How opaque algorithms are influencing communication — with Lea Karam and Patrick Fagan
One of the core themes of this year has been the adaptation of consumer behaviours. Everyone wants to understand how Gen Z consumes media, how AI is changing search habits and how different platforms address different emotional needs.With change comes a whole lot of uncertainty and, by trying to address new consumer behaviour, you risk losing what works and what makes your brand special.So it’s useful to have the ear of behavioural scientists to help make sense of it all.Lea Karam and Patrick Fagan are two behavioural scientists working in the media industry. Karam formerly worked as part of Mediaplus UK’s Behave before founding her own consultancy this year called Mindscope. Fagan is a consultant for brands and political campaigns and has lectured at institutions including University College London.The pair discuss some of the most pressing issues facing brands and media owners today from a behavioural perspective, such as whether attention spans are truly shortening and why we still use social media even when we all seemingly agree that so much of it is toxic.As Fagan remarks: "I don't think crack addicts have a very good perception of crack."Highlights:10:02: Making content psychologically effective16:14: Gen Z and the difference between attention spans and "filtering spans"22:38: How opaque algorithms are ruling our communication35:51: Why we still use social media even though it's perceived negatively44:32: When do we hit subscription fatigue?49:06: What is AI doing to our brains? Are we becoming worse critical thinkers?Related articles:Adapting to shifting media consumption habits — with TikTok, Spotify, Global and BBC‘You need a human compass’: Lea Karam opens behavioural consultancyFrom ChatGPT to Dr Who: how human AI and behavioural science can improve campaignsAre all ‘views’ created equal? With TikTok, DCM, Total Media and Mindlab---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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Measurement can't be an afterthought — with IPA's Denise Turner
Denise Turner has worked in media research for more than three decades for a number of agencies and trade bodies. This summer, she succeeded Belinda Beeftink as research director at the IPA.Turner sits down with Jack Benjamin to discuss her new remit and how she views the state of media effectiveness as media owners move towards providing outcomes-based measurement for clients.She is also serving as head judge of the 2026 Adwanted Media Research Awards, which are now open for entries.The awards champion the best researchers in the industry and Turner shares what will be front of mind for her when she judges entries later this year.Deadline for submissions is 1 October, with the late deadline on 10 October.Highlights:2:02: Turner's top priorities as IPA research director7:25: Measuring brand consumption in a fragmented ecosystem13:24: The challenges of outcomes-based measurement20:01: Core research topics for the IPA going forward24:47: Adwanted Media Research Awards: what does Turner look for?Related articles:Adwanted Media Research Awards 2026: Open for entriesData and measurement are starving brand investmentNow is the moment for broadcasters to take control of cross-screen TV measurementHow Lantern will bring outcome measurement to TV — with Sameer Modha and Matt Hill---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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Why sport is every brand's playing field — with Sky's Pippa Scaife and Dan Cohen
This episode was produced in partnership with Sky MediaAfter another big summer of sport and the kick-off of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Jack Benjamin is joined by Sky Media's new director of digital advertising, Pippa Scaife, and director of transformation, Dan Cohen, to discuss how brands can make the most of live sport.In the UK, if you’re a football fan — or, indeed, a fan of practically any major sport — it’s likely you have a Sky subscription.And amid a fragmented AV media landscape, sport has emerged as both a highly important opportunity for brands wanting to reach large audiences all at once and a key way to tap into dedicated communities and fandoms.Scaife and Cohen speak about the role Sky's new Sports Marketplace plays in democratising live sport for smaller advertisers, how brands can tap into sport beyond just on the telly and rapidly emerging opportunities in women's sport.Highlights:1:20: How fragmented viewing has made sport a multichannel experience7:04: Opportunities in women's sport and reaching female sports fans14:15: Sky Media's Sports Marketplace: democratising sports advertising24:53: 2026 in sport: Olympics, Paralympics, World Cup — how should brands be preparing?29:03: Making the most out of sponsorship opportunities: shoulder content, commentary, communityRelated articles:Expanded programmatic capabilities at Sky Media ‘will democratise live sport’Sky Media: Brands shouldn’t miss their chance to connect with women’s sport fandomGet in the game: why Havas Play thinks brands should be doubling down on women’s sport Sports programming on the rise across global SVOD services---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media.LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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Ethics in the future of media technology — with Professor Andy Miah
Next month, The Media Leader will head up north for The Future of Media Manchester – part one of our two-part flagship event series, with the other held in London in November.While there, we’ll be looking to unpack an industry in flux. How is AI changing the media market? What’s next for social platforms? And for brand discovery? How can we supercharge investment outside London?Ahead of the conference, Jack Benjamin caught up with one of the speakers who offers a unique view on our industry.Professor Andy Miah is chair in science communication and future media at the University of Salford. He is a bioethicist, an academic and an expert on how technology is shaping our media environments and, in turn, who we are and how we interact with each other in society.Miah and Benjamin discuss the ways in which AI has the power to transform media (for better and for worse): how AI slop is taking over our TikTok feeds, the ethics of chatbots and whether business incentives are aligning with social incentives for technological change in media."The ethics of it certainly can't be left to the platforms to decide," says Miah. "We certainly don't want to restrict innovation to such an extent that it cannot progress, but I think we have the beginnings of a global conversation on how to regulate AI."Highlights:2:37: How new technology is shaping media consumption: optimism and anxiety6:42: Antidotes to enshittification? Content creation, hype cycles and monopolism15:36: How the AI transformation is impacting "the fundamental building blocks of society"30:25: What is artistically great in 2025? AI slop, the attention economy and the race to the bottom36:36: The ethics of chatbots and the beginnings of a regulatory framework for AIRelated articles:In an AI search era, brands must go where LLMs goMark Zuckerberg champions ‘superintelligence’ as Meta revenues jumpAI search presents ‘existential’ challenge to publishersTikTok stakes claim as ‘home of search’ as it launches more AI ad tools---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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How should brands navigate AI search? With Havas Media Network's Paul Bland
We’ve entered a new era of search.Google’s dominance is being challenged: social platforms like TikTok and Reddit were already upending traditional means of information and product discovery, and the rise of large-language models for search has created an entirely new and nascent market.Google itself is leaning into the new era with its Gemini model and AI Mode search experience, which launched in the UK last month. But there’s also OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Perplexity’s Sonar and many others.Due to the nature of these models giving conversational, descriptive responses to queries, users are clicking on a lot fewer links. Google denies this – without providing hard evidence to the contrary – but publishers and brands alike have reported sharp declines in referral traffic. How will they navigate the future of the web? Paul Bland is the chief digital officer at Havas Media Network UK. The media agency last week launched a new tool aimed at helping brands get more visibility over how and when they show up in AI search, and ideally then optimising that behaviour.Bland discusses how AI search will make upper-funnel brand strategies more important and why publishers would be wise to lean in to the new era of search even if it puts them at a disadvantage.Highlights:2:08: How the search market has changed in the AI era5:38: Havas's new Brand Insights AI tool: how brands will work to optimise their visibility on LLMs12:10: Implications for declining click-through rates18:38: Generative engine optimisation: how marketing strategies must adapt26:40: Publishers at riskRelated articles:AI search presents ‘existential’ challenge to publishersHavas Media Network launches ‘generative engine optimisation’ toolOpinion: AI isn’t killing search — it’s evolving itThe future of branding: Influence LLMs to protect your share of market---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
The 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.
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