The Media Leader Podcast

The Media Leader Podcast

The Media Leader

The Media Leader is the leading source of analysis, data, opinion and trends in commercial media and advertising.Hosted by senior reporter Jack Benjamin, we speak to senior industry leaders and rising stars about the key challenges media faces as part of our mission to stand up for courage, inclusion and excellence in media.Find out more at uk.themedialeader.com and subscribe to our daily newsletter.

Are communities the future of audience-targeting? With MG OMD's Natalie Bell

Are communities the future of audience-targeting? With MG OMD's Natalie Bell

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and their agencies tend to use demographics to target people across media channels, but perhaps that model is outdated.Natalie Bell is CEO of MG OMD.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 roll

Feb 17, • 35:52

How Lantern will bring outcome measurement to TV — with ITV's Sameer Modha and Sky's Matt Hill

How Lantern will bring outcome measurement to TV — with ITV's Sameer Modha and Sky's Matt Hill

At a Thinkbox event in September, ITV, Sky and Channel 4 announced Lantern, a new measurement panel aimed at tracking the short-term impact of TV advertising on sales.The goal for the initiative, which is aiming to fully launch in 2026 following a period of testing and requests for proposals, is to help provide TV with “the measurement it deserves” in an era when brands have increasingly demanded more outcomes-based measurement solutions, rather than simply measuring audiences.Sameer Modha is me

Feb 10, • 56:37

We need to talk about Meta — with Outvertising’s Sonnie Spenser

We need to talk about Meta — with Outvertising’s Sonnie Spenser

On 7 January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to its platforms’ content moderation policies that, he admitted, will mean the company is “going to catch less bad stuff” across Facebook, Instagram and Threads.Among the raft of changes, Meta announced it was halting its third-party fact-checking programme in the US and replacing it with a Community Notes feature. It also updated its hateful conduct policy to now allow users to call women “household objects” or refer to transgender or non

Feb 3, • 46:05

Rethinking agency remuneration in 2025 — with MediaSense's Ryan Kangisser

Rethinking agency remuneration in 2025 — with MediaSense's Ryan Kangisser

In November, a report from global advisory MediaSense found that an overwhelming majority of advertisers — three-quarters — are looking to make changes to their agency compensation model in the next three years.A similar number of survey respondents indicated that they are seeking to better align agency compensation to business performance, however it may be defined by the brand.According to Ryan Kangisser, chief strategy officer at MediaSense and co-author of the report, it is “unprecedented” f

Jan 27, • 33:00

Why responsible marketing is the future — with Hearts & Science's Garrett O'Reilly

Why responsible marketing is the future — with Hearts & Science's Garrett O'Reilly

The new year always brings with it the inclination to not just future-gaze, but to consider how to future-proof.One media agency that has always billed itself as a future-forward organisation is Omnicom’s Hearts & Science and UK CEO Garrett O'Reilly joined Jack Benjamin to discuss the shop's growth strategy.O'Reilly discussed the challenges in scaling the business while remaining future-forward and what big client wins like Jaguar and Allwyn have meant for the agency. He also shared initial reac

Jan 20, • 31:16

Are all 'views' created equal? With TikTok, DCM, Total Media and Mindlab

Are all 'views' created equal? With TikTok, DCM, Total Media and Mindlab

What’s really behind that view? Are all views created equal? What truly keeps our attention? Are consumer habits really changing that much?As marketers increasingly shift towards outcomes-based assessments of their ad effectiveness, behavioural research is likely to become more relevant to understanding how video ads can cut through to audiences in what has become a highly competitive environment for attention.At the inaugural Future of Video event in December, senior reporter Jack Benjamin inte

Jan 13, • 44:22

Why uncertainty is the new normal — with GroupM's Kate Scott-Dawkins

Why uncertainty is the new normal — with GroupM's Kate Scott-Dawkins

On the surface, the global ad industry appears to be in rude health. GroupM upwardly revised its This Year Next Year global ad revenue forecast for 2024 and expects it to surpass $1tn for the first time – and that’s excluding US political advertising, which itself totalled $15.1bn.In the UK, despite uncertainty regarding the country's political and economic future, the ad market grew 8.3%, with further 7% growth now expected for 2025.But, of course, there are numerous unpredictabilities next yea

Dec 9, 2024 • 31:27

2024 in review: Themes and challenges for the media industry

2024 in review: Themes and challenges for the media industry

2024 is winding down and for their last weekly news podcast of the year, host Jack Benjamin and editor-in-chief Omar Oakes sat down to look back on the past year in media and advertising.It was a year in which digital giants continued to grow, retail media surged, OOH prospered and TV streaming services became largely profitable. It was also a year that saw Big Tech facing renewed antitrust efforts, changes to Google and Meta's algorithms punishing online publishers and the industry reckoning wi

Dec 5, 2024 • 1:02:22

Epic conversation with Pete Robins: The fifth age of media

Epic conversation with Pete Robins: The fifth age of media

Serial agency founder and digital media pioneer Pete Robins talks to editor-in-chief Omar Oakes about why he believes there's never been a better time to plan media.Robins is set to launch his fifth media agency, Project5 – named after his belief that the industry has entered "the fifth age of media".Four-fifths of all media is delivered by a form of technology shaped by some sort of data, Robins explains. While the principal goals of media have not changed, the possibilities to plan media have

Dec 2, 2024 • 1:06:23

Our agony aunts answer your burning media planning questions

Our agony aunts answer your burning media planning questions

Sarah Prentice, head of media strategy and planning at Heineken UK, Rachel Coffey, chief strategy officer at Initiative UK, and Peter Rowe, head of media at NatWest Group, answer audience questions on planning.During the discussion, the trio debate what truly drives consideration, the role of AI in strategic thinking, how diversity, equity and inclusion informs their work in a practical sense and so much more.In particular, they also respond to one of the hot questions this year: how much is too

Nov 28, 2024 • 27:39

Are middle managers being set up for success? With Nabs' Sue Todd

Are middle managers being set up for success? With Nabs' Sue Todd

Are managers well-equipped to wear all the different hats we ask of them in today’s workplace?It’s a question worth considering in an era when, according to Nabs’ All Ears study, managers are increasingly being hired younger, report being undertrained and have become more responsible for the mental health of their team.Sue Todd is the CEO of Nabs, the media and advertising industry charity focused on workplace wellness.After joining The Media Leader Podcast last year to discuss concerns

Nov 25, 2024 • 33:30

Ken Bruce and Fleur East on how radio has changed — and stayed the same

Ken Bruce and Fleur East on how radio has changed — and stayed the same

Radio production has changed a lot since Ken Bruce began presenting in 1977. And yet, when it comes to the basics of good radio – a close, one-to-one relationship with the audience – things haven't changed much at all.“For years, people have been saying to me, ‘Radio’s dead, dying. It’s finished,'" said Bruce. "Even in the 70s, they were saying that to me. And I thought, well, no – I don’t believe it is. Because there’s a person there. It’s a human interaction. And while that remains, radio will

Nov 21, 2024 • 26:58

How life on a commune shaped Havas Media CEO Paddy Affleck's leadership

How life on a commune shaped Havas Media CEO Paddy Affleck's leadership

Patrick 'Paddy' Affleck aims to 'walk the walk when it comes to inclusion and courage in particular, his personal story is quite different from your average media agency CEO. That why he known as someone who likes to challenge conventional ways of thinking about this business.Affleck speaks to Omar Oakes about his personal journey from growing up on a commune in Devon and how it has shaped his attitude to leadership and mental-health challenges at work. His philosophy emphasies progress

Nov 18, 2024 • 44:16

It'll all end in tiers: Latest on 'premium vs ads' strategy for Netflix, Disney and Spotify

It'll all end in tiers: Latest on 'premium vs ads' strategy for Netflix, Disney and Spotify

The newly promoted Jack Benjamin and outgoing editor-in-chief Omar Oakes discuss a flurry of updates about streaming service user numbers and how their "premium versus ad" strategies are evolving.They also discuss MediaSense’s latest acquisition, Spotify’s latest earnings, a Newsworks study on youth news consumption habits and more. Highlights:01:00: Takeaways from Barb's Establishment Survey: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+18:15: Why media consultancy MediaSens

Nov 14, 2024 • 32:31

The Future of Origin with Isba's Phil Smith

The Future of Origin with Isba's Phil Smith

Origin, the world-first cross-media measurement platform led by Isba, went live in September through the launch of beta trials with 35 major UK advertisers.While advertisers in the beta trials have signalled their excitement, Origin has been received with a more tepid response by some stakeholders, particularly in TV broadcasting and at some agencies, over its inclusion of non-Media Rating Council-standard viewability measures.Last month, The Media Leader editor-in-chief Omar Oakes sat

Nov 11, 2024 • 19:08

Trump, The Sequel: Has media learned anything since 2016?

Trump, The Sequel: Has media learned anything since 2016?

Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes unpick the media coverage and what's in store for the industry with another Donald Trump US presidency.They also discuss announcements from Origin and Barb, Sky’s big ad revenue miscalculation, GB News getting fined £100K by Ofcom and more.Highlights:01:00: Hot takes about hot takes about Trump12:30: Why Isba's Origin is starting to produce its own research14:30: Sky Media on the hook for underpaid ad revenue18:15: Why Barb is launching co-viewing data for t

Nov 7, 2024 • 32:31

How useful are AI performance tools? With Pinterest's Matt Crystal

How useful are AI performance tools? With Pinterest's Matt Crystal

This year, most major digital players including Meta, TikTok, Google and Pinterest have developed AI tools to help marketers get more out of their campaigns with less effort.Such tools, which often target the long tail of advertisers at small and medium-sized businesses, have helped boost ad revenues in the third quarter at many major social media companies.One of the most interesting companies that has released AI performance tools is Pinterest. In recent years, Pinterest has built out

Nov 4, 2024 • 29:08

TV's 'tipping point': In conversation with Sky, C4, Direct Line and Samba TV

TV's 'tipping point': In conversation with Sky, C4, Direct Line and Samba TV

A conversation about the future of TV advertising featuring executives from Sky Media, Direct Line Group, Channel 4 and Samba TV.At our recent Future of Media Manchester event, this panel stood out for revealing key insights about how advertisers and broadcasters have made significant changes over recent years to make the most of digital tools and measurement.Moderated by The Zoo.London co-founder Rachel Forde, the speakers were:Amy Taylor, head of investment, Sky MediaEwan Douglas, hea

Oct 28, 2024 • 28:12

Agency bosses talk tough over principal media

Agency bosses talk tough over principal media

It's earnings season and the publicly listed agency groups have been more expansive about their "proprietary media" or "principal-based media" products.Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes discuss why this is important to these companies' growth and what it means for advertisers that may or may not wish for their media to be bought this way.They also discuss Netflix's earnings and its future as an ad seller and gaming provider, the latest Rajar listening figures, increased losses for Sky and why Joker s

Oct 24, 2024 • 45:53

The mounting case against blocklists

The mounting case against blocklists

On a panel at The Future of Media Manchester a few weeks ago, members from Stagwell agencies HarrisX and Goodstuff took the stage to unpack new research which found that advertising adjacent to quality news is brand safe — even against "hard news" subjects like war and politics.The research undermined common concerns that advertisers express about not wanting their ads to be placed next to hard news content, which they often, wrongly it seems, deem brand unsafe.Since then, there has bee

Oct 21, 2024 • 20:09

Future of Media London takeaways: confidence, trust and risk taking

Future of Media London takeaways: confidence, trust and risk taking

Reporter Jack Benjamin and editor-in-chief Omar Oakes unpack key themes from last week's Future of Media London 2024 event.The duo review some of the biggest sessions from the two-day conference, including takeaways from interviews with DMG Media vice-chairman Rich Caccappolo, LBC presenter James O'Brien, and Global CEO Stephen Miron.Oakes also describes the inspiring manifestos presented by members of the Future 100 Club, and why Starcom’s Vanessa Jarrad had the winning pitch.Highlight

Oct 17, 2024 • 39:20

Are AI ads the future of TV? With ITV's Jason Spencer and Alan Hall

Are AI ads the future of TV? With ITV's Jason Spencer and Alan Hall

Last month, ITV launched two ads that were created primarily with the use of generative AI.Made for new-to-TV small businesses Travel House and Sheepbridge Interiors, the spots feature AI-generated imagery and were created by augmenting ITV Commercial’s normal creative process by using licensed generative-AI image and video tools alongside ITV’s in-house voiceover artists.The result received a lot of attention. ITV has billed the project as a way to democratise advertising on TV for sma

Oct 7, 2024 • 29:48

Amazon UK upfronts, Pinterest's brand pitch + why women's network Wacl is more 'business-like'

Amazon UK upfronts, Pinterest's brand pitch + why women's network Wacl is more 'business-like'

Omar Oakes and Jack Benjamin review the big stories in UK media and advertising this week, including Amazon's UK upfronts, in which it revealed new ad formats for Prime Video, and Pinterest, whose lead marketer had some strong words to say about the digital media "duopoly".Omar is also joined by Wacl's president Karen Stacey and vice-president Claire Sadler to talk about why the female leaders' network is looking for new partners and ways of raising money.Highlights:01:00: Amazon's UK upfronts,

Oct 3, 2024 • 42:19

Why the future of media is in Manchester

Why the future of media is in Manchester

Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes report highlights from The Media Leader's first outing in Manchester! The Future of Media Manchester attracted around 600 people on 26 September and included ITV and Coronation Street's "big sell", Manchester City FC's fledgling operation as an in-house production company and advertising consultancy and, of course, a special Manchester edition of "Who Wants to be a Media Leader?"Jack and Omar discuss why there is still a big regional imbalance in UK med

Sep 30, 2024 • 31:39

Stories that mattered this week: Origin launches — now what?

Stories that mattered this week: Origin launches — now what?

Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes are back to review the big media business news of the week, starting with the launch of Origin, Isba's world-first cross-media measurement tool.It may be billed as a "beta" launch with a limited pool of 35 advertisers, but Oakes explains why "as far as Isba is concerned, Origin is now officially launched".The Media Leader duo also discuss ITV's first-ever generative-AI ads created for small businesses, Roblox’s progression into advertising and The London Sta

Sep 26, 2024 • 43:31

Are news outlets too dependent on social media? With NMA CEO Owen Meredith

Are news outlets too dependent on social media? With NMA CEO Owen Meredith

News titles across the UK are changing hands and senior leaders amid what has been a downturn in the digital advertising market. Meanwhile, challenges relating to referral traffic, anticompetitive practices by tech giants, and the continuing decline in print revenues are dogging publishers.Owen Meredith, the CEO of the News Media Association, sat down with Jack Benjamin to discuss.The pair spoke about the numerous headwinds facing both local and national news organisations, whether it be from ad

Sep 23, 2024 • 40:07

Stories that mattered this week: Observer sale, Radiocentre's Tuning In, Origin row

Stories that mattered this week: Observer sale, Radiocentre's Tuning In, Origin row

Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes discuss the major stories of the past week, including the proposed sale of The Observer to Tortoise Media, scenes from recent Radiocentre, Thinkbox and Who Cares? events, and product updates from Meta and Snap.Highlights:1:04: Guardian Media Group shares earnings and considers sale of The Observer to Tortoise12:35: Takeaways from Radiocentre's Tuning In conference15:53: Broadcasters express concerns over Isba's use of Barb data in Origin19:18: Who cares abou

Sep 19, 2024 • 37:04

Are brands overspending on social? With EssenceMediacom's Richard Kirk and Olga Zaitseva

Are brands overspending on social? With EssenceMediacom's Richard Kirk and Olga Zaitseva

Social media gets a lot of buzz and an increasingly large slice of media budgets. But is that spend optimal compared with other media channels?In an article for The Media Leader last week, EssenceMediacom's chief strategy officer Richard Kirk revealed new research that suggests brands are spending three times as much on paid social than is most efficient.Kirk and Olga Zaitseva, EssenceMediacom's head of media science and modelling, join Jack Benjamin to unpack the findings.Acc

Sep 16, 2024 • 38:13

Stories that mattered this week: Google's adtech trial, Spectator sale, EssenceMediacom changes

Stories that mattered this week: Google's adtech trial, Spectator sale, EssenceMediacom changes

Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes discuss the major stories of recent weeks following a brief summer hiatus. Key stories include Google's second antitrust case in the US this year, Sir Paul Marshall's purchase of The Spectator and the dissolution of EssenceMediacomX.Highlights:1:32: What to know about Google's adtech antitrust trial11:56: The Spectator sale – what's Sir Paul Marshall's aim?15:46: X's lack of appeal to mainstream advertisers17:49: EssenceMediacomX dissolve

Sep 12, 2024 • 27:03

How keyword-blocking continues to harm publishers — with Mantis EVP Terry Hornsby

How keyword-blocking continues to harm publishers — with Mantis EVP Terry Hornsby

Terry Hornsby, founder and executive vice-president of Mantis, joins Jack Benjamin to discuss how keyword blocklists remain in use by advertisers to the detriment of publishers.Hornsby explains that blocklisting is being used irresponsibly by too many advertisers, many of which often add words to their blocklists without sufficiently checking which may be worth taking off.These could include adding "Paris" after the 2015 terrorist attacks or "Taylor Swift" after her Vienna concert was n

Sep 9, 2024 • 35:48

AMA: Ask media experts anything!

AMA: Ask media experts anything!

Jack Benjamin hosts a live panel where three media strategists field questions about common challenges in advertising.Speakers: Jackie Lyons, chief planning officer, Havas Media Network UKRaj Mahon, director of client partnerships, MiQAmy Caven, head of media and strategy planning, BootsThis was recorded at our Future of Brands event in April. You can watch it on the Adwanted UK YouTube channel here.Do you like this AMA format? Let the editor know what you think: omar.oakes@uk.adwanted.

Aug 15, 2024 • 36:52

Why I left EssenceMediacom after 34 years: Sue Unerman interview

Why I left EssenceMediacom after 34 years: Sue Unerman interview

Sue Unerman, global chief strategy officer at Brainlabs, joins Omar Oakes to discuss leaving WPP's EssenceMediacom after 34 years and "reinventing" herself at a very different agency.Unerman is well-known across the industry and beyond as a progressive thinker and media strategist, thanks to the books she has written as an author about workplace culture and inclusion.She is a Cannes Lions Creativity for Good winner and 2024 Glass Lions judge, a fellow of the IPA and has co-authored thre

Aug 12, 2024 • 35:44

Stories that mattered this week: Google monopoly, X sues advertisers, Meta earnings

Stories that mattered this week: Google monopoly, X sues advertisers, Meta earnings

Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes discuss the major media and advertising stories of the week, including the verdict in Google's US antitrust case, how social media companies have been implicated in the spread of far-right violence across the UK and the latest financial results for WPP, Amazon, Snap and Meta.Highlights:00:20: Google is a monopoly. So what happens next?6:38: Elon Musk spars with Sir Keir Starmer; X sues advertisers13:59: Meta earnings and the future of smart glasses17:35: New

Aug 8, 2024 • 20:53

What did Publicis get for $4.4bn? Interview with Epsilon UK MD Elliott Clayton

What did Publicis get for $4.4bn? Interview with Epsilon UK MD Elliott Clayton

Elliott Clayton, managing director, international sales, at Epsilon, joins Omar Oakes to discuss how the data-led marketing business has fared since being acquired by Publicis Groupe five years ago and what's next.Clayton also has strong views on what marketers should do now that Google has decided not to get rid of third-party advertising cookies on its platforms.---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand a

Aug 5, 2024 • 20:40

Stories that mattered this week: YouTube's growing TV influence, Media Nations, HBO, OpenAI vs Google

Stories that mattered this week: YouTube's growing TV influence, Media Nations, HBO, OpenAI vs Google

Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes discuss the major media and advertising stories of the week, including YouTube rejoining Barb, TV audience trends from the latest Ofcom Media Nations report and why Warner Bros Discovery could end its HBO exclusivity deal with Sky in the UK.Highlights:00:30: YouTube rejoins Barb, why it matters and Media Nations reaction07:00: Should WBD end its HBO deal with Sky in the UK?11:00: OpenAI's challenge to Google17:30: Omar's debut for the news round-upRelated li

Aug 1, 2024 • 21:03

Independence is vital for trust in media — Dr Grace Kite interview

Independence is vital for trust in media — Dr Grace Kite interview

Dr Grace Kite, a business economist and founder of Magic Numbers and Magic Works, joins Omar Oakes to discuss the importance of independence in media consulting, trends in effectiveness, Cannes Lions and what it takes to be a successful business founder.Kite is one of the industry's most respected voices on what makes advertising effective and has just sold Magic Numbers to US-based tech consultancy Analytic Partners.She says: "My experience as an independent is that the client themselv

Jul 29, 2024 • 29:13

Stories that mattered this week: Google's cookie reversal, Netflix, potential Teads and Outbrain deal

Stories that mattered this week: Google's cookie reversal, Netflix, potential Teads and Outbrain deal

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.The pair discuss Google's reversal on cookie deprecation, plus coverage around the latest earnings from Alphabet, Spotify, Netflix and others, as well as an odd match for Teads and Outbrain.Highlights00:21: Google's U-turn on cookie deprecation6:46: Alphabet earnings 8:23: Netflix earnings 11:22: Spotify earnings14:30: Warner Bros Discovery considers split16:45: Tea

Jul 25, 2024 • 21:02

'Dramatic' surge in media agency entries — Laurence Green on IPA Effectiveness Awards

'Dramatic' surge in media agency entries — Laurence Green on IPA Effectiveness Awards

Laurence Green, the IPA's effectiveness director, speaks to Omar Oakes about the rise of media agencies submitting entries for the new IPA Effectiveness Awards, whose shortlist is published this week.The awards, which run every two years, have seen a "dramatic" increase in media agencies submitting best-in-class advertising effectiveness work. Green discusses the reasons behind this and whether advertising and marketing are being more led by media planning and buying.Green, who has foun

Jul 22, 2024 • 44:28

Stories that mattered this week: Summer of sport, IPA Bellwether, BBC licence fee

Stories that mattered this week: Summer of sport, IPA Bellwether, BBC licence fee

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.The pair discuss media coverage around the Euros and Olympics, takeaways from the latest IPA Bellwether, how Labour intends to support the current BBC funding model and more.Highlights:00:24: Summer of Sport – Olympics and Paralympics coverage; keyword-blocking of Reach articles8:14: IPA Bellwether shows business optimism10:51: Labour's commitment to the BBC's licensing arran

Jul 18, 2024 • 17:35

Ageism, mental health and the necessity of art — with Nabs' Kate Harris

Ageism, mental health and the necessity of art — with Nabs' Kate Harris

Kate Harris, former CEO and current regional director at Nabs, talks to Omar Oakes about mental health in the media and advertising industry.Harris, a former ad agency executive who now runs a recruitment business, discusses the challenges of managing work-from-home stress and the benefits of art and creativity for mental wellbeing.They also explore the need for open conversation and practical support for women going through the menopause at work and why the industry is still "ageist",

Jul 15, 2024 • 35:43

Stories that mattered this week: A new culture secretary, Ofcom rulings and streamer consolidation

Stories that mattered this week: A new culture secretary, Ofcom rulings and streamer consolidation

Reporter Ella Sagar and deputy editor Maria Iu look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.The pair discuss new culture secretary Lisa Nandy's in-tray, Ofcom’s ruling on BBC spin-off stations, Meta's view that news is "substitutable" and Paramount Global’s merger with Skydance Media.Highlights0:26: What you need to know about the new Labour government3:54: Ofcom delays early launch of BBC Radio 2's "pop nostalgia" service8:30: Industry reaction to Meta

Jul 11, 2024 • 18:45

Andrew Cole interview: How telcos will shake up the way TV is traded and measured

Andrew Cole interview: How telcos will shake up the way TV is traded and measured

Andrew Cole, board member of Liberty Global and one of the original backers of GB News, talks to Omar Oakes about shaking up the status quo of TV measurement and trading.Cole's new venture, Digital Audience Data, seeks to get all major telecoms operators in advanced economies to jointly share data for a "more accurate" TV measurement system than legacy ones such as those operated by Barb and Kantar Media in the UK.He also talks about his track record working with Steve Jobs and Apple on

Jul 8, 2024 • 26:35

Les Binet interview PLUS media prospects under Labour, Netflix/Amazon commissions, Murdoch's last TV gamble

Les Binet interview PLUS media prospects under Labour, Netflix/Amazon commissions, Murdoch's last TV gamble

Omar Oakes and Maria Iu digest the big stories of the week and Les Binet talks to The Media Leader about why he's created an AI version of himself. Binet, group head of effectiveness at Adam & Eve/DDB and a renowned ad authority, talk to Oakes at Cannes Lions about his long history with AI, his Cannes diary and his battle against the industry's "shiny object" syndrome.Highlights:2:30: What will change in media and advertising under Labour?7:20: What analysts are saying about th

Jul 4, 2024 • 27:38

Talent, creativity and other priorities for the industry this year

Talent, creativity and other priorities for the industry this year

Prioritising talent and creativity should be top of the list for media leaders this year, according to attendees at The Media Leader Summit.The Media Leader reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar bring you highlights in a special episode from their conversations with senior figures around what the top focus should be for the industry this year.Sustainability, measurement, inclusion, consistency and trust were also discussed as key topics.Some of the winners of The Media Leader Awards' Leader of

Jul 1, 2024 • 18:33

Stories that mattered this week: The Media Leader Awards, 'TikTok election', Apple's DMA quandary

Stories that mattered this week: The Media Leader Awards, 'TikTok election', Apple's DMA quandary

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are back with a look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.The duo unpack The Media Leader Awards, which saw Mail Metro Media awarded four gongs, including a Grand Prix for chief revenue officer Dominic Williams. They also discuss the importance of media in the run-up to next week's general election and the EU's potential action against Apple under the Digital Markets Act.Highlights:00:26: The Media Leader Awards and

Jun 27, 2024 • 19:35

How to survive Cannes Lions — interviews with media leaders

How to survive Cannes Lions — interviews with media leaders

Flash interviews from the Croisette with media leaders — what's it really like here, what makes it worthwhile for media people looking to sell and ink deals, where are the best parties and how do you stand out?This is an epic episode — skip to your favourite part!Highlights: 03:10: Chris Kleinschmidt, CEO, TiVo07:45: David Jones, founder and CEO, The Brandtech Group15:30: Louise Johnson, CEO, Fuse (Omnicom)19:35: Chris Volmer, managing director and managing partner, MediaLink28:20: Anne-Laure Dr

Jun 24, 2024 • 49:00

Stories (from Cannes Lions) that mattered: 'Meaningful' AI on show, adtech dominance grows

Stories (from Cannes Lions) that mattered: 'Meaningful' AI on show, adtech dominance grows

Editor-in-chief Omar Oakes, deputy editor Maria Iu and reporter Jack Benjamin look back on their time at the 2024 Cannes Lions, from the application of "meaningful" AI to the dominance of adtech, from media owner activity to Media Lion winners.Highlights:00:45: Impressions of the 2024 Cannes Lions4:28: Media owner activity at the event – Amazon, Meta, Reddit, TikTok, Pinterest, Netflix — and what they're trying to sell to the global advertising community13:20: The Media Lion Grand Prix

Jun 21, 2024 • 27:49

Cannes' dirty secret + how to bring creative and media together: Heineken, HP, Craft Media debate

Cannes' dirty secret + how to bring creative and media together: Heineken, HP, Craft Media debate

It's Cannes Lions this week, so we've brought you a special debate about the future of bringing creativity and media planning together in advertising, featuring senior decision-makers at major brands and one of the UK's foremost media strategy consultants:>> Olya Dyachuk, global media and data director, Heineken>> Sebastien Bourne, head of media for north-west and central Europe, HP>> Sally Weavers, co-founder, Craft MediaOmar Oakes asks them about how media and creati

Jun 17, 2024 • 34:28

Stories that mattered this week: Adspend upgrades, fossil-fuel ad bans

Stories that mattered this week: Adspend upgrades, fossil-fuel ad bans

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are back with a look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.The pair discuss how growth in the Chinese ad market has driven upward revisions in GroupM's mid-year ad forecasts, the industry's response to António Guterres' call for a global fossil-fuel ad ban and what Apple's WWDC announcements mean for publishers.Highlights:1:00: Unpacking GroupM's latest adspend report5:02: UN urges fossil-fuel ad ban to muted industry

Jun 13, 2024 • 19:10

James Chandler: Digital advertising needs to rediscover joy

James Chandler: Digital advertising needs to rediscover joy

Where has the joy gone in digital advertising? And how can we get it back? James Chandler, chief marketing officer at the IAB, thinks that while the start of the digital scene was "an incredibly exciting space", the feeling of "joy and magic dissipated" somewhere along the way.In a study with advertisers, the IAB found that this came down to two things: "unease" about the pace of change and a feeling of "futility mainly around creativity", where advertisers do not feel "they have g

Jun 10, 2024 • 25:34

Stories that mattered this week: Government adspend, M&A, Evening Standard

Stories that mattered this week: Government adspend, M&A, Evening Standard

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are back with a look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.The duo discuss what the pre-election period means for held-up government adspend, recent M&A activity by MediaSense and Mediaplus, and why the Evening Standard has fallen on troubled times.Highlights:0:40: How much government adspend has been put on hold during the pre-election period4:39: MediaSense acquires PwC's media advisory6:36: Indie merg

Jun 6, 2024 • 18:41

Getting media and creative to work better together, with Laura Jordan Bambach & Tom Curtis

Getting media and creative to work better together, with Laura Jordan Bambach & Tom Curtis

Omar Oakes interviews Laura Jordan Bambach (co-founder, Uncharted) and Tom Curtis (ECD, EssenceMediacom UK) about the challenges of building collaborative partnerships, potential conflicts of interest and how agencies can be creative when planning where media is bought.They discuss the evolving landscape of creativity and marketing, and the importance of taking a media-first approach to creativity and leveraging technology to create better assets and plan media more efficiently. They al

Jun 3, 2024 • 19:57

Stories that mattered this week: Election reaction, Klarna's AI marketing savings

Stories that mattered this week: Election reaction, Klarna's AI marketing savings

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are back with a look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week, including and especially how the media industry has responded to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling for a general election on 4 July.Highlights:1:45: Media Bill becomes the Media Act5:29: DMCC Bill also passes7:30: Media bills that were not passed during wash-up period12:55: What should be the top media priority for the next government?15:32: Klarna cuts its

May 29, 2024 • 20:05

Epic conversation with Nick Manning: Media reselling and the future of media buying

Epic conversation with Nick Manning: Media reselling and the future of media buying

Omar Oakes and columnist Nick Manning have a wide-ranging conversation about the recent ANA report into media agency reselling ("principal-based media"), where media agencies buy media at one price and resell it to clients at an undisclosed higher price – and why it's important.This is an epic conversation that delves into why advertising is no longer well-integrated with content, why there is a talent drain from the industry, why it may be "inevitable" that major ad agency groups are b

May 27, 2024 • 1:27:15

Stories that mattered this week: Barb joins MRC, GB News in hot water, Netflix moves beyond Microsoft

Stories that mattered this week: Barb joins MRC, GB News in hot water, Netflix moves beyond Microsoft

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are back with a look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.Highlights00:28: Barb joins the Media Rating Council3:34: GB News facing potential Ofcom sanction8:25: Netflix upfronts12:45: IPA survey: Ad industry "demoralised" about climate crisis15:50: Other important updates: Comcast's streaming bundle, gaming news publisher consolidation, Bauer Media's new HQ, ThreadsDeck and more.---Visit The Media Leader for the most authorit

May 23, 2024 • 17:56

What next for Bauer and radio? interview w/ Simon Myciunka, CEO of Bauer Media Audio UK

What next for Bauer and radio? interview w/ Simon Myciunka, CEO of Bauer Media Audio UK

Omar Oakes interviews Simon Myciunka, the CEO of Bauer Media Audio UK.Speaking at The Future of Audio & Entertainment, Myciunka discussed his first year in the job, his vision for the business, and why he believes continued innovation will be the key to radio's future success in the year radio celebrates its centenary.Highlights2.55: Myciunka's unconventional route to becoming a media CEO8.13: Why he got the job and what he plans to do14.33: Reaction to leadership changes at Global1

May 20, 2024 • 35:07

Stories that mattered this week: Principal media, Rajar, streaming bundles and AI search

Stories that mattered this week: Principal media, Rajar, streaming bundles and AI search

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are back with a look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.Highlights00:35: ANA report on principal media3:47: Rajar Q1 takeaways5:54: Changes to Google and Safari search and the impact on publishers10:01: Streaming TV bundles13:59: Takeaways from Advertising Week Europe16:59: Other important updates this week: mental health awareness, Channel 4 and ITV updates, Clear Channel earnings, and more.Wha

May 16, 2024 • 19:15

David Abraham interview: Brands have 'fallen into the trap' of media choices

David Abraham interview: Brands have 'fallen into the trap' of media choices

David Abraham, founder and CEO of Wonderhood Studios, speaks to Omar Oakes about the future of the "big idea" in marketing, his company's approach to ad-funded programming and his view on Channel 4, the broadcaster he used to run for seven years as CEO.Skip straight to 6:15 for the interview!Abraham believes we still need the “big idea” and the creative agencies behind them, amid a fragmented media landscape and an increasing feeling that this industry is no longer “fun”.In his keynote

May 13, 2024 • 43:05

 Stories that mattered this week: Disney's streaming milestone, Paramount merger saga, Reddit's first earnings

Stories that mattered this week: Disney's streaming milestone, Paramount merger saga, Reddit's first earnings

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are back with a look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.0:20: Disney earnings4:20: Paramount – the saga continues8:10: Reddit – what did we learn from its first quarterly earnings?12:15: Why Acast is reporting strong sales growth15:30: Introducing "And Finally" – other important updates this week: TikTok, Reach, QueerAF, The Guardian, JCDecaux, UK box officeWhat do you think of this new format? Let us know at news@

May 9, 2024 • 18:07

Many marketers 'relieved' about cookie deprecation delay

Many marketers 'relieved' about cookie deprecation delay

There is a rough 50/50 split between marketers who are either "relieved" that Google's cookie deprecation has been delayed again and those who are more prepared with solutions for when it does eventually happen.This is according to Tony Miller, chair of the Data & Marketing Association, who spoke to reporter Ella Sagar about Google's decision to push cookie deprecation down the road for a third time, as well as what current challenges DMA members are facing.

May 6, 2024 • 31:45

Stories that mattered this week: Google cookie fallout, TikTok fights back, Spotify, Paramount

Stories that mattered this week: Google cookie fallout, TikTok fights back, Spotify, Paramount

Reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar are back with a look at the stories that mattered most in media and advertising this week.1:30: Google delays the phasing out of third-party cookies again. Why and should we still care?3:00: Alphabet earnings and a focus on YouTube4:30: TikTok faces US ban in nine months – how will it respond?7:07: Spotify's pivot to video10:10: Snap's small-business success13:00: Factors now driving Amazon ad growth16:50: Bob Bakish exits Paramount amid merger talks---Visi

May 1, 2024 • 19:42

The Future of Marketing with Bloomberg Media – Ep4: The magic of video

The Future of Marketing with Bloomberg Media – Ep4: The magic of video

Welcome to this special four-part series of the podcast, which we've produced with Bloomberg Media. For the first time, we've recorded the podcast in a studio, so you can also watch/listen on our YouTube channel.The Future of Marketing is a series of conversations about the essential strategies and skills needed for marketers and their teams to thrive in today's complex cross-platform ecosystem. Hosted by editor-in-chief Omar Oakes, each episode this month will bring together the buy side and se

Apr 29, 2024 • 45:12

The Future of Audio key interviews: Radiocentre on BBC ads and Acast on podcast measurement

The Future of Audio key interviews: Radiocentre on BBC ads and Acast on podcast measurement

We’ve just finished one of our big London events, The Future of Audio and Entertainment, where we had some of the most influential players in commercial audio and online platforms get together to talk about the future of content, production, AI, ads, sponsorships and measurement.If you subscribe to our YouTube channel, you’ll see that we’re also regularly publishing flash interviews from our events, via The Media Leader Live studio, and today we bring you two of those conversations

Apr 25, 2024 • 20:54

The Future of Marketing with Bloomberg Media – Ep3: Storytelling and engaging audiences

The Future of Marketing with Bloomberg Media – Ep3: Storytelling and engaging audiences

Welcome to this special four-part series of the podcast, which we've produced with Bloomberg Media. For the first time, we've recorded the podcast in a studio, so you can also watch/listen on our YouTube channel.The Future of Marketing is a series of conversations about the essential strategies and skills needed for marketers and their teams to thrive in today's complex cross-platform ecosystem. Hosted by editor-in-chief Omar Oakes, each episode this month will bring together the b

Apr 22, 2024 • 49:20

Are agencies fit for purpose when it comes to gaming advertising?

Are agencies fit for purpose when it comes to gaming advertising?

In-game advertising has proven to be a tough nut to crack for brands and marketers. But are agencies set up well to take advantage of the burgeoning possibilities in the medium?Rhys Hancock is a technology, media and entertainment consultant who previously worked at Epic Games and, before that, co-founded metaverse studio and agency Metavision.In a conversation with host Jack Benjamin, Hancock gives his perspective on whether agencies are well-suited to planning and buying gaming invent

Apr 18, 2024 • 38:25

The Future of Marketing with Bloomberg Media – Ep2: Mastering insights and data tools

The Future of Marketing with Bloomberg Media – Ep2: Mastering insights and data tools

Welcome to this special four-part series of the podcast, which we've produced with Bloomberg Media. For the first time, we've recorded the podcast in a studio, so you can also watch/listen on our YouTube channel.The Future of Marketing is a series of conversations about the essential strategies and skills needed for marketers and their teams to thrive in today's complex cross-platform ecosystem. Hosted by editor-in-chief Omar Oakes, each episode this month will bring together the b

Apr 15, 2024 • 37:29

'Forbesgate' and the trouble with MFA - with Nick Manning

'Forbesgate' and the trouble with MFA - with Nick Manning

Host Ella Sagar is joined by reporter Jack Benjamin and columnist and ex-media agency founder Nick Manning to discuss hot topics in the media industry from the past week.The trio examine the 'Forbesgate' scandal and the trouble marketers and publishers are having over efforts to tamp down on adspend being wasted on Made-For-Advertising sites.They also chat about March's box office figures, News Group Newspapers' latest financial results, and how publishers and influencers are experiment

Apr 11, 2024 • 39:42

Special series! The Future of Marketing with Bloomberg Media – Ep1: Multi-platform campaigns

Special series! The Future of Marketing with Bloomberg Media – Ep1: Multi-platform campaigns

Welcome to this special four-part series of the podcast, which we've produced with Bloomberg Media. For the first time, we've recorded the podcast in a studio, so you can also watch/listen on our YouTube channel.The Future of Marketing is a series of conversations about the essential strategies and skills needed for marketers and their teams to thrive in today's complex cross-platform ecosystem. Hosted by editor-in-chief Omar Oakes, each episode this month will bring together the buy si

Apr 8, 2024 • 51:22

Sheffield ad ban, advertising on Discord and Truth Social's volatile IPO

Sheffield ad ban, advertising on Discord and Truth Social's volatile IPO

Jack Benjamin is joined by Ella Sagar as they examine hot topics in the media industry from the past week.The pair delve into a recent ad ban instituted by Sheffield City Council and how it could impact the local OOH market. They also discuss Truth Social's IPO, Discord's foray into advertising and where best to place ads on Netflix.Highlights:1:23: Sheffield City Council's ban of advertising from “harmful and environmentally damaging" brands12:10: What is going on with Truth Social?16:17: More

Apr 4, 2024 • 27:39

Should agencies scrap time-based charges? With The Business Model's Caroline Johnson

Should agencies scrap time-based charges? With The Business Model's Caroline Johnson

Caroline Johnson, director and co-founder of The Business Model Company, talks to editor-in-chief Omar Oakes about why media agencies are no longer fit for purpose and need to get rid of charging models based on employees' time.Agencies that provide media, advertising and marketing services are having to work harder than ever while hiring increasingly expensive talent to stay relevant. Johnson argues that agencies need to reposition themselves as consultants and start charging based on

Apr 2, 2024 • 48:07

BBC's commercial future, election preview… and ads on the moon?

BBC's commercial future, election preview… and ads on the moon?

Outvertising's Cass Naylor joins host Ella Sagar and reporter Jack Benjamin to dissect BBC director-general Tim Davie's big speech about the BBC's commercial future and look ahead to how media and advertising will play its part in this year's UK general election.Highlights:3:20: The future of the BBC's commercial activities18:20: Which media channel will be a key 2024 election battleground?29:20: Quick hits: why Instagram is minimising political content; Reddit's IPO; Outsmart/KPMG's su

Mar 28, 2024 • 43:09

Does Snapchat want to be a destination for news? With Snap's Lucy Luke

Does Snapchat want to be a destination for news? With Snap's Lucy Luke

“Less social media. More Snapchat.” That is the tagline to Snap’s latest marketing campaign. The company, founded in 2011 as an image-sharing app that deletes the pictures after a short time frame, has evolved into a more comprehensive product and clearly wants to separate itself from the perhaps toxic connotations of the label “social media”.One area where Snap looks increasingly distinct from its competitors like Facebook, which has wound down its support for news over the past year,

Mar 25, 2024 • 31:47

A world without TikTok? Time for ads on the BBC? With Nicola Kemp

A world without TikTok? Time for ads on the BBC? With Nicola Kemp

The Media Leader columnist and Creativebrief editorial director Nicola Kemp joins Omar Oakes and host Jack Benjamin for this candid discussion of the biggest stories in media and advertising this week.In recent days, there has been a renewed push to ban TikTok in the US, the BBC is considering adding ads to podcasts when they are accessed on commercial sites, the government has disallowed newspapers to be purchased by foreign governments and United Talent Agency’s Michael Kassan has lef

Mar 21, 2024 • 41:08

What is the future of TV tech? Takeaways from the Connected TV World Summit

What is the future of TV tech? Takeaways from the Connected TV World Summit

In a special edition of The Media Leader Podcast, editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Jack Benjamin report live from last week's Connected TV World Summit in London.The pair discuss a number of topics in the world of TV that cropped up at the conference, such as the development and increasing popularity of FAST channels, the importance of TV operating systems to creating discoverability for broadcasters, and how media planners and buyers should be considering TV and the br

Mar 18, 2024 • 19:17

Publishers are going all in on audio and video – with Mail Metro Media's Dominic Williams

Publishers are going all in on audio and video – with Mail Metro Media's Dominic Williams

It is a challenging environment for publishers. That is no secret. Numerous publishers have had to lay off and restructure staff in recent months and, as traffic and revenue have been impacted in part by changes made by search and social media companies, as well as consumers continuing to move away from print, things have at times seemed quite dire.But when industries face challenge, it is always met with innovation. Publishers are actively exploring and testing new ways to create uniqu

Mar 14, 2024 • 37:04

Yannick Bolloré: Why Vivendi wants to create 4 'cousin companies'

Yannick Bolloré: Why Vivendi wants to create 4 'cousin companies'

Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO of Havas and chairperson at Havas' parent group Vivendi, speaks to Omar Oakes about the company's financial earnings, in which it turned around a €1bn loss the previous year, and why Vivendi is considering creating four distinct "cousin companies", centred on Havas, Canal+, publishing and distribution.The interview also reveals:Bolloré's view on how Vivendi companies will integrateWhy he has committed to lead the company for another 11 yearsHis media he

Mar 11, 2024 • 22:07

TalkTV going off linear, Reach earnings and a new Global CEO

TalkTV going off linear, Reach earnings and a new Global CEO

Host Ella Sagar welcomes editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Jack Benjamin to examine the past week in media, including TalkTV's decision to come off linear TV, Reach's "better-than-expected" earnings and Global appointing Simon Pitts as its next CEO after Stephen Miron. The trio also discuss Isba's plans for spinning off Origin into a separate company, ITV selling its 50% stake in BritBox International to BBC Studios, February's box office and Apple's €1.8bn fine from the Euro

Mar 7, 2024 • 40:20

TheZoo.London: 'Gone are the days consultancy is something to do in-between jobs'

TheZoo.London: 'Gone are the days consultancy is something to do in-between jobs'

Consultancy in some form may become part of a media practitioner's career at some point, but how does it work in reality?Rachel Forde and Marco Bertozzi, co-founders of consultants' collective The Zoo.London, join Ella Sagar to talk about founding a company, misconceptions about consultancy and the senior brain drain in media.For Forde, the days when consulting was seen as "something to do in-between jobs" are gone and consultants have "a really super smart way to work", focusing on pro

Mar 4, 2024 • 38:01

Reddit IPO, WBD's profitable streaming and declining transparency in agency-client relationships

Reddit IPO, WBD's profitable streaming and declining transparency in agency-client relationships

Host Jack Benjamin welcomes columnist Nick Manning and reporter Ella Sagar to examine Warner Bros Discovery's latest earnings, Reddit's forthcoming IPO and why agency-client relationships at holding companies have become less transparent over time.On digital publishers making cuts and lay-offs, Manning said: "One thing that is a shame for all of us is that content costs money and good content costs even more money. And those companies who get the most advertising revenue are the ones th

Feb 29, 2024 • 41:03

Spotify's $10bn advertising ambition – with UK sales chief Ed Couchman

Spotify's $10bn advertising ambition – with UK sales chief Ed Couchman

Ed Couchman, head of sales for the UK and Northern Europe at Spotify, joins Ella Sagar to talk about the company's long-term advertising ambition, its podcast and audiobook strategy, Apple's app practices and how kindness should not be seen as a weakness.He underscores the commitment to CEO Daniel Ek's goal of generating 20% of revenue from advertising and describes a "longer-term aspiration" for Spotify's advertising sales.Couchman says: "We do want in the long term for the ad sales to

Feb 26, 2024 • 25:16

Thinkbox new members, magazine publishing, GB News and Ofcom

Thinkbox new members, magazine publishing, GB News and Ofcom

Host Jack Benjamin welcomes editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Ella Sagar to examine Thinkbox's new members, headlines from the consumer ABCs and what is happening with GB News and Ofcom.The group also discusses why every media channel should have a Clearcast, BuzzFeed exploring a licensing deal with The Independent and Apple's potential fine from the European Commission. Highlights:3.47: BuzzFeed's licensing deal with The Independent8.05: Thinkbox's new members – Amazon, Disn

Feb 22, 2024 • 36:34

Pinterest is (almost) at half a billion users – so what now? With EMEA chief Milka Privodanova

Pinterest is (almost) at half a billion users – so what now? With EMEA chief Milka Privodanova

Milka Privodanova, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Pinterest, joins Omar Oakes to talk about the next step in the picture-sharing platform's journey as it reaches nearly 500m users and progresses ecommerce deals with Amazon and Google.Privodanova, who was known as Milka Kramer before announcing her name change in The Media Leader two years ago, is clear about how Pinterest can succeed as an ecommerce enabler while avoiding the "toxicity" that has plagued social media. She insi

Feb 19, 2024 • 26:08

How important is attention measurement to TikTok? With head of client measurement Steve Lockwood

How important is attention measurement to TikTok? With head of client measurement Steve Lockwood

As TikTok continues to develop what it says is a full-funnel advertising solution, such as through increased commerce capabilities, how it measures its advertising and drives effectiveness becomes increasingly important to marketers.TikTok’s head of client measurement for Europe, Israel and global gaming, Steve Lockwood, joins Jack Benjamin to discuss the company's approach to measurement and how the industry needs to rethink the practice for the contemporary era.Lockwood reveals, for example, w

Feb 15, 2024 • 37:01

Gordon Brown at LEAD 2024: Reactions as politicians talk to ad industry

Gordon Brown at LEAD 2024: Reactions as politicians talk to ad industry

Former prime minister Gordon Brown, culture secretary Lucy Frazer, shadow culture minister Chris Bryant and Ofcom chair Lord Grade had lots to tell the UK media and advertising industry at the LEAD 2024 conference on 8 February.But what do senior industry professionals really think of what they heard from the politicians and what will likely happen next?Omar Oakes and Jack Benjamin discuss conference highlights from the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London and get instant reac

Feb 12, 2024 • 32:25

Big Tech earnings bonanza; concentration and regulation; Super Bowl ads

Big Tech earnings bonanza; concentration and regulation; Super Bowl ads

Columnist Nicola Kemp joins host Jack Benjamin, editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Ella Sagar to unpack earnings results from swathes of Big Tech companies, including Meta, Amazon, Google, Spotify and Snap.The group discusses the big winners of earnings season and whether media has become too concentrated in fewer, more dominant players. As US senators ponder regulation of social media, Kemp and Oakes consider moral and business arguments for doing so."We have this huge existential

Feb 8, 2024 • 50:14

Cinema's road to recovery and the need for renewed DEI efforts – with Pearl & Dean's Charlene Williams

Cinema's road to recovery and the need for renewed DEI efforts – with Pearl & Dean's Charlene Williams

At The Year Ahead 2024, Charlene Williams, Pearl & Dean's group senior operations and business analyst, and member of our Future 100 Club, pleaded with industry leaders to renew their focus and care towards diversity, equity and inclusion. Was the message received?Williams discusses this on the podcast this week alongside host Jack Benjamin and special guest Sam Tidmarsh, Adwanted Events' head of conference production.The trio also delved into cinema's road to recovery after the Cov

Feb 5, 2024 • 39:23

If you could wave a magic wand, how would you improve the media industry?

If you could wave a magic wand, how would you improve the media industry?

At last month's The Year Ahead 2024 event in London, media's current and future leaders convened to discuss what is likely to happen in 2024 and what they would like to happen over the course of the year.Editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Ella Sagar were on the scene to interview a number of delegates. One key question they asked was: if you could wave a magic wand, what would you do to improve the media industry in the year ahead?Responses varied greatly. Some called for a creativ

Feb 1, 2024 • 9:27

Why signal strength is more 'stable' in a changing media world – with EssenceMediacom's Richard Kirk

Why signal strength is more 'stable' in a changing media world – with EssenceMediacom's Richard Kirk

The medium is the message. A well-known phrase in this industry, but how do you quantify how much that is true?Richard Kirk, joint chief strategy officer at EssenceMediacom, sat down with Ella Sagar to unpack what this means in practice through new research into "signal strength," which Kirk explained "is very likely to be an enduring thing that does not change much."Kirk also debunked some misconceptions about the correlation between time spent and actual cost of media with how sp

Jan 29, 2024 • 37:35

Netflix earnings, Omnicom's Flywheel purchase and the ANA programmatic report

Netflix earnings, Omnicom's Flywheel purchase and the ANA programmatic report

Columnist Nick Manning returns to the podcast alongside host Ella Sagar, editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and reporter Jack Benjamin to discuss the latest results from Netflix and why Omnicom's recent acquisition of Flywheel reflects the increasing importance of digital commerce and retail media.The group also looks at a number of recent industry reports, including last month's US Association of National Advertisers programmatic study, last week's IPA Bellwether Report and, out this week, the

Jan 25, 2024 • 42:49

Why social media is all about community now – with Reddit's Paul Peterman

Why social media is all about community now – with Reddit's Paul Peterman

Like other social media companies, Reddit has made big changes over the past few years as it seeks to become a more attractive digital platform for advertisers. These include a redesign in 2018, changes to its API last summer and a broader focus on sharing video content. A subset of Reddit users has at times decried such changes, even as they make Reddit a more commercially viable platform.Much like TikTok and Pinterest, Reddit is billing itself as the place for communities to form onli

Jan 22, 2024 • 30:26

Election season's impact on media, AI's misinformation pitfalls and tech lay-offs

Election season's impact on media, AI's misinformation pitfalls and tech lay-offs

Cass Naylor, strategic advisor at Purpose Union and co-director of advocacy at Outvertising, returns to the podcast alongside host Omar Oakes and reporters Ella Sagar and Jack Benjamin to unpack 2024 predictions in media and advertising and what was said by industry leaders at The Media Leader's annual Year Ahead event.They discuss their anxieties around AI-generated content spreading misinformation and disinformation during an election year, whether the ad market will remain strong thr

Jan 18, 2024 • 49:48

Will the cookieless future lead to more effective digital media? With Havas Media's Laura Kell

Will the cookieless future lead to more effective digital media? With Havas Media's Laura Kell

Cookies are deprecating on Google Chrome – finally – although they aren’t going away all at once. Just 1% of Chrome users have seen the cookieless future so far, with more to come over the next year.In response, many media agencies, media owners, publishers, adtech companies and, well, just about everyone wise in the digital media industry have been hard at work creating new advertising solutions to allow marketers to target consumers online without infringing on their privacy.One such

Jan 16, 2024 • 34:58

Ads on Amazon Prime Video, lay-offs at C4 and Twitch, and the perils of hustle culture

Ads on Amazon Prime Video, lay-offs at C4 and Twitch, and the perils of hustle culture

Columnist Nicola Kemp returns to the podcast alongside host Ella Sagar and reporter Jack Benjamin to review the past week's news in media and advertising.In her latest column, Kemp wrote about how the hustle culture is having negative effects on us all – especially caretakers. She implored media professionals to embrace the art of saying “no” this year.The trio discuss the column, as well as how and why ads are coming to Amazon Prime Video, plus the downturn in the TV ad market resultin

Jan 11, 2024 • 43:54

The Year Ahead for agencies and networks – with Rankin Creative CEO Richard Pinder

The Year Ahead for agencies and networks – with Rankin Creative CEO Richard Pinder

2024 is guaranteed to be a year of change for media and advertising, with higher interest rates, more AI and general elections in the UK and the US.What will it mean specifically for media agencies and agency networks, and what is the mood of the investment community in a world where debt is more expensive and cash becomes even more important?Editor-in-chief Omar Oakes interviews Richard Pinder, one of advertising's most influential executives in recent times, with 30 years' experience

Jan 8, 2024 • 39:53

Paramount-WBD merger chatter, NYT's OpenAI lawsuit, and our predictions for 2024

Paramount-WBD merger chatter, NYT's OpenAI lawsuit, and our predictions for 2024

Omar Oakes, Ella Sagar, and Jack Benjamin are back on the podcast following the holiday break to catch you up on all the news in media and advertising.They review the potential for a Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount merger, The New York Times' lawsuit of OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged copyright infringement, and X's declining valuation.The trio also shares their predictions for what they think will and will not occur this year, including surprising takes on X and Threads, why 2024

Jan 4, 2024 • 40:48

Rethinking the media agency model in 2024 - with MediaSense's Ryan Kangisser

Rethinking the media agency model in 2024 - with MediaSense's Ryan Kangisser

2024 is set to be another big year for large media agencies with many major global and UK accounts set to be reviewed by advertisers.But only one in 10 (11%) major multinational brands believe the current agency model fits their future needs.Even worse than that, one in four big brand marketers believe the current agency model is “unfit for future purpose”.Those are the tough findings from the World Federation of Advertisers and the consultancy MediaSense, whose Future of Media Agency M

Jan 3, 2024 • 37:19

Can you 'do the news' well with one-minute videos? With The News Movement's Ramin Beheshti

Can you 'do the news' well with one-minute videos? With The News Movement's Ramin Beheshti

Are social platforms good media to receive accurate news and information?Ramin Beheshti, founder and CEO of The News Movement, thinks so.Reporter Jack Benjamin discussed with Beheshti The News Movement's content and business strategy, how it looks to make money through diverse revenue streams, and whether short-form video is inherently a good medium for news presentation.More and more people, especially young people, continue to go to social media platforms with the explicit intention o

Dec 21, 2023 • 35:39

Dame Carolyn McCall reflects on ITVX one year on

Dame Carolyn McCall reflects on ITVX one year on

How hard is it for a traditional broadcaster to build a streaming service?“It’s a really easy thing to say, it’s quite a hard thing to deliver," ITV CEO Dame Carolyn McCall told editor-in-chief Omar Oakes at The Future of TV Advertising Global in London earlier this month.McCall reflected on the launch of ITVX, ITV's ad-supported streaming service, one year after its launch, and discussed what's next for the broadcaster as it seeks a more global footprint.ITVX now has 40 million re

Dec 18, 2023 • 32:11

What was the biggest story in media in 2023?

What was the biggest story in media in 2023?

What a year 2023 has been. The media industry has seen the expansion of generative AI, rising interest rates impacting businesses and in some cases media investment, a tough and transitioning market for TV, the 50th anniversary of commercial radio coinciding with a burgeoning podcast market, years of "efficiency" at major tech companies, a succession plan for Rupert Murdoch, and of course, Elon Musk dominating headlines for his tumultuous ownership of Twitter.In a special year-end episo

Dec 13, 2023 • 43:03

AI influencers are having a moment - with IMTB director general Scott Guthrie

AI influencers are having a moment - with IMTB director general Scott Guthrie

With more people turning to the likes of Instagram and TikTok for their entertainment, advertisers, including and especially luxury brands, have begun using influencers to help spread their brand messaging and sell their products in more ostensibly authentic ways.Working directly with such talent can be both a big creative boon, and a headache for brands and advertisers. Influencers are regularly flagged by the Advertising Standards Authority for breaking existing codes of conduct. That

Dec 11, 2023 • 32:27

The future of TV is... anxious?

The future of TV is... anxious?

At The Future of TV Advertising Global event this week in London, there was an air of anxiety over the future of TV and whether the medium can stave off threats from Big Tech to reduce its prominence on media plans.Editor-in-chief Omar Oakes breaks down takeaways from the event alongside reporters Ella Sagar and Jack Benjamin. The trio discuss the challenges facing the TV ad market, how Netflix and Disney+ have faired in their first year after instituting ad tiers, and why broadcasters

Dec 7, 2023 • 44:31

How healthy is the global ad market? With GroupM's Kate Scott-Dawkins

How healthy is the global ad market? With GroupM's Kate Scott-Dawkins

Each December, GroupM, the investment arm of WPP, releases its annual This Year Next Year report. The report highlights an all-encompassing view of the global ad market, summarizing both the past year, and looking forward to what we can expect from the next year and over the next five years.This year’s report estimated global ad revenue growth to be 5.8% to total $889bn. GroupM anticipates next year will see a slight deceleration to 5.3%.Kate Scott-Dawkins, the author of the report and

Dec 4, 2023 • 27:12

The Guardian's commercial future and trust as a media premium

The Guardian's commercial future and trust as a media premium

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by reporter Ella Sagar and The Guardian’s director of clients, marketing, and research James Fleetham to discuss takeaways from The Guardian's upfronts and how publishers are looking to highlight the importance of trust as misinformation on social media platforms runs rampant."We've become a rarer commodity," said Fleetham. "If there's less stuff you can trust out there, the places that you can trust become more important. That's common sense to me."Fleetham is a mem

Nov 30, 2023 • 40:00

Ads effectiveness guru Peter Field on TV effectiveness, attention, and trust in media

Ads effectiveness guru Peter Field on TV effectiveness, attention, and trust in media

Renowned advertising effectiveness expert Peter Field joins editor-in-chief Omar Oakes for this interview.Field discusses why he will be telling our upcoming Future of TV Advertising Global conference that "TV is still at the heart of effectiveness".He will use the latest effectiveness evidence from the UK and Australia to explain why TV remains such a powerful medium, despite the well reported challenges that it faces.Field also admits to the mistakes he's made in his career, why he's

Nov 27, 2023 • 42:59

 ITV Palooza, impact and 'the moment' for media planners

ITV Palooza, impact and 'the moment' for media planners

The Media Leader PodcastHost Ella Sagar is joined by editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and columnist Nick Manning to discuss takeaways and announcements from the ITV Palooza, the UK's biggest commercial broadcaster's annual upfront.The trio also talks about Manning's latest column about impact and effectiveness, and how a brand can grow through mass reach and a targeted approach.The proliferating options with channels and technology led Manning to say: "If I were a media planner right now, I w

Nov 22, 2023 • 44:51

Why brands and agencies need to get educated on gaming, with Venatus CEO Rob Gay

Why brands and agencies need to get educated on gaming, with Venatus CEO Rob Gay

What has made gaming so hard for marketers to crack?According to Rob Gay, the CEO of gaming adtech company Venatus, agencies and brands still need to get better educated about the burgeoning medium.Gay spoke with Jack Benjamin at our The Future of Gaming event in London last month about the different options brands have to speak to gamers, including in-game advertising, next-to-the-game advertising, and around-the-game advertising.He would rather 'start small and do gaming advertising right' and

Nov 16, 2023 • 14:12

'Triage not treatment': how managers can improve mental wellness, with Sue Todd and James Appleby

'Triage not treatment': how managers can improve mental wellness, with Sue Todd and James Appleby

On Halloween, industry wellbeing charity Nabs released the results of its All Ears consultation. The report found that more than one-third of industry professionals feel unable to discuss mental wellness in the workplace, that stress and burnout are normalised, and that those with a minority ethnic background are significantly less likely than those with a white ethnic background to see a future for themselves in media.Nabs CEO Sue Todd and Assembly managing partner James Appleby join J

Nov 13, 2023 • 47:30

The dangers of AI for news, holiday season ads, and event cinema

The dangers of AI for news, holiday season ads, and event cinema

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by reporter Ella Sagar and Outvertising and Purpose Union's Cass Naylor to discuss fears of AI's ability to spread disinformation, Journalism Matters week takeaways, and the strength of the ad market as we approach the holiday season.The trio also digs into whether recent box office figures are sustainable, the IAB's first ever brand-building campaign, and whether CEOs are entering their 'supervillain era' in mandating returns to the office.Commenting on tak

Nov 9, 2023 • 44:25

Is the metaverse 'dead in the water'? With gaming expert Shay Thompson

Is the metaverse 'dead in the water'? With gaming expert Shay Thompson

Is the metaverse dead? Was it ever alive to begin with?At last month's The Future of Gaming event in London, host Jack Benjamin took the stage alongside Shay Thompson to chat about her views on the gaming market.Thompson is a presenter and broadcaster covering gaming, and among the most respected journalists in the UK on the subject. She has collaborated with the likes of Bafta, McLaren, Xbox, Activision, and Ubisoft, and she currently appears on the BBC Sounds podcast Press X to Contin

Nov 6, 2023 • 16:24

The 'say-do' gap in mental wellness policies, hybrid working, and TV's summer recession

The 'say-do' gap in mental wellness policies, hybrid working, and TV's summer recession

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by editor-in-chief Omar Oakes and columnist Nicola Kemp to discuss NABS' All Ears consultation results, hybrid working pressures, and the latest AA/WARC figures, which found that TV experienced a summer recession.The trio also digs into the latest earnings results for Meta and Amazon, and gives one word for what they think about Boris Johnson's new gig as a presenter for GB News."There is a really big 'say-do gap, particularly in media," warns Kemp. "It's re

Nov 1, 2023 • 43:24

Yannick Bolloré interview at The Future of Media

Yannick Bolloré interview at The Future of Media

Yannick Bolloré, CEO and chairman of Vivendi and Havas, talks to editor-in-chief Omar Oakes about the future of media, how Vivendi can compete on a global scale, what's the grand strategy behind the company's acquisitions and where Havas' new ad agency Uncommon fits in.Speaking at our recent The Future of Media conference in London, Bolloré also answered questions about greenwashing and working for Shell as a new client and how the company has a policy around sustainability and making s

Oct 30, 2023 • 35:20

The Ken Bruce effect, earnings season, and are podcasts just talk shows?

The Ken Bruce effect, earnings season, and are podcasts just talk shows?

Host Jack Benjamin and is joined by reporter Ella Sagar and editor-in-chief Omar Oakes to discuss this quarter's Rajar figures and how podcasts are not just an audio format anymore. So if podcasts aren't just audio, why are we still calling them "podcasts," asked Oakes.The trio also talks about the latest earnings results for Spotify, Netflix, and the major media agency holding companies, as well as argue why advertising on streaming video platforms like Netflix and YouTube makes for such a bad

Oct 26, 2023 • 43:10

The 'Duracell bunny' of advertising? Why ITV thinks peak time has 'hidden value'

The 'Duracell bunny' of advertising? Why ITV thinks peak time has 'hidden value'

"The Duracell bunny" of advertising — that’s how ITV describes peak time TV spots, because, they say, their benefit keeps going and going.ITV and media investment analysts ViewersLogic have published a cross-market study that proves the value of peak airtime of responsive advertising. They say that peak TV spots deliver direct responses in the short term, but their hidden value is in their longevity, generating responses long after other TV spots advertising have finished working.To exp

Oct 23, 2023 • 26:36

Can AI offer benefits to user privacy? With Teads co-CEO Jeremy Arditi

Can AI offer benefits to user privacy? With Teads co-CEO Jeremy Arditi

Digital ad platform Teads has in recent years expanded its footprint beyond its digital display roots into connected TV. And, like many digital players, it is looking to leverage AI and machine-learning tools to the benefit of clients.Teads co-CEO Jeremy Arditi caught up with host Jack Benjamin to talk about how AI is powering creative solutions while being capable of respecting user privacy.Speaking from Advertising Week New York, Arditi explained: “It might feel like, to a user, that

Oct 19, 2023 • 23:25

Future of Media and Gaming takeaways, Israel-Hamas war misinformation

Future of Media and Gaming takeaways, Israel-Hamas war misinformation

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by reporter Ella Sagar and editor-in-chief Omar Oakes to unpack the key takeaways from last week's The Future of Media and The Future of Gaming events in London.The trio also discuss how the Israel-Hamas war has caused trouble for social media companies and the BBC alike.Read Raymond Snoddy's latest column: "BBC’s rigidity over ‘the T word’ is damaging its reputation"Show highlights:1.58 Key takeaways from The Future of Media - how can we measure the full "i

Oct 18, 2023 • 51:56

The Big Shorts - what changes to YouTube trends say about media culture - with Kevin Allocca

The Big Shorts - what changes to YouTube trends say about media culture - with Kevin Allocca

Ahead of the online video giant's YouTube Festival event to woo UK advertisers this week, Kevin Allocca tells editor-in-chief Omar Oakes why being 'viral' is less important and how the rise of TikTok and changing attitudes to online video have impacted YouTube's strategy.Allocca and Oakes also discuss why YouTube's research claims more than half of YouTube viewers are happy to watch ads attached to content of favourite creators in order to support them, and why 42% of viewers in the UK

Oct 10, 2023 • 30:56

'All about effectiveness': The Future of Media preview with Nick Manning

'All about effectiveness': The Future of Media preview with Nick Manning

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

Oct 5, 2023 • 44:17

Telegraph bidders, commercial radio's 50th anniversary, Brainlabs' ambition, and what's on at FoM

Telegraph bidders, commercial radio's 50th anniversary, Brainlabs' ambition, and what's on at FoM

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 futu

Oct 4, 2023 • 43:16

How should media move faster on sustainability? With Anne Coghlan and Hannah Mirza

How should media move faster on sustainability? With Anne Coghlan and Hannah Mirza

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 Age

Sep 27, 2023 • 44:31

Why publishers are brand building, with Ozone CEO Damon Reeve

Why publishers are brand building, with Ozone CEO Damon Reeve

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 navigatin

Sep 20, 2023 • 38:16

How to support women managing their work-life 'blend,' with Tobi Asare and Stefanie Daniels

How to support women managing their work-life 'blend,' with Tobi Asare and Stefanie Daniels

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 mos

Sep 13, 2023 • 46:31

Is TV the base of the media plan in 2023? With Kantar's Jane Ostler

Is TV the base of the media plan in 2023? With Kantar's Jane Ostler

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

Sep 6, 2023 • 43:15

Fake OOH ads, Telegraph sale, Shorts and the Rugby World Cup

Fake OOH ads, Telegraph sale, Shorts and the Rugby World Cup

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 Tele

Sep 4, 2023 • 46:54

How advertisers are changing strategy on gaming - with Lucy Rissik and Nina Mackie

How advertisers are changing strategy on gaming - with Lucy Rissik and Nina Mackie

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 elsewh

Aug 30, 2023 • 50:23

Why OOH audiences have not hit a 'new normal' yet - with Route's Denise Turner

Why OOH audiences have not hit a 'new normal' yet - with Route's Denise Turner

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 mar

Aug 23, 2023 • 49:48

Pinkwashing: how media should step up LGBT+ support - with Outvertising's Cass Naylor

Pinkwashing: how media should step up LGBT+ support - with Outvertising's Cass Naylor

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 Outve

Aug 16, 2023 • 51:26

Disney and gambling ads, Clear Channel's European challenge, and our new AI columnist

Disney and gambling ads, Clear Channel's European challenge, and our new AI columnist

Jack Benjamin, Omar Oakes and Ella Sagar are back on the podcast this week to analyse some of the industry’s biggest stories.The Premier League season is upon us once more, and while Jack may be clueless about British professional sport, he did cover how the league’s forthcoming gambling ads ban has thus far had ‘almost no impact’ on Premier League shirt sponsorships. With Disney finally getting involved in the gambling industry through its sports broadcaster ESPN, will t

Aug 14, 2023 • 35:03

Why retail media will transform the travel sector: With Kiessé Lamour and Simon Akers

Why retail media will transform the travel sector: With Kiessé Lamour and Simon Akers

2023 has been touted as the year of retail media. Between Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Lidl, Boots, Target, Kroger, Uber, Deliveroo, Revolut, and Walmart, retailers have been jumping at the chance to expand their media footprints. But what should retail media’s space be on the media plan?Kiessé Lamour, Wunderman Thompson's global head of media, commerce, and Simon Akers, founder of marketing consultancy Archmon, join host and reporter Ella Sagar to future of retail media, including why Lam

Aug 9, 2023 • 39:42

Broadcast's 'TikTok problem' + Bauer's Brucey bonus

Broadcast's 'TikTok problem' + Bauer's Brucey bonus

Omar Oakes and Ella Sagar prove their dedication to B2B podcasting by missing the England v Nigeria World Cup penalty shootout to record this episode with their analysis on the industry's biggest stories.OFCOM'S MEDIA NATIONS REPORT - is broadcast media suffering from 'fragmentation' or does it really have a deeper cultural problem with more consumers preferring short-form content? Spoiler for Omar's opinion, which features in his column today.RAJAR - did the BBC score an own goal by letting Ken

Aug 7, 2023 • 37:04

Are we in a golden age of audio? With Radiocentre CEO Matt Payton

Are we in a golden age of audio? With Radiocentre CEO Matt Payton

Commercial radio superseded the BBC in share of radio listening in the past year, and in tandem with the growing popularity of podcasts, audio is having a moment.Radiocentre CEO Matt Payton joins lead audio reporter Ella Sagar and host Jack Benjamin to discuss the past, present and future of the medium. The trio discuss the post-pandemic ascendancy of commercial radio, the need to innovate audio measurement tools and standards, and hurdles and opportunities in getting the upcoming Media

Aug 2, 2023 • 46:15

BONUS: Google's Matt Brittin on AI's impact on advertising, media, and talent

BONUS: Google's Matt Brittin on AI's impact on advertising, media, and talent

Google's EMEA president Matt Brittin spoke to Omar Oakes at the recent Cannes Lions advertising festival to discuss how the online advertising and media behemoth is approaching AI and how it's being discussed with advertisers, publishers and media agencies. Plus: ever wondered what it takes to become a senior exec at a massive tech company? Brittin's background and career journey may surprise you.The Media Leader Podcast's production partner is Trisonic.---Visit The Media Leader&nb

Jul 27, 2023 • 20:34

When is it time to admit you need inclusivity coaching? With Media for All's Shez Iqbal

When is it time to admit you need inclusivity coaching? With Media for All's Shez Iqbal

DEI, EDI, D&I – no matter the acronym you use, it is undeniable that conversations around equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion have been increasing across the board in recent years.But how does talk translate to action within the media industry? Shez Iqbal is a mentor at Media For All and head of publisher partnerships at Criteo. He joins the podcast alongside host Ella Sagar and guest Jack Benjamin to chat through the nitty gritty of diversity, equality, equity and inclusion

Jul 26, 2023 • 47:02

RIP Twitter, WTF is X? Plus the Barbenheimer bonanza and NME's return to print

RIP Twitter, WTF is X? Plus the Barbenheimer bonanza and NME's return to print

Host Jack Benjamin is joined by editor Omar Oakes and reporter Ella Sagar to discuss the latest news around the media industry.Key headlines covered this week: Twitter is being rebranded as X; 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' both had exceptional opening weekend box office performance thanks in part to impressive marketing campaigns; Hollywood remains on strike with no end in sight; earnings season is upon us; and NME is relaunching its print edition.---The Media Leader Podcast's production p

Jul 24, 2023 • 29:02

How attention can help drive media effectiveness - with Mike Follett

How attention can help drive media effectiveness - with Mike Follett

One of the key questions we are always asking industry experts, be it in our reporting or at our conferences, is what makes for effective media? Is it all about excellent creative? Is it about perfect placement? Or is it, in the words of Succession character Kendall Roy, all simply about harvesting eyeballs?Mike Follett, managing director at Lumen Research and a regular columnist for The Media Leader, is back on the podcast to discuss the key factors that make media effective, and where

Jul 19, 2023 • 43:15

Can AI outdo humans when showing you content? With Taboola CEO Adam Singola at Cannes Lions

Can AI outdo humans when showing you content? With Taboola CEO Adam Singola at Cannes Lions

Taboola has built a multibillion-dollar business by making it easy for publishers to recommend content to other parts of the web in exchange for a fee. Now, as thoughts about generative AI dominate conversations in media, the company has just launched Taboola Generative AI which aims to "revolutionise" how publishers create personalised ads.CEO Adam Singolda spoke to Omar Oakes about the company's beta test of this AI tech, which began in February and has just been rolled out formally t

Jul 17, 2023 • 27:43

What next for digital publishing? With Raymond Snoddy and Richard Reeves

What next for digital publishing? With Raymond Snoddy and Richard Reeves

What does the future of digital publishing, and in particular, digital news publishing, look like? Raymond Snoddy, the former presenter of BBC News Channel’s NewsWatch and a longtime columnist for The Media Leader, and Richard Reeves, MD of the Association of Online Publishers, join the podcast to discuss.Digital publishing has been in a near-constant state of development and transition since it began supplanting traditional press two decades ago. But with the recent dissolution of

Jul 12, 2023 • 51:03

Do agencies need a 'Madison Avenue Makeover'? Interview with author Michael Farmer

Do agencies need a 'Madison Avenue Makeover'? Interview with author Michael Farmer

“You’ve got to do a different job on pricing.”That is the core theme of the new book Madison Avenue Makeover, according to its author Michael Farmer.Farmer, a former consultant, is also the author of Madison Avenue Manslaughter, which the Financial Times called a “damning critique of the modern advertising industry”.His latest book, a sequel, addresses attempts by Huge CEO Mat Baxter to transform the IPG agency and restore its dynamism. But as reporter Ahmed Elkady&n

Jul 5, 2023 • 45:04

How to manage the 'toxic storm of stress' faced by workers - with guest Nicola Kemp

How to manage the 'toxic storm of stress' faced by workers - with guest Nicola Kemp

Media industry professionals have been in something of a crisis.Declining mental health, uncertainty over hybrid work policies, slow-moving DE&I policies, and still-large disparities between men and women in career progression and pay. These issues are not necessarily unique to media, and there have been improvements made over time in many areas, but there is doubtless more our industry could be doing to improve the lives of its workers.So, how should we unpack all of these challeng

Jun 28, 2023 • 44:10

What is the future of Future?

What is the future of Future?

Future's new CEO Jon Steinberg is keen to build things.In his career he has helped create two new media start-ups in BuzzFeed and Cheddar, but in his new role as CEO of Future, he has taken charge of numerous media properties continuing to transition from print to digital.Steinberg joins the podcast in an interview with editor Omar Oakes. The pair discuss changes Steinberg is bringing to Future, the value of attending Cannes Lions, the state of the digital publishing industry, and how d

Jun 21, 2023 • 22:58

Cannes you believe the news? Lions festival preview with guest Laurence Green

Cannes you believe the news? Lions festival preview with guest Laurence Green

Why are media and creative so siloed?That was the question implicitly posed by our editor Omar Oakes in his latest column. Referencing industry veteran Laurence's Green's speech at a recent Thinkbox conference, Oakes questioned Cannes' reason for appearing separately as both a celebration of creativity and as a tech and media industry conference.Oakes and Green both joined Jack Benjamin on The Media Leader Podcast to unpack the argument. In a wide-ranging conversation, the tri

Jun 14, 2023 • 45:28

Salesforce, InfoSum, JICMAIL and AudienceProject on media and advertising's key challenges

Salesforce, InfoSum, JICMAIL and AudienceProject on media and advertising's key challenges

"There's so much change all the time in terms of new channels popping up, the way ID and privacy fit together and create challenges; there's just so much to constantly be on top of and ahead of."AudienceProject's UK commercial director Martin Bentley was one of several Future of Brands conference delegates reflecting on the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the media industry in the near future.Speaking with reporters Jack Benjamin and Ella Sagar at London conference in April,

Jun 6, 2023 • 39:26

Attention measurement: 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a killing'

Attention measurement: 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a killing'

Are people even paying attention to the ads they are being served? That question has opened up a can of worms for an industry that is intensely concerned with return on investment.Two leaders of the attention economy, Lumen Research's Mike Follett and Amplified Intelligence's Karen Nelson-Field, joined reporter Jack Benjamin for a discussion on the positives, pitfalls, and recent developments within the evolving space.---This episode was edited by our production partners Trisonic. You c

May 30, 2023 • 47:44

LIVE: What now for The Future of Brands?

LIVE: What now for The Future of Brands?

Are ambitious marketers suffering from a 'Steve Jobs complex'? Is Sir John Hegarty right to say that marketers and most marketing is simply "boring"? Is there any point doing "purpose" in marketing"?These are among the key questions answered by a trio of media and advertising leaders who joined The Media Leader editor Omar Oakes to discuss the state of marketing and key themes from The Future of Brands.Craig Tuck, chief revenue officer at Ozone, Rachel Forde, former UK CEO of media agen

May 22, 2023 • 40:41

The Future of Audio: what now for Spotify?

The Future of Audio: what now for Spotify?

Lee Brown, head of advertising business & platform at Spotify, speaks to Omar Oakes about how the global audio giant hopes to significantly grow its advertising revenue in response to founder Daniel Ek's "20% challenge".Brown had been on a salesperson hiring spree, but then the digital media market slowed down and the company began making layoffs like most of the big tech giants in recent months. Ek, meanwhile, admitted Spotify had over-invested in podcasts in particular, after acqu

Apr 11, 2023 • 18:16

Why reframing is better than convincing - with marketing author Richard Shotton

Why reframing is better than convincing - with marketing author Richard Shotton

"Reframe the problem," says renowned marketing consultant and author Richard Shotton in his new book on behavioural psychology and its impact on advertising and media.In his new book, The Illusion of Choice, Shotton describes the various psychological biases (16-and-a-half, to be precise) that influence what we buy.Reviewing the title in The Media Leader, VCCP Media's joint chief strategy officer Steve Taylor called it a page turner and an “antidote” to “a sea of inc

Apr 4, 2023 • 28:58

Why women are being 'edited out of media' - with Nicola Kemp

Why women are being 'edited out of media' - with Nicola Kemp

The Media Leader's new columnist Nicola Kemp joins Omar Oakes to talk about the progress women have made in making media a more equitable career and the barriers which still remain. Kemp, who is editorial director of Creativebrief, warns if we want to stop women from being edited out of the media industry, we must be honest about addressing burnout and "fake flexibility".What advice does she have for women in media and what more can leaders do?Read the first in her new monthly column: "

Mar 29, 2023 • 36:33

Being an English (media) person in New York - with TPA Digital CEO Wayne Blodwell and Good-Loop CEO Amy Williams

Being an English (media) person in New York - with TPA Digital CEO Wayne Blodwell and Good-Loop CEO Amy Williams

Have you ever thought about moving across the pond? Two media industry Brits that have recently made the jump over into the massive, frenetic media environment in America—more specifically, the Big Apple. They’re eager to share what they feel is different about the media industry Stateside as compared to the UK.Wayne Blodwell is the founder and CEO of digital advertising consultancy TPA Digital, formerly known as The Programmatic Advisory, as well as a podcast host in his own right for The AdPod

Mar 21, 2023 • 23:01

Sir John Hegarty on why 'the big idea' still matters for the future of brands

Sir John Hegarty on why 'the big idea' still matters for the future of brands

We're back for Season 2 with a banger!Advertising legend Sir John Hegarty speaks to Omar Oakes in the first of a two-part interview - the second of which will be at our Future of Brands event in London (25/26 April). 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

Mar 14, 2023 • 29:37

How advertisers can develop media ethics - with Compliant CEO Jamie Barnard

How advertisers can develop media ethics - with Compliant CEO Jamie Barnard

Jamie Barnard, former Unilever in-house lawyer and CEO of privacy and data governance platform Compliant, joins Omar Oakes to discuss what he learned from his time at the coal face as a large global advertiser grappled with data privacy and media ethics and how he is now trying to help brands develop ethical media policies for an advertiser-funded internet.Merry Xmas + see you in the new year for Season 2!Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comm

Dec 21, 2022 • 28:23

Why 2023 will be 'the year of the public screen' - with JCDecaux UK co-CEO Dallas Wiles

Why 2023 will be 'the year of the public screen' - with JCDecaux UK co-CEO Dallas Wiles

JC Decaux's co-CEO in the UK, Dallas Wiles, tells Omar Oakes why the outdoor media company thinks 2023 will the year of the public screen. He reveals why, contrary to what many predicted, people have not fled cities during the pandemic and we have already arrived at "the new normal".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

Dec 19, 2022 • 27:13

Why 'Right Reach' is needed in a fragmented media world - with Zenith UK CSO Richard Kirk

Why 'Right Reach' is needed in a fragmented media world - with Zenith UK CSO Richard Kirk

The basic relationship between reach and business results has "eroded dramatically", Zenith UK chief strategy officer Richard Kirk argues in an opinion piece for The Media Leader. In some cases, this fundamental principle of commercial media no longer exists, the Publicis Groupe media agency has discovered.Kirk speaks to Omar Oakes about why the relationship between audience reach and an advertiser's sales has broken down, why 'Right Reach' is a better predictor of success, and what thi

Dec 15, 2022 • 21:17

Is TikTok building the new shopping mall?

Is TikTok building the new shopping mall?

Kris Boger, general manager, UK, global business solutions at TikTok, talks to Omar Oakes about how and why this social media platform is going big on commerce, what advertisers and agencies are asking TikTok as they try to make sense of this platform, and whether questions TikTok parent Bytedance’s Chinese ownership are fair. Find out more about our upcoming event in London The Future of Audio and check out the outline agenda.Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative

Dec 13, 2022 • 23:18

Why 'fast fashion' media needs to stop - with Good-Loop founder Amy Williams

Why 'fast fashion' media needs to stop - with Good-Loop founder Amy Williams

Amy Williams, founder and CEO of ethical advertising platform Good-Loop, tells Omar Oakes why creating more sustainability is akin to ending the practice of 'fast fashion' and how the industry needs to change to make advertising and media production carbon neutral.We go into more depth about how to confront the climate emergency in advertising and media in our webinar with The Guardian, featuring the newsbrand's environment editor Fiona Harvey, the Conscious Advertising Network, Purpose

Dec 8, 2022 • 18:53

Trusted media, quality data and 'church v state' - with commercial director Dave Randall *sponsored*

Trusted media, quality data and 'church v state' - with commercial director Dave Randall *sponsored*

Dave Randall, Future's commercial director, discusses with Omar Oakes why using first-party data well is so important to the publisher and how its audience data platform Aperture has developed. Dave and Omar also discuss how 'specialist interest websites' and TV stand out in a Future survey about trust in media, and how a modern publisher establishes 'church v state' lines between editorial and commercial when journalists are asked to write sponsored content.Our own 'church v state' dis

Dec 5, 2022 • 28:03

The future of retail media - with Wavemaker global head of ecomm Mudit Jaju

The future of retail media - with Wavemaker global head of ecomm Mudit Jaju

Mudit Jaju, global ecommerce lead at Wavemaker talks to reporter Ella Sagar about how the retail media ecosystem has changed since the pandemic, who does retail media really well and what new partnerships between ITV and Channel 4 and retail media partners mean for the industry.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 -&nbsp

Nov 30, 2022 • 21:15

Why there's a crisis of trust in media - with Nick Manning

Why there's a crisis of trust in media - with Nick Manning

Nick Manning, founder of media agency Manning Gottlieb OMD and media consultant, talks about his recent column in which he argues advertisers can no longer be passive observers as their spending funds a media ecosystem which is suffering from a "crisis of trust".Notes:Nick's column: "How advertisers should deal with the crisis of truth in media"The editor: "We will champion talent, sustainability and trust in media"Join us on Weds 30 November for a special presentation we're running wit

Nov 25, 2022 • 24:25

How media attitudes to women's football have changed - with England champion footballer Jill Scott

How media attitudes to women's football have changed - with England champion footballer Jill Scott

England footballer Jill Scott — part of the Euro 2022-winning team — speaks to talkSPORT reporter Jordan Jarrett Bryan at our recent Future of Media event in London.Jill and Jordan spoke about her experience of dealing with the media as a women’s footballer, how media attitudes towards women’s football have changed, and how far away the women’s game is now with being seen as an attractive area for brands to invest in advertising and sponsorship. **As seen (sort of!) on ITV's I'm a

Nov 18, 2022 • 32:13

Will outdoor advertising ever return to 'normal' after Covid? - with Route CEO Denise Turner

Will outdoor advertising ever return to 'normal' after Covid? - with Route CEO Denise Turner

Route Research CEO Denise Turner talks to Omar Oakes about how the outdoor media sector has recovered in 2022 after Covid-19 lockdowns in the UK and what the 'new normal' looks like as more people regularly work fro home.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

Nov 14, 2022 • 22:12

Why being 'right' about the future of media isn't everything

Why being 'right' about the future of media isn't everything

Omnicom Media Group’s head of futures Phil Rowley has recently joined The Media Leader‘s stellar list of regular columnists. His debut column argues that predictions can still be highly useful even when they’re wrong.Rowley speaks to Omar Oakes about the science of predicting, whether predictions are getting harder and whether brands are becoming more conservative when it comes to innovation in media and marketing.Of course there is a lot to say about what’s happening at

Nov 7, 2022 • 31:23

BARB CEO Justin Sampson and the future of TV measurement

BARB CEO Justin Sampson and the future of TV measurement

BARB CEO Justin Sampson discusses what's next for the UK TV measurement company as independent audience data for Netflix and Disney+ becomes available for the first time. 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

Nov 2, 2022 • 14:23

Carolyn McCall interview: ITVX, her vision, and what's next for TV

Carolyn McCall interview: ITVX, her vision, and what's next for TV

ITV CEO Carolyn McCall speaks to Omar Oakes about the launch of ITV's new streaming service ITVX, where it fits into her vision to digitally transform the UK's biggest commercial broadcaster, and what's next for ad-funded television as Netflix and Disney+ enter the arena.This interview was recorded at The Future of Media, Mediatel's flagship conference, in London on 13 October.

Oct 31, 2022 • 35:05

The forgotten 500,000

The forgotten 500,000

The #Forgotten500k campaign sees media owners provide free ad space for a campaign to make an antiviral available on the NHS for immunocompromised people who don't respond to regular Covid-19 vaccines. Omar speaks to mSix&partners executive chair Jess Burley about why it's so important, campaigner Mark Oakey whose life and been put on hold for more than two years, and Dr Tony Pagliuca for a medical perspective. Find out more about the campaign.Hosted by Omar Oakes, editor of The Media Leader. Ch

Oct 26, 2022 • 28:57

COMING SOON: The Media Leader Podcast

COMING SOON: The Media Leader Podcast

The Media Leader Podcast features opinions and analysis about the media and advertising industry. Our mission is to champion excellence, inclusion and courage in media.

Oct 21, 2022 • 1:02

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