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 spe...
Why OOH is in rude health — with JCDecaux's Chris Collins and Dallas Wiles
This month, JCDecaux reported strong fiscal year 2024 earnings: the global business saw 9.7% organic growth, while JCDecaux grew 18.4% in the UK — a growth figure more typically associated with tech giants.Meanwhile, the broader OOH industry is in rude health, with total ad revenue hitting record highs (£1.4bn) in 2024.JCDecaux UK co-CEOs Chris Collins and Dallas Wiles joined host Jack Benjamin to discuss what is driving such strong growth in OOH investment and why JCDecaux is making 2025 its largest-ever year for screen deployment across the UK.The pair also talked about making OOH "as simple as possible" for advertisers to buy, innovations in measurement efforts and whether the retail media opportunity for OOH is overhyped.Highlights:5:06: Collins and Wiles' co-leadership strategy and changes at JCDecaux before, during and after the pandemic13:00: Reflecting on JCDecaux's strong UK growth and its year of investment18:59: How can OOH grow its share of the adspend pie?29:07: Why measurement is the "backbone" of JCDecaux's commercial strategy35:47: Are brands making the most of digital OOH with their creative?41:47: The opportunity for OOH in retail mediaRelated articles:JCDecaux to double London digital roadside footprintOOH hits record year in revenueWhy not advertise in a real town square?---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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How The Guardian is expanding its commercial footprint — with Imogen Fox
This episode was produced in partnership with The Guardian.Last month, The Guardian promoted its chief advertising officer, Imogen Fox, to a new global role to drive commercial growth not only in the UK, but also in markets like the US and Australia, where the news outlet has seen a substantial influx of new readers."We're growing," Fox told senior reporter Jack Benjamin. "I'm not sure that message has translated yet to the advertising community and I think that's where there's a huge opportunity."In the US, she noted, The Guardian already has larger readership than The Washington Post, the Daily Mail and Bloomberg.In a special partner episode of The Media Leader Podcast, Fox joined Benjamin to discuss her new remit and reveal how The Guardian is innovating its ad offering to give advertisers new opportunities to access the title's "scale, influence and integrity".Fox also reflected on the importance of supporting journalism, the senselessness of keyword-blocklist practices and how The Guardian offers an effective media environment to drive business growth.She continued: "The Guardian is really needed in all of these regions. It's needed by readers, it's needed by democracy. In terms of what that means for advertisers, it means that there are lots of places where they can show up."Highlights00:49: Moving from editorial to commercial at The Guardian and Fox's priorities with her expanded remit6:34: The Guardian's commercial ethos: scale, influence and integrity12:13: How The Guardian is innovating its "fewer, better" ad experience and building new verticals22:30: The Guardian's progressive audience and what it means for brands25:05: Why premium publishers shouldn't be lumped in with all online advertisingRelated articlesGuardian moves into more subscription content with cooking appFrom skibidi to pebbling: Making sense of culture and why it matters‘Advertisers nowhere to be seen’ despite election traffic high, warns The GuardianScott Trust and Guardian Media Group approve Observer sale to TortoiseThe Guardian US appoints Sara Badler as new Chief Advertising Officer---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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Is the death of the marketing funnel nigh? With IAB’s James Chandler
Last week, digital advertising trade body IAB UK unveiled new research forecasting a matured digital market, a fast-growing video and retail media market, and strong potential for gaming.It also found, based on interviews with 40 industry leaders, that the marketing funnel as we have known it may well not survive a digital future in which more media channels become shoppable and generative AI proliferates, changing how consumers seek information about products and services.In a companion op-ed to the report, James Chandler, IAB UK's chief strategy officer, argued that not only is the future funnel-less, but that all media will soon become retail media.Chandler joined host Jack Benjamin to elaborate on his argument and discuss how advertisers should adjust their media strategies as the consumer journey gets truncated by shoppable advertising in AV formats."Immediacy is going to be the biggest thing," said Chandler. "With the advent of AI and the sophistication around digital, you can go from awareness all the way through to buying something and becoming a customer in the space of seconds."Highlights:1:11: Takeaways from the IAB's Futurescape research6:34: Should agencies move away from a channel-led approach to planning?11:33: The opportunity in shoppable formats17:32: How AI is changing consumption habits and what it means for advertisers24:31: Is there a new heuristic that can replace the funnel?Related articles:The future is funnel-less — adapt your ad strategies accordingly100 years of doing it wrong — and how to do it right‘Full funnel measurement must accelerate’ — media priorities for Arla Foods’ Rob Edwards4 principles to create an effective full-funnel measurement strategy---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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Unpacking flaws in current brand safety efforts — with Responsible Marketing Advisory's Emily Roberts
Last month, concerns around brand safety and the opaque nature of programmatic advertising flared up again following a report from adtech transparency startup Adalytics, which found that a huge number of big-name brands have been accidentally placing ads on a website that hosts a great deal of child sexual abuse material (also known as CSAM).How did this happen? Do brands actually care about brand safety? And, if they do, what steps can they take to make sure they’re supporting quality media?Emily Roberts is head of digital at the Responsible Marketing Advisory, an independent marketing consultancy. She is also co-founder of the Women in Programmatic Network and an inaugural member of The Media Leader’s Future 100 Club.Roberts joined host Jack Benjamin to unpack the Adalytics report and share tips on how brands can avoid supporting harmful content online.Highlights:6:17: Is programmatic advertising a sustainable model for publishers?8:40: Unpacking the Adalytics report and the flaws in current brand-safety practices19:26: What brands should do to avoid accidentally showing up against CSAM online23:40: Brand safety on social media platforms31:48: How the Women in Programmatic Network has reacted to DEI "sunsetting"Related articles:How can brands avoid advertising against CSAM?Time to replace brand-safety paranoia with a nuanced approachBrand safety in a Donald Trump-led worldAdvertising adjacent to quality news content is brand-safe regardless of topic---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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Stephen Miron on his career and legacy
Next month, Global CEO Stephen Miron will officially step back from his role after 16 years at the helm of one of Britain's largest media enterprises.When Miron joined Global as CEO in 2008, it was a £200m business with only one national radio brand. In March, he’ll leave an almost £1bn business, with numerous national radio brands, a digital ad exchange, dedicated listening app and substantial OOH footprint.Miron will still be involved at Global as chairman, replacing former ITV and Granada CEO Lord Charles Allen, who himself will become a senior non-executive director. Former STV CEO Simon Pitts is succeeding Miron as Global’s CEO.In an interview with The Media Leader in October, Global’s chief commercial officer Mike Gordon said: “We’re very lucky because Stephen’s not leaving the business. We have Stephen and we have Simon – it’s great to have somebody join the business with the experience that Simon’s got. No-one has a monopoly on a great idea.”Miron sat down last autumn with The Media Leader columnist and former editor-in-chief Omar Oakes for a conversation at our Future of Media London event to reflect on his career and legacy.“You have to know when to exit stage left,” Miron said. “It’s been the most amazing journey for 16 years, but I also think the business needs different thinking in the next 15 years.”Highlights:3:13: Looking back on Global's beginnings and Miron's early career path13:54: Lessons from Associated Newspapers18:50: Working with Ashley Tabor-King to identify growth in radio and OOH31:02: Defining Global's unique culture and identifying and inspiring talentRelated articles:‘Disrupt yourself before someone disrupts you’: Stephen Miron on 16 years of GlobalGlobal commercial chief Mike Gordon: Radio has ‘grown up and adapted’STV’s Simon Pitts to succeed Stephen Miron as Global CEO‘A tough act to follow’: Industry reacts to Stephen Miron’s departure from Global---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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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