The Media Leader Podcast

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

It’s not often you hear of a media agency going out and acquiring a venture capital fund. But in February, independent shop MNC bought Grwth, a VC fund with a focus on consumer brands.Luke Bristow, who has been MNC’s CEO for nearly a year, told The Media Leader at the time of acquisition that the model gives MNC skin in the game with clients.“It’s a great way for us to not only have an exciting external-facing proposition, but actually for us to put our money where our mouth is,” he explained.Now, a few months after the deal closed, Bristow catches up with Jack Benjamin to discuss how it has changed the strategy for MNC and how the agency now approaches clients.In a wide-ranging conversation, the pair also speak about the rapidly changing media agency landscape, where indies see opportunities for disruption and what consolidation among holding groups means for advertisers.Highlights:1:28: Bristow's background and belief in the indie proposition12:03: The strategy behind acquiring a VC fund24:10: How the client proposition has changed37:01: The current agency landscape: principal media, consolidation, opportunities for indies50:13: Becoming a talent incubator amid industry lay-offsRelated articles:Why MNC is kicking off an acquisition drive by buying a VC fundAI and curation are the media agency evolution imperativesUncertainty and soft guidance as holding groups struggle for growth in EuropeGroupM to retain agency brands as ‘client service brands’---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

Something big is going on in Austria.Last year, Austrian broadcasters and media buyers launched an upgraded linear TV audience measurement system and adopted a whole new currency. Austrian advertisers can now access real-time audience data on linear TV. Not addressable TV, streaming or programmatic. But for the purpose of advertising, linear is now acting a lot more like digital.Sebastian Hinterstoisser is CEO of TV Insight and the developer behind the project when it was commissioned by Red Bull. Tom Peruzzi is board member of the project’s adtech partner Virtual Minds.The pair join host Jack Benjamin to discuss why the time was right for a new linear measurement solution, the technological developments that enabled it, the collaboration required to adopt a new TV currency, the initial implications of the initiative, and whether the tech might come to more markets in the near future."What if you would be able to really digitise and better monetise traditional linear TV?" Peruzzi asks rhetorically."You have a very strong product — you have the reach, you have all the brand safety, you have the lean-back moments — what was missing, maybe, was the easy access to that inventory. We can bring that in."Highlights:2:08: Why did Red Bull commission a new linear TV measurement project?10:50: Collaboration needed in launching a new currency16:51: Building a synthetic people meter21:31: Implications of digitising linear TV buying31:51: Bringing this innovation to new marketsRelated articles:All you need to know about Austria’s broadcast TV world firstHow will TV finally get the measurement it deserves?ITV MD: TV should go after ‘FELT’ brandsNow is the moment for broadcasters to take control of cross-screen TV measurement---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

How do brands keep up with social trends? It’s a perennial question in an era marked by the sheer speed at which social media moves.But as brands continue to lean further and further in to advertising on platforms and with creators, it’s important to understand best practice for driving positive outcomes, especially as metrics like views and impressions become less valuable than building and speaking to online communities.Melissa Chapman is CEO of Jungle Creations, a publisher-powered social and influencer agency that is home to brands including Twisted, VT and Four Nine.She joins Jack Benjamin to discuss how brands are challenged to reach young, increasingly niche- and community-focused audiences across different platforms.The pair chat about Jungle's diversified business strategy, the future of the creator economy, the relative importance of brand safety and how a recent ADHD diagnosis has given her a new perspective on the work-life balance and leadership.Chapman argues: "I think in the future, brands are not going to be like: 'How can I work with creators?' It's going to be: 'How can I become a creator?'"Highlights:4:04: Chapman's business strategy and leadership style15:41: Why measuring views matters less than building community22:40: How can brands work better with influencers?26:28: Brand safety and managing risk31:11: The future of the creator economy: AI, long-form content and optimising performance43:50: Supporting neurodiversity in mediaRelated articles:Are social media apps now so similar we can’t tell them apart?So Unilever is upping social spend. But how much will make it to influencers?‘Positive’ platforms improve purchase intent, Pinterest saysAre you ready for social media’s programmatic shift?---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

Ahead of The Future of Brands on Tuesday, Jack Benjamin is joined by Specsavers head of media, connections planning and insights Ian Maybank to discuss how the retail chain has built a strong brand through media investment.The pair speak about how brands can work to bring creative and media closer together, the importance of consistent brand messaging and humour, and how agency-client relationships have changed and are likely to change in the near future.Maybank also explains why he believes media trading is likely to consolidate, how in-housing has helped Specsavers' creative process and how AI could impact agency remuneration."The bedrock that great work comes from hasn't changed," Maybank says. "It's still built on trust, creativity and having strong relationships and partnerships — even at a time when there's lots of headwinds."Highlights:6:21: How "consistency" of Specsavers' brand platform and humour have led to sustained marketing success10:05: Bringing media and creative closer together16:23: Agency-client relationships: what's changed and what's stayed the same23:02: In-housing and AI28:57: What does an ideal media mix look like in 2025?Related articles:Don’t forget retail media’s brand-building powerForget the ‘good old days’: What Gen Z’s financial outlook means for brandsRethinking 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

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