Media Intelligence

This week, Kate Scott-Dawkins is joined by Jeff Foster, Nidhi Shah, and special guest Aisha Khan to break down the latest Q2 earnings reports from major media and commerce players. They talk about Disney’s NFL-ESPN deal, Fox’s Tubi success, Warner Bros. Discovery’s struggles, and the booming growth of retail media. Plus, they explore how tariffs are affecting businesses, AI’s growing role in advertising, and the blending of streaming and commerce.00:00 - Introduction01:38 - Disney’s NFL-ESPN Deal and Speculation on ESPN’s Future04:36 - Fox’s Tubi Growth and Political Ad Revenue Highlights07:27 - Warner Bros. Discovery’s Struggles with Streaming and Linear Declines10:27 - Retail Media’s Explosive Growth: Mercado Libre, Shopify, and More14:06 - Tariffs and Their Impact on Retailers and Consumers16:14 - AI’s Role in Advertising and Commerce Trends19:22 - Shopify’s Expansion and Success with Larger Clients21:41 - Snap’s Underperformance and Digital Advertising Trends22:12 - Closing Thoughts and Preview of Next Week’s TopicsMid-Year Global Advertising Forecast Update: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025?utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=episode_72_description

Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah break down a whirlwind of economic news. They explore how tariffs and globalization are shaking up industries, dive into mixed earnings from media giants, and celebrate Reddit’s big ad revenue boost.The hosts also discuss AI’s growing role in advertising, challenges for traditional TV networks, and kids’ changing viewing habits from Ofcom’s latest report. Plus, hear how L'Oréal is using AI to innovate in beauty tech and what slowing consumer spending means for luxury brands.00:00 - Economic Whirlwind: Analyzing Recent Trends06:21 - Media Owners Earnings: Insights and Growth13:41 - AI's Impact on Advertising: The Future of Marketing17:06 - Reddit and Meta: Diverging Paths in Digital Advertising23:49 - AI's Impact on Advertising Strategies25:58 - Challenges for Legacy Media in the AI Era27:17 - Earnings Insights from Major Broadcasters28:36 - The Role of Sports in Advertising Revenue31:56 - Paramount's Earnings and Industry Changes35:35 - Ofcom Report: Trends in UK Video Consumption38:42 - L'Oréal's Growth and AI InnovationsMid-Year Global Advertising Forecast Update: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025?utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=episode_71_description

Kate, Jeff, and Nidhi chat about the latest earnings from big names like Google, ITV, and Televisa Univision. They dive into how AI is driving ad growth, why digital formats are taking over, and how consumer spending is holding up despite tariffs and other challenges.They also explore what’s happening in the auto world with EVs, how brands like Coca-Cola and LVMH are staying strong, and why ESPN’s NFL deal could shake things up. Plus, hear how legacy media is juggling linear TV and streaming.00:00-Introduction01:25-Google Earnings and AI Investments07:40-European Media Owners: Challenges and Digital Shifts12:05-Televisa Univision and Sports Media Updates18:11-Automotive Industry: GM, EVs, and Tariff Impacts26:29-Luxury and CPG Trends: LVMH, Nestle, and Coca-Cola32:08-Looking Ahead: Upcoming Earnings and Economic SignalsMid-Year Global Advertising Forecast Update: https://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025

Kate and Jeff dive into the week’s biggest stories in media, marketing, and consumer trends. They explore Netflix’s ambitious $2 billion ad revenue goal, Albertsons’ impressive e-commerce growth, and PepsiCo’s focus on protein-packed strategies. The duo also unpacks key economic updates, including inflation and retail sales data, and reflects on the decline of late-night TV. Packed with insights, this episode offers a fresh look at how brands are adapting to today’s shifting landscape.00:00 - Introduction01:00 - Inflation, Retail Sales, and Economic Trends07:15 - Albertsons’ E-Commerce Growth and Media Strategy12:42 - PepsiCo’s Protein Push and Marketing Shifts15:24 - Netflix’s $2B Ad Goal and Streaming Success23:43 - Late-Night TV Decline and Industry TrendsLinks: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/business/tariffs-recession-economists.html

Hosts Kate and Jeff dive into everything from the U.S. economy to big changes in media and entertainment. They chat about the future of search, how AI is shaking up copyright and content creation, and even affordable robots for learning. It’s all about how tech is reshaping industries and what it means for the future.00:00 - Introduction01:34 - US Economic Data - Unemployment trends, AI’s role in jobs, and economic data insights.05:38 - Consumer Spending - Credit card debt, tariffs, and shifting consumer habits.07:50 - New Business Trends - Growth in business applications and manufacturing orders.10:14 - A&E Sale - What A&E’s potential sale means for the cable industry.12:23 - Disney-ITV Partnership - A unique content-sharing deal between Disney and ITV.16:16 - F1 Media Rights - Apple’s bid for F1 rights and changes in sports media.18:28 - AI Browsers and Cloudflare - AI-powered browsers and Cloudflare’s move to block crawlers.21:35 - AI Copyright Cases - Court rulings on AI copyright and their impact on creators.24:47 - Robots in Education - Hugging Face’s Ricci Mini robot and its potential in coding education.27:58 - What’s Next - Upcoming earnings reports, CPI data, and next week’s highlights.LinksCloudflare blog: https://www.cloudflare.com/press-releases/2025/cloudflare-just-changed-how-ai-crawlers-scrape-the-internet-at-large/ Huggingface robot: https://huggingface.co/blog/reachy-mini 

Join Kate, Jeff, and Nidhi as they unpack advertising's evolution in the AI era. The team examines recent ad tech developments and how TV advertising is shifting with new technologies and viewer behaviors.They discuss content creators' growing influence in advertising and share insights on economic trends affecting consumers. The conversation explores Warner Brothers Discovery's split and its implications for the media landscape.They also analyze European broadcasting partnerships and the rising valuations of sports content in today's competitive marketplace.00:00 Introduction & Weather Chat01:52 AI Revolution in Advertising05:10 Breaking Down Ad Tech Announcements08:39 TV Advertising's Transformation12:10 The Influencer Effect13:09 Economic Trends & Consumer Pulse14:40 WBD Split: Media's Big Shakeup17:16 Media M&A Landscape20:06 European Broadcasting Alliances23:24 Sports Content: The New Gold Rush26:48 Looking Ahead: Industry Forecast

Kate Scott-Dawkins from WPP Media sits down with Brian Berner, Global Head of Ad Sales at Spotify, during Cannes Lions 2025. They discuss the evolution of advertising, Spotify's innovative strategies, and how AI is shaping both consumer experiences and ad creation. The conversation provides insights into global advertising trends, Spotify’s growth in emerging markets, and the future of technology in marketing.00:00 - Welcome to Cannes: Setting the Stage for Innovation03:15 - From Campus Ads to Spotify: Brian Berner’s Ad Journey08:45 - Advertising in Flux: Trends Reshaping the Industry14:30 - AI at Spotify: Revolutionizing Personalization and Ads20:10 - Cracking Emerging Markets: India, Brazil, and Beyond25:50 - The Next Frontier: Voice, Wearables, and Consumer Attention31:20 - Wrapping Up: Spotify’s Vision for the Future of Advertising

Kate Scott-Dawkins, Jeff Foster, and Nidhi Shah from the WPP Media Intelligence team discuss key highlights from their newly released advertising forecast report, This Year, Next Year, MidYear Forecast. The podcast covers global advertising trends, including market projections, shifts in media consumption, and the transformative impact of AI on the industry.Check out an interactive overview of the report here: http://www.wppmedia.com/news/tyny-midyear-2025?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=tynyTakeaways:Global advertising revenue is forecasted to reach $1.08 trillion by 2025.Retail media is expected to surpass total TV revenue by 2025.The advertising market shows resilience despite economic uncertainties.Search advertising continues to grow globally at 7.4%.Content-driven advertising is now the largest segment of media.User-generated content has surpassed professionally produced content in ad revenue.AI is transforming the advertising landscape significantly.Marketers need to consider how to engage with bots in the future.Trust and transparency are crucial in AI-driven advertising.The advertising industry is rapidly evolving with new technologies.00:00 - Introduction and Rebranding01:01 - Global Advertising Forecast for 202502:16 - U.S. Market Insights: Retail Media vs. TV04:38 - UK Trends and Digital Growth06:29 - Introducing the New Media Taxonomy10:49 - Industry Feedback on the New Framework13:08 - User-Generated Content Surpasses Professional Content14:17 - The Creator Economy and Revenue Streams16:07 - AI’s Transformative Impact on Advertising19:48 - Marketing to Bots and the Future of Web Traffic23:20 - Ethical Considerations for AI in Advertising24:46 - Closing Thoughts and Upcoming Episodes

In this episode, Kate Scott-Dawkins is joined by Jeff Foster and Nidhi Shah to discuss the team’s work on the upcoming This Year, Next Year advertising forecast report, set to release publicly on June 10th. The trio dives into key developments in media, technology, and advertising, including major announcements from Google I/O, Xiaomi's rise as a media owner, and the evolving role of AI in content creation and ad strategies. They also reflect on industry trends like programmatic buying in legacy media and the growing importance of live sports for streaming platforms.00:00 - Introduction and Team Updates01:52 - Paramount’s Rugby Deal and the Value of Live Sports03:44 - Xiaomi’s Growth, Smart EVs, and Advertising Strategy07:36 - Google I/O Announcements and AI Innovations12:58 - AI’s Impact on Advertising and Market Shifts17:08 - Legacy Media Trends and Programmatic Buying21:20 - What’s Next? Wrapping Up and Personal Highlights

In this episode, Kate Scott-Dawkins and Jeff Foster discuss the busy earnings season, highlighting key economic trends, advertising growth, and the impact of AI on major companies like Meta, Amazon, and Google. They explore the challenges faced by Snap and Spotify, Comcast's revenue struggles, and the future of subscription models in consumer behavior. The conversation also touches on global market trends and regulatory impacts, concluding with insights into cultural moments that shape media consumption.TakeawaysThe earnings season has been particularly busy with significant economic news.US hiring trends remain positive despite economic uncertainties.Meta is focusing on AI to enhance its advertising business.Snap's advertising growth is mixed, with stagnant user growth in key markets.Amazon continues to lead in advertising growth alongside Meta.Google's advertising performance shows signs of recovery, particularly in search.Microsoft's growth is driven by advertising within its personal computing segment.Apple's services revenue is steadily increasing, but hardware sales face challenges.Subscription models are expected to play a larger role in consumer purchases by 2030.Cultural moments, especially sports, continue to drive media consumption globally.00:00 - Introduction & Overview02:55 - Economic Trends & Consumer Sentiment05:49 - Earnings Reports: Meta & Amazon09:14 - Advertising Insights: Snap & Spotify12:07 - Digital Ad Landscape: Google & Microsoft14:56 - Future of Media: Subscription Models & Predictions17:59 - Comcast & Peacock: Performance Analysis21:07 - Market Trends: Global Insights & Regulations23:52 - Wrap-Up & Cultural Reflections