Why consistency is key for brand success — with Specsavers' Ian Maybank
Ahead of The Future of Brands on Tuesday, Jack Benjamin is joined by Specsavers head of media, connections planning and insights Ian Maybank to discuss how the retail chain has built a strong brand through media investment.The pair speak about how brands can work to bring creative and media closer together, the importance of consistent brand messaging and humour, and how agency-client relationships have changed and are likely to change in the near future.Maybank also explains why he believes media trading is likely to consolidate, how in-housing has helped Specsavers' creative process and how AI could impact agency remuneration."The bedrock that great work comes from hasn't changed," Maybank says. "It's still built on trust, creativity and having strong relationships and partnerships — even at a time when there's lots of headwinds."Highlights:6:21: How "consistency" of Specsavers' brand platform and humour have led to sustained marketing success10:05: Bringing media and creative closer together16:23: Agency-client relationships: what's changed and what's stayed the same23:02: In-housing and AI28:57: What does an ideal media mix look like in 2025?Related articles:Don’t forget retail media’s brand-building powerForget the ‘good old days’: What Gen Z’s financial outlook means for brandsRethinking agency remuneration in 2025 — with MediaSense’s Ryan Kangisser---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
--------
35:37
Can social media be a force for good? With WeAre8's Laura Chase
Social media gets a lot of flak. Its critics accuse platforms of causing massive negative externalities on society – everything from crumbling democracies to mental health crises gets blamed on social media.And “social media” as a term has even become so toxic that social media companies themselves prefer to call themselves anything but “social media”. The tagline to Snapchat’s marketing campaign last year was: “Less social media. More Snapchat.” TikTok calls itself an entertainment platform.But does social media need to be this way? Perhaps not.WeAre8 is a challenger platform that wants to prove social media can have a positive social impact. The platform has a unique opt-in advertising experience that enables users to be paid to watch ads, with proceeds optionally donated to charities of their choosing.The startup calls itself “The People’s Platform” – but does it have the requisite scale to attract advertisers looking for strong business results and not just a morally driven goal of spending with supposedly nicer players?Laura Chase, WeAre8’s UK managing director, joins host Jack Benjamin to explain the app's features, commercial model and how it is working to attract investment from brands."We can fix big problems by watching ads," she says.During the interview, Chase also reveals that WeAre8 is launching a voice note ad product in time for less healthy food ad restrictions.Highlights:5:12: WeAre8's mission to "bring the best of social" while removing "the bad bits"9:34: Scale, product development and brand-safety efforts15:12: WeAre8's opt-in ad model: control, effectiveness and charitable benefits28:44: Supporting publishers and partnering The Independent on Bulletin38:09: Moving beyond algorithmic feedsRelated articles:‘This is for everyone’: Tim Berners-Lee is continuing his search for a benign online world‘Positive’ platforms improve purchase intent, Pinterest saysThe Fishbowl: Laura Chase, WeAre8---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
--------
43:04
Alan Rusbridger on the future of news and Prospect's growth
Alan Rusbridger is one of Britain’s most acclaimed journalists. As editor of The Guardian for 20 years, he oversaw the outlet’s transition into the digital world and landed a Pulitzer Prize for publishing information leaked by Edward Snowdon about the US National Security Agency.Since 2021, he has worked as editor of Prospect, a leading British current affairs magazine celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Prospect had an exceptional year in 2024, nearly doubling its digital circulation to more than make up for losses in print circulation.Rusbridger joins host Jack Benjamin to discuss what is driving strong growth for Prospect. The pair also weigh up the sustainability of news media business models, the differences between US and British press standards, whether social media platforms provide a net benefit to publishers and what journalism will look like in the age of AI."We're in a world of information chaos," Rusbridger says. "We're in a world where people don't know who to believe or what to believe, increasingly. We know there are bad players who are deliberately pumping out information that is wrong. "You've got the most powerful man in the world actively trying to create a world in which disinformation, misinformation flourish and facts and fact-based journalism don't. And it's really frightening."Advertisers are part of that world. The advertisers I've spoken to are dismayed by the thought of their content swimming in this sea of garbage – I'm using a polite word – because it's not good for their brands. it's not good for trust in information."Highlights:2:09: What drew Rusbridger to Prospect and his editorial strategy for the magazine8:46: Drivers of Prospect's digital growth14:16: Can advertising models still support news media?24:38: Journalism's messy relationship with AI29:51: The failure of trust in news in the US and the UK38:18: Why platforms are "good, bad and ugly"43:49: What keeps Rusbridger up at nightRelated articles:‘End of an era for search as we know it’? Publishers grapple with gen-AI searchStagwell out to prove business case for investing in newsConsumer ABCs 2024: 5 key takeaways---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
--------
48:56
Why cinema is becoming more prominent on AV plans — with DCM's Karen Stacey
At the tail end of March, Digital Cinema Media (DCM), the UK’s largest cinema ad sales house, hosted its annual upfronts in the Leicester Square Odeon. It was a way to celebrate cinema’s strong start to the year and look ahead to the 2025 and 2026 film slates, but also an opportunity for brands to consider whether to position the channel more prominently on their AV plans.Among the presentations, new research from DCM found that cinema is well-placed to drive price premiums – that is, consumers were willing to pay on average 12% more for a brand that advertised in cinemas than if it had advertised on other media channel. It's a finding that could prove useful in an era marked by continued macroeconomic uncertainty and the desire for brands to retain pricing power.DCM CEO Karen Stacey joined host Jack Benjamin to discuss the research and unpack what has driven the sales house's 33% revenue growth in Q1. Stacey also explored where cinema belongs on media plans today and how the channel can grow its share of adspend.Highlights:1:30: Stacey's career path, advice for leaders and priorities for Wacl14:59: DCM's strong start to 2025 – what's behind the growth in revenue and cinema admissions?24:52: The opportunity for cinema to embrace programmatic30:45: Will box office and admissions ever get back to pre-Covid levels?34:59: How cinema drives strong price premiumsRelated articles:Cinema drives up price premium, research suggestsBridget Jones leads 20% growth in February box officeAre all ‘views’ created equal? With TikTok, DCM, Total Media and Mindlab---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
--------
50:47
Who will win the AI/publisher copyright fight? With PPA's Sajeeda Merali
The creative industries' fight to protect their intellectual property from AI companies reached a crescendo last month amid the end of a government consultation on how it should handle copyright in the age of AI. But will public pressure be enough to convince governments to maintain copyright laws and not cave to tech giants promising strong economic growth?Alongside the wider creative industries, the publishing sector has argued that offering tech companies leniency around copyright would severely undermine existing business models for publishers and artists.One industry leader at the forefront of the fight to protect publishers’ IP is Professional Publishers Association (PPA) CEO Sajeeda Merali.In a conversation with Jack Benjamin, Merali explained the arguments being made by AI companies and by publishers over copyright, as well as what the government is currently considering as it weighs the desire to drive technological and economic growth while protecting its outsized creative industries from harm.The pair also discussed how magazines are adapting to new business realities – such as those created by consumer shifts towards AI usage and away from print readership – by transitioning to multiplatform content and commercial strategies.Highlights:4:46: Outlining arguments by AI companies and publishers over IP protections13:03: Where the UK government presently sits on the policy debate17:51: What's at stake for publishers in the age of AI25:10: Unpacking the latest ABC figures – where are publishers in the transition to digital?Related articles:UK creative industries call on government to ‘make it fair’ in AI era‘End of an era for search as we know it’? Publishers grapple with gen-AI search‘Show me the money’: Will business models be ‘redefined’ by AI agents?---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader
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.
Ireland