The Media Leader Podcast

There’s a lot going on at the BBC at the moment. A pair of scandals relating to a Gaza documentary and former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace have caused a stir. And the timing isn’t great a year before negotiations on a new royal charter, especially as a further 300,000 households have reportedly stopped paying the licence fee.But the Beeb’s commercial arm is in rude health, achieving record revenue and profit in its latest earnings report.To thrive in the next era of media consumption, the BBC is adapting to reach audiences where they are and stave off competition from streaming rivals and social platforms. And it's turning to ecommerce to drive new revenue streams off the back of its most popular intellectual property.Jasmine Dawson is BBC Studios’ senior vice-president of digital. She joins Jack Benjamin to discuss how the commercial arm is modernising its go-to-market strategy by cultivating fan communities and providing reliable measurement of engagement in a fragmented social environment.Highlights:3:06: Reaching "platform-agnostic" viewers to drive fandom6:46: BBC Studios' new ecommerce play11:53: Accurately measuring engagement – why views are "a false economy"16:12: Challenges in working with platforms22:41: Leveraging the creator economy and "acting like a creator"Related articles:Adapting to shifting media consumption habits – with TikTok, Spotify, Global and BBCTwitch CEO Dan Clancy: Why brands should reach ‘entertainers who happen to game’You wait weeks for BBC scandal reports to come along…---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 Salesforce.AI is changing the world of media and marketing at a rapid pace. But how are brands using the technology to drive better business outcomes and efficiencies?In part two of a series of special episodes, Robin Tapp, chief intelligence officer at events giant RX Global, and Felicity Starr, regional vice-president at Salesforce, join host Jack Benjamin to discuss how pragmatic approaches to AI can enhance business efforts.The trio also discuss how work will be augmented by AI transformation, challenges and risks faced by businesses scaling AI use cases and what it means for the future of work.Highlights:3:31: The importance of centralised data architecture8:00: Hurdles to AI transformation and concerns over governance12:04: The potential of agentic tools — and the continued importance of face-to-face interaction17:12: What is exciting and daunting about AI? Labour impact, data security and model biasRelated articles:How Tottenham Hotspur FC is integrating AI — with Rob Pickering and Salesforce’s Felicity StarrBehave: Significant gaps exist between C-suite and employees over AI implementationCannes reflections: AI took centre stage, but didn’t address our industry’s profound questions---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

Everyone is fighting over slivers of attention.In an era marked by the massive popularity of short-form video, changes in behaviour around second-screening and increased but fractured media consumption, getting an edge over the competition could be the difference between someone spending three seconds looking at your ad as opposed to 1.5 seconds.Will Parrish is chief strategy officer at VCCP Media. Earlier this year, the agency, alongside attention expert Karen Nelson-Field and her team at Amplified, conducted a study into how having distinctive brand assets can be a game-changer for advertisers competing for those split seconds of attention on social platforms.Parrish joins Jack Benjamin to unpack key findings from the study, how they impact his understanding of the media mix, how brands should consider attention within their wider measurement toolkit and why there is no longer, to borrow from Lord of the Rings, “one asset to rule them all”.Highlights:5:12: Taking the temperature of the ad industry10:43: Findings from VCCP Media and Amplified's Hacking the Attention Economy research23:13: How attention measurement impacts consideration of the media mix27:19: Working with creative teams to understand the strengths and weaknesses of media environments38:41: Does attention have a perception issue with marketers?Related articles:Just 1.5 seconds is enough for ad recall, new attention study revealsEverything you wanted to know about attention but were too afraid to askPrincipal media in the age of attention metrics‘Fit for TV’ YouTube channels drive higher ad attention than non-premium video---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 Salesforce.AI is changing the world of media and marketing at a rapid pace. But how are brands using the technology to drive better business outcomes and efficiencies?In part one of a series of two special episodes, Rob Pickering, chief technology officer for Tottenham FC, and Felicity Starr, regional VP at Salesforce (and a Spurs fan), join host Jack Benjamin to discuss how AI is enhancing the club's customer services and creating personalised experiences for fans.The trio also discussed the importance of sport for brands' media investments and what the future of fandom looks like in a rapidly changing media consumption environment.Highlights:4:25: Where are we in the AI revolution? Early use cases10:12: Tips for embracing agentic and the importance of data governance19:40: How to get started: 'If you can write it, you can do it'25:10: What next in the digital transformation journey?29:17: The future of sport business and fandomRelated articles:Women’s sports are reshaping the future of adspendBehave: Significant gaps exist between C-suite and employees over AI implementationCannes reflections: AI took centre stage, but didn’t address our industry’s profound questions---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 great laws of advertising is that everyone wants to reach and understand young consumers.Earlier this month on the podcast, host Jack Benjamin spoke with Hasbro’s global heads of media to get the perspective of one brand with a vested interest in speaking to younger cohorts. And last week, he also prodded Channel 4 about its own research into Gen Z. But there's more to unpack, particularly around issues of child safety online and how gaming is becoming increasingly impossible for media planners to ignore. So, consider this sort of like an informal summer series.Kate O’Loughlin is CEO of SuperAwesome, a company that offers ad and gaming products, audience insights and compliance capabilities for marketers wanting to reach the next generation of consumers. Formerly owned by Epic Games, SuperAwesome was acquired by its own leadership at the beginning of last year.O’Loughin and spoke with Benjamin about what sets younger consumers apart, how to reach them in gaming environments and on social platforms, and – importantly – how to do so in a way that is respectful of their privacy and user safety.Highlights:6:58: Mistakes brands make when targeting young consumers9:42: Addressing user safety concerns: data privacy, age verification and harmful content20:27: Fragmented fandoms amid the growth of the creator economy27:22: Making gaming a consistent investment: know your role as a brandRelated articles:Twitch CEO Dan Clancy: Why brands should reach ‘entertainers who happen to game’Gen Z aren’t just teens — they’re customers and big gamersTwitch streamer’s message to brands: ‘Trust us’Forget the ‘good old days’: What Gen Z’s financial outlook means for brandsChannel 4 commercial chief: Advertisers chase ‘cheap reach’ at Gen Z’s peril-----> 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 Channel 4Channel 4's chief commercial officer Rak Patel and head of sales strategy Sam Hicks join Jack Benjamin for a conversation in the south of France during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.UK broadcasters stole the show this week, with Channel 4, ITV and Sky announcing a pioneering collaboration with Comcast Advertising to provide a self-serve TV ad marketplace aimed at making TV more accessible for small and medium-sized businesses.The pair speak about why the collaboration is a gamechanger for the TV market, how Channel 4 is reaching Gen Z viewers across a variety of platforms and what sets the broadcaster apart from its competitors.Highlights:3:56: A new marketplace for SMEs to buy TV7:33: Reaching Gen Z with trusted content12:50: Investing in nations and regions15:16: The uniqueness of Channel 4's inclusive mission and business model18:17: Cutting through the digital noiseRelated articles:Channel 4, ITV and Sky roll out ad marketplace to attract new advertisersShared garden trumps walled garden: UK broadcasters join forces to tell TV storyChannel 4 moves into in-house production amid flat revenue growthChannel 4 commercial chief: Advertisers chase ‘cheap reach’ at Gen Z’s peril---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

Brands are navigating choppy waters this year amid macoreconomic uncertainty, meaning media strategies are having to remain nimble and adaptable.One brand that has an especially interesting challenge is Hasbro. The toy company owns a huge swathe of major brands and intellectual property – much of it primarily consumed by children – and managing the portfolio and the different media tactics needed across those brands presents unique obstacles and considerations.Jennifer Burch and Kristina Fields are both senior directors of global media at Hasbro. They join Jack Benjamin to discuss how they are currently working to balance investment across brand and performance media throughout their portfolio to appeal to kids through various media channels without explicitly targeting them.The duo also speak about how they’ve been responding to the unpredictability of US president Donald Trump's tariff plans, how their relationship with agencies has changed over time and the importance of brand safety.Highlights:4:29: Managing different brands in Hasbro's portfolio across brand and performance12:04: How Hasbro's relationship with agencies has changed over time19:00: Considering brand safety as well as reaching kids and their parents across different media channels41:28: How tariff uncertainty is impacting media strategy and investmentRelated articles:WPP Media downgrades ad growth forecast amid macro chaosChannel 4 commercial chief: Advertisers chase ‘cheap reach’ at Gen Z’s perilForget the ‘good old days’: What Gen Z’s financial outlook means for brandsBrands must understand the ‘interesting disparity’ of Gen Alpha---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

There is a lot going on at Paramount. There's a proposed merger with Skydance on the horizon, a sudden change in its media agency, strong growth for Paramount+, managing a rebrand with 5 – and it’s all happening against a challenging TV ad market.Amid the state of play, Paramount president of international ad sales Lee Sears joins Jack Benjamin to unpack how he and his team are working to drive revenue growth across the recently rebranded 5, streaming service Paramount+ and FAST service Pluto TV.The pair also speak about the state of the streaming market, how Paramount is looking to simplify TV buying for advertisers – including increasingly SMEs – and what clients are saying about the ongoing Skydance merger.Highlights:7:02: Paramount's opportunity in the long tail18:18: Managing 5's rebrand22:40: Growing audiences and reducing churn for Paramount+33:00: Has the potential Skydance merger impacted commercial conversations?35:12: Consolidating Paramount's portfolio for brandsRelated articles:Paramount+ sees double-digit user growth amid flat Q1 for SVODParamount to handle sponsorship on 5 as it offers brand partnerships exclusivelyParamount+ launches cheaper ad tier in the UKChannel 5 to become just ‘5’: UK PSB’s first ‘unified’ rebrandThe Fishbowl: Lee Sears, Paramount---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

We all get older and with age comes wisdom and, especially today, a whole lot of purchasing power.But the ad industry is appearing to suffer from a severe bout of ageism. According to the latest IPA Agency Census, just 8% of people working in agencies in the UK are over the age of 51. Meanwhile, over-51s account for over 33% of the overall UK workforce and 22% of the information and communication sector.To consider the issue in more detail, the IPA released a report in April titled Time for Some New "Age Thinking". Its author, Anna Sampson, is an industry consultant, former agency research lead and has previously written extensively for The Media Leader.Sampson sits down with Jack Benjamin to unpack why media is skewing so heavily towards younger employees, what it risks losing without more experienced people and how leaders can develop strategies for supporting age inclusion even amid lay-offs at major agencies.Highlights:1:50: Age demographics in the UK ad industry6:40: Navigating change amid agency lay-offs and AI efficiencies13:12: What do you lose by not having enough staff who are over 51?18:06: Strategies for age inclusion22:51: Advice for those facing redundancyRelated articles:Jan Gooding: The one unavoidable discrimination we’re guilty ofNicola Kemp: The future of media is not Group MenAlly Owen: You peak in media at 34... by 45 you're invisible---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

There is an interesting tension brewing between broadcasters and platforms as we enter into a rapidly shifting era of media consumption.The two types of media owners are increasingly working together. Incremental audiences are being found by the likes of ITV and Channel 4 on YouTube. News publishers are needing to disseminate information to especially young consumers via TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Podcasts, including this one, can be found almost anywhere. Spotify is pivoting to video and Channel 4 is leaning in, recently announcing it is now putting video programming on the platform in a UK broadcasting first.This is all occurring even as more traditional media channels continue to bang the drum about the negative side of social media, including the lost attention spans, misinformation and lack of adequate content moderation.What does the future of this relationship look like? How are both groups adapting to changing media consumption habits? Does creative ideation need to change? Can broadcasters monetise audiences on platforms effectively or will they merely serve as avenues for marketing and distribution?Last month, at The Future of Audio and Entertainment conference, Jack Benjamin was joined by TikTok's Trevor Johnson, Spotify's Ed Couchman, Global's Katie Bowden and BBC Studios' Jasmine Dawson to discuss this topic.Highlights:1:36: Changes to media consumption in recent years7:10: Standing out among the noise of the creator economy12:46: Can platforms be more than a discovery or marketing tool for broadcasters?20:36: How measurement efforts need to adapt to multimedia distribution28:06: Commerce, creators and new competition: how media consumption will change in the next five yearsRelated articles:Channel 4 to launch video programming on SpotifyHow Spotify is ‘removing friction’ to pursue the long tailITV finds incremental reach on YouTubeAre you ready for social media’s programmatic shift?---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