The Media Leader Podcast

Social media gets a lot of flak. Its critics accuse platforms of causing massive negative externalities on society – everything from crumbling democracies to mental health crises gets blamed on social media.And “social media” as a term has even become so toxic that social media companies themselves prefer to call themselves anything but “social media”. The tagline to Snapchat’s marketing campaign last year was: “Less social media. More Snapchat.” TikTok calls itself an entertainment platform.But does social media need to be this way? Perhaps not.WeAre8 is a challenger platform that wants to prove social media can have a positive social impact. The platform has a unique opt-in advertising experience that enables users to be paid to watch ads, with proceeds optionally donated to charities of their choosing.The startup calls itself “The People’s Platform” – but does it have the requisite scale to attract advertisers looking for strong business results and not just a morally driven goal of spending with supposedly nicer players?Laura Chase, WeAre8’s UK managing director, joins host Jack Benjamin to explain the app's features, commercial model and how it is working to attract investment from brands."We can fix big problems by watching ads," she says.During the interview, Chase also reveals that WeAre8 is launching a voice note ad product in time for less healthy food ad restrictions.Highlights:5:12: WeAre8's mission to "bring the best of social" while removing "the bad bits"9:34: Scale, product development and brand-safety efforts15:12: WeAre8's opt-in ad model: control, effectiveness and charitable benefits28:44: Supporting publishers and partnering The Independent on Bulletin38:09: Moving beyond algorithmic feedsRelated articles:‘This is for everyone’: Tim Berners-Lee is continuing his search for a benign online world‘Positive’ platforms improve purchase intent, Pinterest saysThe Fishbowl: Laura Chase, WeAre8---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

Alan Rusbridger is one of Britain’s most acclaimed journalists. As editor of The Guardian for 20 years, he oversaw the outlet’s transition into the digital world and landed a Pulitzer Prize for publishing information leaked by Edward Snowdon about the US National Security Agency.Since 2021, he has worked as editor of Prospect, a leading British current affairs magazine celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Prospect had an exceptional year in 2024, nearly doubling its digital circulation to more than make up for losses in print circulation.Rusbridger joins host Jack Benjamin to discuss what is driving strong growth for Prospect. The pair also weigh up the sustainability of news media business models, the differences between US and British press standards, whether social media platforms provide a net benefit to publishers and what journalism will look like in the age of AI."We're in a world of information chaos," Rusbridger says. "We're in a world where people don't know who to believe or what to believe, increasingly. We know there are bad players who are deliberately pumping out information that is wrong. "You've got the most powerful man in the world actively trying to create a world in which disinformation, misinformation flourish and facts and fact-based journalism don't. And it's really frightening."Advertisers are part of that world. The advertisers I've spoken to are dismayed by the thought of their content swimming in this sea of garbage – I'm using a polite word – because it's not good for their brands. it's not good for trust in information."Highlights:2:09: What drew Rusbridger to Prospect and his editorial strategy for the magazine8:46: Drivers of Prospect's digital growth14:16: Can advertising models still support news media?24:38: Journalism's messy relationship with AI29:51: The failure of trust in news in the US and the UK38:18: Why platforms are "good, bad and ugly"43:49: What keeps Rusbridger up at nightRelated articles:‘End of an era for search as we know it’? Publishers grapple with gen-AI searchStagwell out to prove business case for investing in newsConsumer ABCs 2024: 5 key 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

At the tail end of March, Digital Cinema Media (DCM), the UK’s largest cinema ad sales house, hosted its annual upfronts in the Leicester Square Odeon. It was a way to celebrate cinema’s strong start to the year and look ahead to the 2025 and 2026 film slates, but also an opportunity for brands to consider whether to position the channel more prominently on their AV plans.Among the presentations, new research from DCM found that cinema is well-placed to drive price premiums – that is, consumers were willing to pay on average 12% more for a brand that advertised in cinemas than if it had advertised on other media channel. It's a finding that could prove useful in an era marked by continued macroeconomic uncertainty and the desire for brands to retain pricing power.DCM CEO Karen Stacey joined host Jack Benjamin to discuss the research and unpack what has driven the sales house's 33% revenue growth in Q1. Stacey also explored where cinema belongs on media plans today and how the channel can grow its share of adspend.Highlights:1:30: Stacey's career path, advice for leaders and priorities for Wacl14:59: DCM's strong start to 2025 – what's behind the growth in revenue and cinema admissions?24:52: The opportunity for cinema to embrace programmatic30:45: Will box office and admissions ever get back to pre-Covid levels?34:59: How cinema drives strong price premiumsRelated articles:Cinema drives up price premium, research suggestsBridget Jones leads 20% growth in February box officeAre all ‘views’ created equal? With TikTok, DCM, Total Media and Mindlab---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

The creative industries' fight to protect their intellectual property from AI companies reached a crescendo last month amid the end of a government consultation on how it should handle copyright in the age of AI. But will public pressure be enough to convince governments to maintain copyright laws and not cave to tech giants promising strong economic growth?Alongside the wider creative industries, the publishing sector has argued that offering tech companies leniency around copyright would severely undermine existing business models for publishers and artists.One industry leader at the forefront of the fight to protect publishers’ IP is Professional Publishers Association (PPA) CEO Sajeeda Merali.In a conversation with Jack Benjamin, Merali explained the arguments being made by AI companies and by publishers over copyright, as well as what the government is currently considering as it weighs the desire to drive technological and economic growth while protecting its outsized creative industries from harm.The pair also discussed how magazines are adapting to new business realities – such as those created by consumer shifts towards AI usage and away from print readership – by transitioning to multiplatform content and commercial strategies.Highlights:4:46: Outlining arguments by AI companies and publishers over IP protections13:03: Where the UK government presently sits on the policy debate17:51: What's at stake for publishers in the age of AI25:10: Unpacking the latest ABC figures – where are publishers in the transition to digital?Related articles:UK creative industries call on government to ‘make it fair’ in AI era‘End of an era for search as we know it’? Publishers grapple with gen-AI search‘Show me the money’: Will business models be ‘redefined’ by AI agents?---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, JCDecaux reported strong fiscal year 2024 earnings: the global business saw 9.7% organic growth, while JCDecaux grew 18.4% in the UK — a growth figure more typically associated with tech giants.Meanwhile, the broader OOH industry is in rude health, with total ad revenue hitting record highs (£1.4bn) in 2024.JCDecaux UK co-CEOs Chris Collins and Dallas Wiles joined host Jack Benjamin to discuss what is driving such strong growth in OOH investment and why JCDecaux is making 2025 its largest-ever year for screen deployment across the UK.The pair also talked about making OOH "as simple as possible" for advertisers to buy, innovations in measurement efforts and whether the retail media opportunity for OOH is overhyped.Highlights:5:06: Collins and Wiles' co-leadership strategy and changes at JCDecaux before, during and after the pandemic13:00: Reflecting on JCDecaux's strong UK growth and its year of investment18:59: How can OOH grow its share of the adspend pie?29:07: Why measurement is the "backbone" of JCDecaux's commercial strategy35:47: Are brands making the most of digital OOH with their creative?41:47: The opportunity for OOH in retail mediaRelated articles:JCDecaux to double London digital roadside footprintOOH hits record year in revenueWhy not advertise in a real town square?---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.Last month, The Guardian promoted its chief advertising officer, Imogen Fox, to a new global role to drive commercial growth not only in the UK, but also in markets like the US and Australia, where the news outlet has seen a substantial influx of new readers."We're growing," Fox told senior reporter Jack Benjamin. "I'm not sure that message has translated yet to the advertising community and I think that's where there's a huge opportunity."In the US, she noted, The Guardian already has larger readership than The Washington Post, the Daily Mail and Bloomberg.In a special partner episode of The Media Leader Podcast, Fox joined Benjamin to discuss her new remit and reveal how The Guardian is innovating its ad offering to give advertisers new opportunities to access the title's "scale, influence and integrity".Fox also reflected on the importance of supporting journalism, the senselessness of keyword-blocklist practices and how The Guardian offers an effective media environment to drive business growth.She continued: "The Guardian is really needed in all of these regions. It's needed by readers, it's needed by democracy. In terms of what that means for advertisers, it means that there are lots of places where they can show up."Highlights00:49: Moving from editorial to commercial at The Guardian and Fox's priorities with her expanded remit6:34: The Guardian's commercial ethos: scale, influence and integrity12:13: How The Guardian is innovating its "fewer, better" ad experience and building new verticals22:30: The Guardian's progressive audience and what it means for brands25:05: Why premium publishers shouldn't be lumped in with all online advertisingRelated articlesGuardian moves into more subscription content with cooking appFrom skibidi to pebbling: Making sense of culture and why it matters‘Advertisers nowhere to be seen’ despite election traffic high, warns The GuardianScott Trust and Guardian Media Group approve Observer sale to TortoiseThe Guardian US appoints Sara Badler as new Chief Advertising Officer---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, digital advertising trade body IAB UK unveiled new research forecasting a matured digital market, a fast-growing video and retail media market, and strong potential for gaming.It also found, based on interviews with 40 industry leaders, that the marketing funnel as we have known it may well not survive a digital future in which more media channels become shoppable and generative AI proliferates, changing how consumers seek information about products and services.In a companion op-ed to the report, James Chandler, IAB UK's chief strategy officer, argued that not only is the future funnel-less, but that all media will soon become retail media.Chandler joined host Jack Benjamin to elaborate on his argument and discuss how advertisers should adjust their media strategies as the consumer journey gets truncated by shoppable advertising in AV formats."Immediacy is going to be the biggest thing," said Chandler. "With the advent of AI and the sophistication around digital, you can go from awareness all the way through to buying something and becoming a customer in the space of seconds."Highlights:1:11: Takeaways from the IAB's Futurescape research6:34: Should agencies move away from a channel-led approach to planning?11:33: The opportunity in shoppable formats17:32: How AI is changing consumption habits and what it means for advertisers24:31: Is there a new heuristic that can replace the funnel?Related articles:The future is funnel-less — adapt your ad strategies accordingly100 years of doing it wrong — and how to do it right‘Full funnel measurement must accelerate’ — media priorities for Arla Foods’ Rob Edwards4 principles to create an effective full-funnel measurement strategy---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

Last month, concerns around brand safety and the opaque nature of programmatic advertising flared up again following a report from adtech transparency startup Adalytics, which found that a huge number of big-name brands have been accidentally placing ads on a website that hosts a great deal of child sexual abuse material (also known as CSAM).How did this happen? Do brands actually care about brand safety? And, if they do, what steps can they take to make sure they’re supporting quality media?Emily Roberts is head of digital at the Responsible Marketing Advisory, an independent marketing consultancy. She is also co-founder of the Women in Programmatic Network and an inaugural member of The Media Leader’s Future 100 Club.Roberts joined host Jack Benjamin to unpack the Adalytics report and share tips on how brands can avoid supporting harmful content online.Highlights:6:17: Is programmatic advertising a sustainable model for publishers?8:40: Unpacking the Adalytics report and the flaws in current brand-safety practices19:26: What brands should do to avoid accidentally showing up against CSAM online23:40: Brand safety on social media platforms31:48: How the Women in Programmatic Network has reacted to DEI "sunsetting"Related articles:How can brands avoid advertising against CSAM?Time to replace brand-safety paranoia with a nuanced approachBrand safety in a Donald Trump-led worldAdvertising adjacent to quality news content is brand-safe regardless of topic---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

Next month, Global CEO Stephen Miron will officially step back from his role after 16 years at the helm of one of Britain's largest media enterprises.When Miron joined Global as CEO in 2008, it was a £200m business with only one national radio brand. In March, he’ll leave an almost £1bn business, with numerous national radio brands, a digital ad exchange, dedicated listening app and substantial OOH footprint.Miron will still be involved at Global as chairman, replacing former ITV and Granada CEO Lord Charles Allen, who himself will become a senior non-executive director. Former STV CEO Simon Pitts is succeeding Miron as Global’s CEO.In an interview with The Media Leader in October, Global’s chief commercial officer Mike Gordon said: “We’re very lucky because Stephen’s not leaving the business. We have Stephen and we have Simon – it’s great to have somebody join the business with the experience that Simon’s got. No-one has a monopoly on a great idea.”Miron sat down last autumn with The Media Leader columnist and former editor-in-chief Omar Oakes for a conversation at our Future of Media London event to reflect on his career and legacy.“You have to know when to exit stage left,” Miron said. “It’s been the most amazing journey for 16 years, but I also think the business needs different thinking in the next 15 years.”Highlights:3:13: Looking back on Global's beginnings and Miron's early career path13:54: Lessons from Associated Newspapers18:50: Working with Ashley Tabor-King to identify growth in radio and OOH31:02: Defining Global's unique culture and identifying and inspiring talentRelated articles:‘Disrupt yourself before someone disrupts you’: Stephen Miron on 16 years of GlobalGlobal commercial chief Mike Gordon: Radio has ‘grown up and adapted’STV’s Simon Pitts to succeed Stephen Miron as Global CEO‘A tough act to follow’: Industry reacts to Stephen Miron’s departure from Global---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

Are audience-targeting practices too simple in an era of big data? Advertisers and their agencies tend to use demographics to target people across media channels, but perhaps that model is outdated.Natalie Bell is CEO of MG OMD. The Omnicom media agency is coming out with new research on how community-based targeting might be a new model worth considering and she joined host Jack Benjamin to preview early findings.As a trustee of Nabs and member of Wacl, Bell also spoke to concerns around a rollback in DEI initiatives across the media industry, led by the US market.She discussed the ethical conundrums of striving for responsible marketing in what feels like a new era, where progress is at risk of being rolled back, and what leaders should be doing to fight for what’s right for their employees and their clients.Highlights:5:40: Why brands should reconsider targeting practices to focus on communities13:17: Learnings from working on the government account during the Covid-19 era18:50: Media agency brands aren't dead23:38: How agency leaders are reacting to a "sunsetting" of DEI and ESG initiativesRelated articles:ESG has become a key differentiator for the investment communityLet’s harness the power of community for mental wellnessPodcast: Why social media is all about community now – with Reddit’s Paul Peterman---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