The Media Leader Podcast

Earlier this month, Allwyn’s global media director Ross Sergeant announced he would be joining GB News as its chief revenue officer.The appointment comes amid what Sergeant has referred to as an “inflection point” for the company. GB News has cumulatively lost £131.5m since its inception in 2021, with funding provided by owners Sir Paul Marshall and Dubai-based investment firm Legatum. But losses have been narrowing amid double-digit revenue growth and audiences have been growing as well. According to Barb figures, GB News has beaten both BBC News and Sky News in average audience and audience share in seven of the last eight months.But with growth comes scrutiny – from us here at The Media Leader and elsewhere. An investigation by Alan Rusbridger at The New World last week found that “GB News has essentially become Reform TV”, while broadcasting regulator Ofcom has “more or less given up the ghost”.Not only is GB News regularly airing incendiary, biased political views that align with the Reform Party — including by employing the party's sitting MPs, such as Nigel Farage, as presenters — but it’s also arguably doing so in contradiction of Ofcom regulations that, seemingly, aren’t being enforced.The Media Leader wanted to raise these topics and more with Sergeant, who is now being tasked with selling GB News to advertisers. Many such advertisers, particularly larger brands, have been skittish over concerns around brand safety and suitability and the nascent nature of the fledgling broadcaster.Highlights:1:43: Sergeant's background in media and why he joined GB News.13:30: Is GB News 'Reform TV'?24:40: Flouting Ofcom rules and incendiary rhetoric — does GB News have a brand safety problem?39:23: GB News's growing audience and Sergeant's blueprint for making the broadcaster profitable.50:42: Considering the state of the wider TV market and GB News's sales strategy within it.Related articles:Ross Sergeant joins GB News as chief revenue officer amid growth pushTwitter on TV: the real reasons why advertisers avoid GB NewsScreen scandal: How Ofcom lets GB News get away with it (The New World)

The BBC is at a critical moment as it looks to negotiate with the government over the renewal of its charter.This month, it published its response to the government’s consultation in which it highlighted the quote “need for radical reforms to its independence”.Preserving the status quo, the Corporation argued, will quote “not be enough to deliver a BBC that remains recognisable to audiences nor brings benefits to UK society and beyond.”Chiefly, the current funding model quote “cannot maintain the BBC’s public service mission for the future”, they argued.The Corporation is indeed facing a number of headwinds: it is losing an estimated £1bn pounds per year in potential license fee revenue as people evade required payments or forego TV ownership.A lack of funding has necessitated controversial cuts in recent years to a number of BBC services, most notably the World Service, which has seen a 21% drop in budget since 2021.It all comes as the Beeb is looking to hire a replacement for outgoing director-general Tim Davie. The aptly-named Matt Brittin, who led Google’s EMEA business for a decade, has been tightly linked to the opening.Amid it all, The Media Leader hosted the 15th annual Connected TV World Summit in London last week to discuss the future of TV business and TV technology.At the event, Kerensa Samanidis, the general manager of BBC iPlayer, sat down with Jack Benjamin to discuss the future of iPlayer.The pair spoke about the challenges faced by the BBC as it seeks to compete with global streaming giants, whether the BBC would look to partner with other public-service broadcasters on distribution, and the importance of producing distinctly British content for British audiences.Highlights:1:57: Will iPlayer open up to other public-service broadcasters?4:03: How iPlayer matches up to global streaming giants by being "all things to all people"9:10: Remaining prominent11:11: Considering distribution partnerships: Netflix, YouTube, and cannibalisation concerns16:23: How the BBC's range extends beyond entertainment and dramaRelated articles:‘Be careful who you put in your bed’: Broadcasters urged to partner with platforms cautiouslyHow a butterfly flapping its wings led to a tornado at the BBCBBC must remain ad-free and become more distinctive, Radiocentre analysis saysWhy advertisers need a strong BBC more than ever---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

Digital assets are have for several years been the main growth drivers for most media owners. This is as true of TV – ITV just announced it saw 10% growth in digital revenues compared to flat overall revenue growth – as it is in publishing, as seen in the latest consumer ABC figures, as it is OOH, as it is in, of course, social media and search.So it was little surprise that, according to IAB UK’s latest digital adspend report, in 2025 the UK’s digital ad market grew 10% to £40.5bn pounds. It’s a staggering number, especially when you consider that AA/Warc estimated the total UK ad market reached £46.9bn pounds last year.Adspend on social media grew 21% year on year to £11.5bn, even as industry leaders at both agencies and competing media owners made the case to "turn down the toxic" by divesting from social and reinvesting in more trusted media channels.Elizabeth Lane is the head of insight at IAB UK. She sat down with host Jack Benjamin her to unpack the latest adspend report, and why video in particular was a driving force for digital growth last year.The duo also discussed how AI is changing search to the detriment of publishers, what to watch out for in retail media, and why gaming and digital OOH also saw double-digit growth in 2025.Highlights:1:21: Toplines from IAB UK's 2025 Digital Adspend Report3:41: Social's pivot to video helps explain its 20% growth rate13:39: Search, retail media and gaming: disruption and missed opportunities24:06: How AI could change digital investmentRelated articles:UK adspend expected to surpass £50bn for first time in 2026High-attention media is more profitable, finds Peter Field, Lumen and NewsworksReddit looks to scale through search, performance and insightWhy audio is embracing video — with News Broadcasting’s Dave Wilcox and Russell Pedrick---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

In February, the Institute for Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) released its latest Agency Census. The findings showed an agency market in contraction: employment at creative agencies fell 14.3% last year – and that’s before Omnicom completed its acquisition of IPG and subsequently announced it would cut thousands more jobs globally.New hiring dropped over 40%, with young people especially finding careers in media and advertising hard to break into, let alone remain in.However, the Census also registered continued progress in gender representation and ethnic diversity at agencies, even if pay gaps persist and geographical diversity is lacking.Lianree Robinson is the campaigning chair for Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership (WACL). She also works as the CEO of The Marketing Academy Foundation and as a mentor for Who’s Your Momma London.If that wasn’t enough to keep Robinson busy, she’s also begun writing a monthly column for us at The Media Leader.Robinson joins host Jack Benjamin to discuss the findings of the IPA Agency Census, and provide a sense check of the progress the media and advertising industries have made with regard to gender and ethnicity inclusion.Highlights:5:38: IPA Agency Census toplines7:16: What has caused the creative agency labour market contraction?10:20: Challenges faced by under-25s employees19:24: Progress, but "relatively slow progress", on gender representation and ethnic diversity24:43: Persistent gender and ethnic pay gaps27:59: WACL's key priorities31:33: Geographical diversity neededRelated articles:Agency employment declines 6.8% as creative roles hollowed outWhy do female-founded agencies remain the exception?I didn’t take the ‘traditional’ route into media. That’s exactly why it workedAsk Nabs Anything: Handling redundancy, rejection and mental health — with Nabs’ Annabel McCaffrey---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

In January, an anonymous group of senior leaders at creative, media and adtech agencies released a memo warning that the industry is failing in its moral and civic duties to society.The memo argued that without an interruption to the status quo, advertising will “be a critical enabler to tech platforms that stoke hatred and division, facilitate hate groups to monetise their content at a time of increasing division in this country and many others, support the social license of the fossil fuel industry and provide broader greenwashing and social-washing services to industries that are under public scrutiny, and roll over in the face of anti-DEI rhetoric and desert those individuals, teams and communities that our industry has made commitments to.”It also argued that British business interests are losing independence to US political interests, that working groups have failed to drive internal change, and that the presence of Big Tech companies at industry-wide events and initiatives has stymied attempts at progress.The memo caused a stir, particularly given its timing just days ahead of the annual LEAD conference convened much of media and advertising's top brass to discuss the importance of trust.Its authors were criticised for remaining anonymous, but they nevertheless succeeded in sparking a conversation and renewed interest in key ethical issues that have arguably been suppressed since Trump’s re-election as US president in late 2024.Ned Younger is the director of Inside Track, the non-profit that was responsible for convening these anonymous individuals and facilitating their production of the memo.He sat down with The Media Leader earlier this month to discuss his takeaways from the group, and whether he thinks they will drive real change in the advertising industry.Highlights:2:04: What is Inside Track and how did it convene this anonymous group?6:41: Main concerns expressed by the group10:27: Future direction, calls to action, and the need for better forums of conversation15:16: Why remain anonymous?22:58: The risk of insufficient progressRelated articles:Anonymous group of senior ad industry leaders warns of industry-wide moral failingGovernment plans new powers to tackle online harms: ‘No platform gets a free pass’Meta admits revenue from fraud and scam ads ‘might’ have accounted for 3-4% of total revenueThe crisis in advertising: things we can do todayAct Climate Labs launches blueprint to phase out fossil fuel advertising---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

Late last month, a group of six magazine publishers – Bauer, Future, Hearst UK, Hello!, Immediate and Time Out – launched Atria, a single marketplace through which advertisers can engage with the combined reach of those publishers’ brands, equivalent to about 33m consumers.The effort is powered by publisher-owned first-party data. It is hosted by audience platform Permutive.Cath Waller is the managing director of advertising at Immediate Media. She is also the chair of PPA Magnetic, part of the Professional Publishers Association, the trade body for publishers.A leading voice behind the Atria effort, Waller sat down with host Jack Benjamin to discuss the marketplace's launch and where it might be headed next.The pair also discussed the current state of magazine publishing, and the headwinds and tailwinds facing Immediate.Highlights:2:43: The launch of Atria: how it works and how it came together10:12: "The industry is where it is": Magazine media is disinvested and publishers are under pressure15:25: The value of trusted editorial and a cleaner supply chain20:41: Future-facing goals26:59: How to handle AI? Embracing innovation as AI search reduces trafficRelated articles:Why quality pays: the power of trusted editorial in media planning – PPA Magnetic and The Media LeaderCMOs on what makes publisher partnerships work: ‘Great partners push back’PPA asks CMA to require greater transparency of Google’s AI search featuresThe Fishbowl: Cath Waller, Immediate Media---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

At the end of January, The Media Leader held its first ever Audio In Focus Week. The audio landscape is evolving at a breakneck pace – with growing digital audio audiences, and audio businesses moving into video production. So, we decided to dedicate an entire week’s worth of our coverage to exploring the innovations, strategies and voices shaping the media channel.The week was launched in partnership with Octave Audio, the digital audio marketplace owned by News Broadcasting.During the week, host Jack Benjamin sat down with Octave’s managing director Russell Pedrick, as well as News Broadcasting commercial director Dave Wilcox, at in News' London Bridge studio to discuss how the company’s audio offering has developed over the past year.Octave came under the full ownership of News UK last summer, after News bought out Bauer’s share. Bauer went on to launch its own digital audio marketplace, AudioXi.Pedrick was appointed MD in April ahead of the relaunch of Octave, and he’s since worked to expand the service to encompasses visual inventory as well, as News Broadcasting products talkSport, Times Radio, Virgin Radio and Talk Radio transform from radio and podcast shows to visual shows commonly watched online and on TV screens.Pedrick and Wilcox discussed audio's transition to video, Octave’s new AI product, and why they believe digital audio is undervalued in the current market. Hint: it involves needing better measurement standards. Highlights:5:03: Octave's strategic priorities7:31: Octave AI: balancing generative AI creative with desire for the human element12:04: Audio and video are merging, creating new commercial opportunities18:53: Embracing an omnichannel approach and a platform-led audience strategy24:04: Does podcasting need its own JIC?27:24: World Cup opportunity and why digital audio is undervaluedRelated articles:Octave MD reflects on how ‘audio is becoming a bit of a bolt on’ in podcastingPredictions for audio in 2026 from industry expertsWhy the 2026 World Cup should be the ultimate multi-channel showcase Rajar Q4 2025: Top Takeaways---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

This month, advertising industry trade bodies the IPA, Isba and the Advertising Association are spending a great deal of combined energy highlighting the issue of trust.That includes at the annual LEAD conference, which takes place this Thursday, and in a report released last week by the IPA that found trust-building ad campaigns improve business outcomes.Trust is what drives consumers to purchase goods and services from one brand over another; to give their attention to one media channel over another. And in a world of AI slop, misinformation, and falling trust in traditional institutions — a world in which trust is increasingly at a premium — it’s no surprise that the issue has been a core topic among executives in recent months, particularly those leading media channels like publishing and audio.Matt Bourn is the communications director at the Advertising Association. James Best is chair of the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Credos, the Advertising Association’s think tank.On February 3rd, the duo are releasing a new book, published by Kogan Page, titled Trusted Advertising – How to harness the value of trust in your brand. Bourn and Best joined The Media Leader to discuss takeaways the book, whether advertisers are sufficiently valuing trusted media channels, and what they can do to better build trust in their brands.Highlights:7:37: How the dynamics of trust have changed in the 21st century15:27: Understanding the public's trust in the advertising industry and trust in individual ads22:40: The business case for trust28:18: The tricky phenomenon of trust in influencers34:01: The AI issue: More slop, but also more monitoring36:56: What makes a trusted advertising campaign? Media choice, creative, measuring trust as a KPIRelated articles:Trust-building ad campaigns improve business outcomes, IPA research findsBauer Media Advertising MD Simon Kilby: We’re in a world that needs to start supporting trusted environmentsWhy quality pays: the power of trusted editorial in media planning – PPA Magnetic and The Media LeaderDoes trust matter in media?Trust is essential to the future of media. But how can advertisers measure it?---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

It's nearly the end of January, and from a macroeconomic perspective, it’s been an absolutely wild month. The US threatened to invade Greenland and institute tariffs on European countries mobilising to resist that effort. In Davos last week, Trump appeared to walk back some of those threats, but it’s safe to say uncertainty is and will continue to be at very high levels.Uncertainty raises questions for the media industry, which sits at the centre of global business activity.Earlier this month, The Media Leader convened its annual Year Ahead event in London. The invite-only event is always a great way to kick off the year. This year, Tom Standage, The Economist’s deputy editor, gave a fantastic run-down of some of those macro factors to look out for, and we separately interviewed him afterward to ask a couple follow up questions.In addition to Tom, The Media Leader's content director James Longhurst and senior reporter Jack Benjamin to the stage both to recap some of the key themes from last year, and also raise key questions to industry leaders on their plans for 2026.The duo wanted to involve the audience, so they also asked Mail Metro Media’s commercial chief Dominic Williams, Thinkbox CEO Lindsey Clay, Bauer Media Advertising MD Simon Kilby, and World Media Group CEO Jamie Credland to share their predictions for the year ahead, too.Highlights:2:02: Key themes from 2025 in media: Consolidation, getting "easier to buy", AI search5:30: Stories to watch in 2026: European-American business relations, trust, ROI on AI9:30: Dominic Williams: The World Cup opportunity11:12: Lindsey Clay: A return to brand building13:39: Simon Kilby: Valuing trusted media amid AI slop and harmful images16:05: Jamie Credland: Quality journalism in an age of AIRelated articles:2026 will be the year of…The Economist: A look at the political economyInside the Grok CSAM scandal and how brands have faced ‘weaponised political pressure’ to spend with XWorld Media Group members on how AI will reshape the media industry in 2026Nine AI tool announcements from CES 2026

A year ago, the Alliance of Independent Agencies and the Land of Independents collaborated to launch a new initiative aimed at sharing knowledge and support for independent media agencies.Enter the Alliance of Media Independents (AMI), which has served as a single route to the indie media agency market for suppliers and media owners.The AMI has spent the last year expanding, now with over 30 members that represent combined billings that rival the global holding groups.Martin Woolley and Paul Phelps are co-founders and chairs of the AMI. Woolley also works as executive chair of indie media outfit What’s Possible Group, which owns agency The Specialist Works, and Phelps is CEO of AMS Media Group.The duo sits down with host Jack Benjamin to discuss how and why the alliance was founded, the benefits its delivered to members, their plans for expansion, and why indies might be the beneficiaries of a consolidating agency landscape.As Woolley points out, a few years ago there were “never indie-only pitch lists”. Now? “Half the pitches in our business are indie-only. So something’s changed.”Highlights:3:20: Why and how was the AMI created?13:10: Benefits of the Alliance: Media owner interest, incremental growth, resource sharing.23:00: Competing with holdcos: Loss of trust amid trading deals, lack of transparency.29:02: Could clients leave agencies in favour of self-serve platforms?35:20: Why 2026 will be the year of indies.Related articles:Shaping the industry’ next phase: One year on as AMIAlliance of Media Independents announces Experian as first official partnerAlliance of Media Independents adds 16 members and doubles billingsIndie agencies team up for Alliance of Media Independents-----> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

Last month at the Future of TV Advertising Global event in London, three key brand marketers spoke about how they view the strengths of TV, particularly as they compare to other audio-visual platforms.Richard Brooke is the global media trading and operations director at Unilever. Sorin Patilinet is the global marketing effectiveness lead at PepsiCo. Alison Keith was until recently the head of global marketing effectiveness at Kraft Heinz and, before that, the VP of global media at Coty.The trio sat down with event producer and Media Leader contributor Justin Lebbon to discuss what brands want from the TV and where TV is now situated in their marketing strategies compared to other video platforms.Is TV still "cool"? Does it have a narrative problem with ad buyers? Is YouTube TV? Brooke, Patilinet and Keith unpacked a media channel in flux.Brooke also discussed why Unilever moved to increase its spend on social media platforms last year – a bold move that could well have heralded in a new era of confidence for the creator economy.Highlights:1:25: Reactions to TV consolidation3:40: TV is effective, but the creator economy is the shiny new thing8:21: The definition of “TV” is changing, but the standards of quality aren’t the same15:19: Is ad investment consolidation in Big Tech platforms healthy?22:56: Less adspend is going through JICs. Does independent measurement still matter?Related articles:Comcast Ads president: Uneven measurement standards create an ‘existential’ challenge for TVChannel 4, ITV and Sky commercial chiefs ask advertisers to ‘turn down the toxic’Watch: TV trends to look out for

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, yes, it’s the holiday season and we’re just days away from Christmas. But it’s also the global adspend report season. Business leaders are getting a holistic look at how the total ad market performed in the UK and around the world, and also what to expect for next year.WPP Media’s This Year Next Year report released on 8 December, and it has become something of an annual tradition to host its author and global president of business intelligence, Kate Scott-Dawkins, on this show before the end of the year.She returns once again to unpack this latest report, which forecast global ad revenue to grow 8.8% year on year to $1.14tn in 2025, despite persistent macroeconomic headwinds. Next year, WPP Media is predicting further 7.1% global growth, the majority of which is being captured by a handful of tech platforms.Scott-Dawkins offers her view on the state of the global economy, downside risks for marketers, and whether AI is likely to drive growth next year.This is the final episode of the podcast we at The Media Leader are releasing this year. Thank you to our wonderful guests and to all you listeners out there for tuning in. We’ll be taking a few weeks off the holidays but will be back up and running in the New Year.Highlights:1:50: Toplines: an optimistic forecast driven by platform growth6:12: Expect more consolidation9:33: Downside risks: tariffs, uncertain consumer spending, K-shaped recovery14:52: Advertising is leading the global economy17:56: Could the commerce market be upended by AI?20:20: Why the UK ad market is still "pretty healthy"22:33: Things to look out for in 2026: AI search, an upper-funnel correctionRelated articles:WPP Media forecasts 8.8% global ad revenue growth in 2025 but warns of ‘K-shaped economy’ risk‘Agencies may get squeezed everywhere’: US tariffs cause ad industry angstUncertainty and soft guidance as holding groups struggle for growth in Europe---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

This episode was produced in partnership with Roku.It's been a busy past few months for Roku: in the US, it launched a new low-cost subscription service, Howdy, which aims to be supplementary to the likes of Netflix and Disney+; in the UK, Roku launched 40 FAST channels on its platform.Last month, The Media Leader sat down with Roku’s content distribution director, Tom Price. If you haven’t listened, it’s worth your time – Price spoke about those developments, as well as how Roku works with its content partners to support their programming within the Roku platform.But that was only part 1 of a 2-part series produced in partnership with the company, timed to coincide with The Media Leader's focus on the future of TV at our annual Future of TV Advertising Global Event, held this week.For part 2 of the series, host Jack Benjamin is joined by Mike Shaw, the director of EMEA ad sales at Roku.Shaw discussed Roku's commercial strategy more broadly. He chatted about where Roku sits within the wider CTV ecosystem, how it’s working with retail media partners, innovations it would like to help drive in measurement, and how the TV market is changing to become more data-led and programmatic.Highlights:1:37: What will define the future of TV advertising?5:00: Growth and growing pains in CTV9:09: How to use data for brand and performance alike14:20: Linking CTV with retail media and driving innovation amid 'democratisation' of TV20:38: How Roku aims to grow market share in Europe: using TV OS for incremental reach26:36: The future of FAST and bundling amid subscription fatigueRelated articles:How Roku is piecing a fragmented TV landscape back together — with Tom PriceRoku launches FAST channels in UK marketHowdy confirms Roku’s growing interest in subscription streamingRoku eyes app bundling opportunity as next-gen aggregator---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

This episode was produced in partnership with The Guardian.Each year, The Guardian’s advertising team delivers a research project cheekily called Shift Happens.Blending survey data with first-party data, the study aims to unpack longer-term cultural trends in Britain that may well be of interest to savvy marketers.Imogen Fox is The Guardian's chief advertising officer. She returns to the podcast to unpack the report's key takeaways and its implications for marketers.These include five major changes consumers have made in how they spend their time throughout the week. Among them, people are waking up earlier, maximising weekends, heading to the pub early on Fridays, and taking reexamining their work-life balance priorities.Highlights:1:05: Shift Happens toplines5:00: How useful are trends reports?8:15: Lifestyle changes: joy slicing, return-to-office, weekend maximising, chatbot friends14:52: Advice for marketers20:40: The Guardian's plans for 2026Related articles:WTF happened to Friday?The Guardian promotes its creative canvas amid US investment driveIsn’t it time the ad industry embraces a 4-day week?---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

Last December, Phil Smith, the director-general of Isba (the trade body for advertisers), announced he would be stepping down after eight years.Succeeding him is Simon Michaelides, who most recently worked as the interim chief customer officer of Great British Racing.Both Isba's outgoing and incoming leaders joined host Jack Benjamin on the podcast to discuss Smith's legacy and Michaelides initialy priorities for Isba and its members.During Smith’s time at Isba, he was one of the key architects of Origin, the cross-media measurement service that he will now continue working on as its chairman. The trio spoke about Origin's next stage plans now that it officially launched this year.They also discussed a wide range of topics relevant to Isba's members, including the issue of principal media and whether it has reduced agency-client trust, the shifting TV market, and challenges facing CMOs.Highlights:5:17: Smith's legacy at Isba8:26: Making sense of the changing TV market12:55: The roadmap for Origin and early feedback from advertisers and media owners26:13: Michaelides' "relevance" agenda31:06: The agency-client relationship: consolidation, AI, principal media and trust42:00: Challenges for CMOs: rapid turnover, balancing the short and long term52:31: Should we have an Isba for SMEs?Related articles:Isba appoints Simon Michaelides director generalOrigin’s cross-media measurement solution has landed: A view from the bridgeIsba’s Phil Smith: Advertisers should take a bigger stake in OriginThree ways to access £15bn in adspend---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

PMG, an independent challenger ad agency, has gone on an investment spree. Over the past few months the agency has hired top talent, and in recent years it has acquired a number of businesses to build out a full-service offering for brands as it looks to challenge holding groups and other indies for business.One major addition it made last month was Josh Krichefski, the former GroupM EMEA and UK CEO, who is now PMG’s EMEA president.Krichefski is also notable for working as the president of IPA from 2023 to 2025, a role in which he championed industry talent and the importance of both acquisiton and retention.He joined The Media Leader recently to discuss his new role, PMG’s growth strategy and what sets it apart from competitor agencies amid a rapidly changing agency landscape.Krichefski also reflected on his time as IPA president and at WPP, and spoke about his views on the future of the agency model.Highlights:4:30: What attracted Krichefski to PMG after more than a decade at WPP9:43: PMG's go-to-market in EMEA: Transparency, consultancy, data27:01: Reflecting on Krichefski's time as IPA President and his People First agenda32:12: Agency consolidation and the future of the agency model38:26: Why AI is an opportunity, not a threatRelated articles:Josh Krichefski joins PMG as EMEA PresidentIPA president Josh Krichefski: ‘Put health and wellbeing at the forefront’WPP CEO labels group’s performance ‘unacceptable’ as it looks to SMEs‘We are in a crisis’: Advertising: Who Cares? suggests media business models must change---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

One of the key topics of industry research we at The Media Leader have been following is how media companies – be they agencies, owners or brands – can and should restructure themselves to become more fit-for-purpose in a changing media ecosystem.Independent marketing advisory MediaSense has been examining these issues for several years, and last month it released its latest report, in partnership with the World Federation of Advertisers, titled, The Future of Media Organisations. Based on responses from many of the world’s largest companies representing $52bn in annual media spend, the report found that media is emerging as a key way to connect disparate marketing functions – from creative to brand strategy. Media, in other words, is becoming less siloed.But that begs the question: how do businesses and their agencies reorganise to fit that new model?Ryan Kangisser is the chief strategy officer at MediaSense. He joins the podcast once again to explain the details of the study, their implications for marketers and agencies, and why integration – rather than scale – is the key to media success going forward.He remarks: "I think [brands] want full-service thinking, not necessarily full-service doing."Highlights:1:48: Toplines from The Future of Media Organisations report: breaking down siloes6:07: If media is taking a bigger role, who owns strategy?11:39: Developing the right data infrastructure to improve audience planning16:20: Global versus local: why there is an erosion of regional specialism24:03: How is the agency model changing?Related articles:Media’s strategic role in integrating marketing functions for brandsWhat’s the future role of media? It’s complicatedRethinking agency remuneration in 2025 — with MediaSense’s Ryan Kangisser---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

Last week, The Media Leader hosted its flagship annual event in London, The Future of Media, and for this week’s episode of the podcast, the team wanted to bottle one of the headline interviews from the conference.On Tuesday, host Jack Benjamin sat down with Niel Bornman, CEO of Publicis Media Connected UK.Publicis is having a big year – it is, by some margin, the strongest-growing of the major global media holding groups, to the point where its competitors are generally looking to emulate its business model.Bornman unpacked the moves the company has made in recent years to set it up for post-pandemic growth, and weighed whether its data-driven model is pushing advertisers more toward performance media.The pair also spoke about the future of the agency model, debated concerns around principal media, and discussed what needs to change to improve Publicis Groupe’s declining share price.Highlights:2:14: How Publicis' data-led model put it in a good post-pandemic position.5:08: Can Publicis maintain its USP as competitors look to emulate its business model?7:18: Are we over-investing in performance marketing?10:45: Boosting share price growth13:15: The future of the agency model in an era of AI19:00: Principal media: yay or nay?Related articles:‘We are in a crisis’: Advertising: Who Cares? suggests media business models must changeThe great media agency shake-upWho gains most from the agency shift to strategic partnerships with clients?Can principal media be good, actually?Podcast: What did Publicis get for $4.4bn? Interview with Epsilon UK MD Elliott Clayton---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media.LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

This episode was produced in partnership with Roku.It's been a busy past few months for Roku: in the US, it launched a new low-cost subscription service, Howdy, which aims to be supplementary to the likes of Netflix and Disney+; in the UK, Roku launched 40 FAST channels on its platform.The company has emerged as a key partner for other entertainment partners to increase the reach and viewability of their content, a goal that has become increasingly important in a fragmented TV landscape.Tom Price is the content distribution director at Roku. He joins host Jack Benjamin to discuss the latest developments at Roku, what makes the UK TV market unique, and how the company has developed a toolkit of advertising opportunities for its content partners.This is part one of a two-part conversation — be on the lookout later in the year for a follow-up interview with Roku's EMEA ad sales director Mike Shaw.Highlights:3:11: Roku's UK positioning: the pace of change, growth opportunities, FAST strategy.10:03: Cutting through the noise of a crowded streaming market.14:58: Howdy: Roku's US ad-free SVOD option.17:48: How Roku works with its content partners.25:07: What's next? Streaming market expansion and consolidation, FAST growth, new features.Related articles:Roku launches FAST channels in UK marketHowdy confirms Roku’s growing interest in subscription streamingRoku eyes app bundling opportunity as next-gen aggregator---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media.LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

At the heart of every media plan is the need to understand what a consumer wants; wants from your brand, your product, how they want to be spoken to and through what touchpoints.Michael Brown is the UK and EMEA head of research and insight, and a senior managing partner, at IPG Mediabrands.He joined host Jack Benjamin to discuss how his craft of both qualitative and quantitive consumer research is adapting to meet changing needs of CMOs, and how he is integrating AI into his work practice.Brown believes wholeheartedly that the human element is at the core of consumer insights, and he explains why it’s important for media companies and brands to continue taking that into account.As part of the conversation, the pair also spoke about key insights trends, including the seeping of politics into social listening online, and what it means for brands who have demonstrated care (or lack thereof) to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.In addition, Brown addressed how he and his team are handling any uncertainty over Omnicom’s forthcoming acquisition of IPG.Highlights:3:14: How demand for research and consumer insight is changing, and the crisis of "information overload" in the age of AI.11:34: Why true insight and storytelling require a "human premium".16:41: How do CMOs take on research?20:44: What's trending right now? Social listening, Reddit, and political controversy.28:24: Are brands shying away from responsible media investment and diversity, equity and inclusion?33:52: Reactions to Omnicom's acquisition of IPG.37:47: Is the social culture of adland changing?Related articles:The ad gap: Why marketers are falling behind consumers, and how to catch up Consumers seeking comfort online more likely to view advertising positivelyUS FTC approves Omnicom-IPG merger on condition it does not make ad decisions based on ‘political or ideological viewpoints’---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader