industry can and should do more to make the workplace more equitable.Tobi Asare is managing partner and director of growth at OMD UK, and author of The Blend: How to Successfully Manage a Career and a Family.Stefanie Daniels is founder of Life Begins at Menopause, a 20-year media careerist, and a Media Leader columnist.“If you don’t buy in to supporting women at various different life stages, then I think you are missing a trick," commented Asare.On the topic of the menopause, Daniels added, “For the sake of my mum, for my grandma, for my daughter, the buck stops here. We are going to change this narrative and we are going to empower these women so they absolutely can, one by one, take back control of this life stage.” ---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

TV has slipped out of marketers' top-ranked media channels this year, from third most-preferred to 12th.That is just one of the key takeaways from this year's Media Reactions report from Kantar, launched this week.Jane Ostler, the report's co-author and Kantar’s executive vice president of global thought leadership, sat down with host Jack Benjamin to unpack the report's findings."I think we're now seeing the days where the fragmentation that we've spoken about for the last 10 years in media means that TV is not necessarily always considered to be the base of the media plan anymore," said Ostler.The pair discussed how consumers and marketers diverge in preferences for media channels and brands, with consumers this year showing strong preferences for in-person ad experiences, be it through sponsored events, out-of-home, cinema, or point-of-sale.They also spoke about why marketers appear to be turning toward short- and long-form online video as their most-preferred medium, and the importance of attention in reaching consumers.---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are missing the holidaying Omar Oakes but are nevertheless back on the podcast this week to analyse some of the industry’s biggest stories.The rise of fake out-of-home: The pair discuss the rise and implications fake out-of-home ads, in particular talking through Gymbox's recent fake bus top out-of-home campaign and press release. They ponder if mocked-up billboards will become more common not just for brands but bad actors, including in politics.Negotiating The Telegraph sale: What is the importance of a sitting politician brokering a bid for one of the most recognisable newspapers in the UK? It reeks of "dodginess", according to Jack and Ella.Plus: The duo reflect on reports that senior YouTube staff are concerned about Shorts drawing audiences away from longer-form videos; the Rugby World Cup launching this Friday broadcast free-to-air on ITV; and list their media recommendations of the week.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Brands are still coming to terms with how to market to gamers, a number of brand strategists have highlighted on The Media Leader in recent weeks. And this is despite several years of work by ad professionals trying to crack the gaming market.With an audience of over 3 billion worldwide, gaming has developed over the past few decades into one of the most-loved and most-lucrative forms of entertainment, and brands want in on the action, hoping to reach audiences they often struggle to find elsewhere.But what is causing the slow uptake of gaming advertising, and what needs to be done to better communicate with adland the potential benefits of reaching the increasingly diverse gaming audience?Lucy Rissik, partnerships director for Women in Games and founder and CEO of boutique gaming marketing agency Brotherhood of Brand, and Nina Mackie, founder and CEO of Interact Global and part of female-led gaming industry organization WeGame2 join host Jack Benjamin to discuss the state of the gaming market, what advertisers need to know about gamers, and why there are opportunities aplenty to reach new audiences—so long as you're careful with your creative.Register to attend The Future of Gaming 2023 on 12 October in London to continue the conversation at https://www.adwantedevents.com/futureofgaming.---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Out-of-home (OOH) advertising is the oldest form of advertising there is, and it has had a whirlwind of the past three-and-a-half years. The medium was hard hit by pandemic-era lockdowns, but has recovered quickly and now, according to the World Out of Home Organization’s Global Market Index Report, it is set to surpass $40bn in global revenue for the first time this year.Route Research CEO Denise Turner joins host Jack Benjamin and reporter Ella Sagar to discuss the current state of the OOH market, developments in ad measurement, the viral success of fake OOH ads, and whether we've yet reached a 'new normal' when it comes to how individuals are traversing metropolitan areas.Ella also speaks about her recent interview with Clear Channel Europe CEO Justin Cochrane, who told her the OOH company is seeking to become a US-only business.---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

2023 has seen a startling spike in anti-queer rhetoric and misinformation around the world and brands have been caught up in the culture war.Earlier this year, Bud Light was victim of a right-wing boycott for a partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, and Target received a high-profile onslaught of threats against staff for offering Pride products during the month of June. Both companies responded by capitulating to pressure.Cass Naylor is co-director of advocacy at Outvertising, the not-for-profit LGBTQ+ advertising and marketing advocacy group. He is also an independent diversity and inclusion consultant and campaigner. And until recently, he worked in comms and marketing for the Financial Times.He joins host Jack Benjamin and reporter Ella Sagar to discuss how media properties, brands and advertisers must do more to support the queer community, especially in the months outside of Pride.“Queer people know what pinkwashing looks like; we're very, very sensitive to it now and we react very badly to it", Naylor says. "And [brands] are not getting any better at it. So you need to engage with your queer employees and the forum to do that is through the staff network. I'm a big believer in internal employee activism advocacy through staff networks, ERGs [and] BRGs. Lean on them. They are your experts. But make sure that you deserve to be showing up where you’re showing up and then be loud about it because we need companies to lead the charge."---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Jack Benjamin, Omar Oakes and Ella Sagar are back on the podcast this week to analyse some of the industry’s biggest stories.The Premier League season is upon us once more, and while Jack may be clueless about British professional sport, he did cover how the league’s forthcoming gambling ads ban has thus far had ‘almost no impact’ on Premier League shirt sponsorships. With Disney finally getting involved in the gambling industry through its sports broadcaster ESPN, will the sports betting market continue to grow despite growing concerns over gambling ads?Clear Channel has pledged a strategic review of its European holdings after it previously sold off its Swiss and Italian businesses this year. Ella discusses how the company expects to do the same in Spain and France next year, and how the outdoor company is in sell-mode as it seeks to reduce more than $5bn in company debt.Plus: the trio discusses a number of disappointing earnings results from news publishers and considers whether AI can provide them with a competitive advantage in the future; and the Daily Mail and General Trust has thrown its hat into the ring to purchase Telegraph Media Group, but could such an acquisition get past regulators?---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

2023 has been touted as the year of retail media. Between Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Lidl, Boots, Target, Kroger, Uber, Deliveroo, Revolut, and Walmart, retailers have been jumping at the chance to expand their media footprints. But what should retail media’s space be on the media plan?Kiessé Lamour, Wunderman Thompson's global head of media, commerce, and Simon Akers, founder of marketing consultancy Archmon, join host and reporter Ella Sagar to future of retail media, including why Lamour and Akers believe travel companies are primed to be the next big thing.“We should be treating retail media as a contributor to the overall shopper strategy," said Akers. "It’s complicated because you’ve got brands, you’ve got the shopper team, you’ve got the retailer... [but] how do we integrate the needs of the shopper team with the needs of the media team and ensure that we’re all helping each other out?"---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Omar Oakes and Ella Sagar prove their dedication to B2B podcasting by missing the England v Nigeria World Cup penalty shootout to record this episode with their analysis on the industry's biggest stories.OFCOM'S MEDIA NATIONS REPORT - is broadcast media suffering from 'fragmentation' or does it really have a deeper cultural problem with more consumers preferring short-form content? Spoiler for Omar's opinion, which features in his column today.RAJAR - did the BBC score an own goal by letting Ken Bruce walk away with Popmaster? The Rajar radio audience figures once again provided a plethora of interesting audio stories... but do we need to play closer attention to talk radio and the rise of GB News/TalkTV?PLUS Omar and Ella reflect on Sky Media trialling ITV's self-serve ad platform, why so few people in the US are taking up ads on Netflix and Disney+, and why Omnicom is giving media owners and advertisers marks out of 100 for how sustainable they are.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Commercial radio superseded the BBC in share of radio listening in the past year, and in tandem with the growing popularity of podcasts, audio is having a moment.Radiocentre CEO Matt Payton joins lead audio reporter Ella Sagar and host Jack Benjamin to discuss the past, present and future of the medium. The trio discuss the post-pandemic ascendancy of commercial radio, the need to innovate audio measurement tools and standards, and hurdles and opportunities in getting the upcoming Media Bill passed through parliament."The easy trap to fall into is to sort of talk about the good old days," said Payton. "Whereas actually, right now, radio and audio we think is stronger than ever. Stronger than ever in terms of audiences, in terms of revenues last year. So it’s taking this moment and saying, look, we’re in a bit of a golden age of audio, so let’s think about building on the innovation, developments up until now and focus on the future.”---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Google's EMEA president Matt Brittin spoke to Omar Oakes at the recent Cannes Lions advertising festival to discuss how the online advertising and media behemoth is approaching AI and how it's being discussed with advertisers, publishers and media agencies. Plus: ever wondered what it takes to become a senior exec at a massive tech company? Brittin's background and career journey may surprise you.The Media Leader Podcast's production partner is Trisonic.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

DEI, EDI, D&I – no matter the acronym you use, it is undeniable that conversations around equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion have been increasing across the board in recent years.But how does talk translate to action within the media industry? Shez Iqbal is a mentor at Media For All and head of publisher partnerships at Criteo. He joins the podcast alongside host Ella Sagar and guest Jack Benjamin to chat through the nitty gritty of diversity, equality, equity and inclusion in leadership in media and advertising.Iqbal is also a host of his very own podcast, 'Leadership in Colour', which showcases outstanding leaders of colour sharing their personal journeys, offering valuable insights and advice, and highlighting their current projects.“I think that coaching is something that should be available for everybody," said Iqbal. "We definitely have an issue—and the All In Census definitely showed it—we’ve got an issue within the industry where people might come in at certain levels and hit at maybe the middle-management and then leave. But I do feel like with the support of coaching, actually we can let them or allow them to have a better plan and route to the top.”---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Listen to Shez Iqbal's 'Leadership in Colour' podcast here, or wherever else you get your podcasts.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by editor Omar Oakes and reporter Ella Sagar to discuss the latest news around the media industry.Key headlines covered this week: Twitter is being rebranded as X; 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' both had exceptional opening weekend box office performance thanks in part to impressive marketing campaigns; Hollywood remains on strike with no end in sight; earnings season is upon us; and NME is relaunching its print edition.---The Media Leader Podcast's production partner is Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader

One of the key questions we are always asking industry experts, be it in our reporting or at our conferences, is what makes for effective media? Is it all about excellent creative? Is it about perfect placement? Or is it, in the words of Succession character Kendall Roy, all simply about harvesting eyeballs?Mike Follett, managing director at Lumen Research and a regular columnist for The Media Leader, is back on the podcast to discuss the key factors that make media effective, and where attention fits within the conversation. He is joined by The Media Leader editor Omar Oakes and reporter and host Jack Benjamin.On the broad topic of effectiveness, Follett said the industry needs to admit what it does and doesn't know about the way media and advertising works.“We assume that we know absolutely how these things work, and we have some numbers to back us up here," he said. "But in all honestly, we don’t. That’s the real truth. We don’t have the complete picture of how this stuff works. And I think admitting that is the smart thing to do, and pretending that we do have a 100% picture of the world, that’s crazy.”---This episode was edited by our production partner Trisonic.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderThreads: @TheMediaLeaderTwitter: @TheMediaLeader YouTube: The Media Leader