The Media Leader Podcast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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