News
Platforms under fire, measurement in flux, TV being rewritten. 2026 the story so far...
17+ hour, 20+ min ago (837+ words) At the start of the year, The Economist's global head of advertising, Jamie Jouning, told us that it was a "fool's errand" for media leaders to focus energy on macro factors they can't influence. "Nothing we've seen so far this…...
The Brief – Tuesday 31 March: AdGreen report, Mathias Döpfner's London trip, an update to Futurescape
2+ day, 17+ hour ago (298+ words) Welcome to the Brief, The Media Leader's round-up of media news. " AdGreen's'Carbon Calculator measured 20,504 tonnes of CO'e in 2025 across 2,295 wrapped productions " equivalent to the annual footprint for 1,700 UK citizens. However, the report makes clear this still represents just a fraction…...
From friends to feeds: How social media got weird
2+ day, 22+ hour ago (750+ words) Viagra was created to treat high blood pressure before certain side effects became evident. Play-Doh was made to clean wallpaper before pivoting into a children's plaything. And social media started out as a way to connect with mates before becoming…...
The Brief - Friday 27 March - X antitrust lawsuit dismissed, US-Israel war with Iran risks advertising spend and HBO Max launches in UK & Ireland
6+ day, 20+ hour ago (247+ words) Welcome to the Brief, The Media Leader's round-up of media news. " The Gulf energy crisis stemming from the US-Israel war with Iran could place nearly $100bn in global advertising spend growth at risk over the next two years, according to an…...
Why challenger sports no longer need a broadcast deal to win
6+ day, 20+ hour ago (740+ words) In sport, hype comes cheap. A viral clip or a charismatic athlete can capture attention almost overnight. The harder part is what happens next." Challenger sports brands may be quick to build momentum, but sustaining it demands more than noise....
Go woke, go broke? Brands on the front line of the culture war
1+ week, 2+ day ago (828+ words) But brands are misreading the situation. As ideals and identity become more important to consumers, brands must rediscover the meaning of commitment and dare to reclaim their values. 2025 saw a sharp backlash against DEI initiatives and broader forms of corporate…...
The Brief - Tuesday 17 March: Meta 'planning sweeping layoffs', FCC chair attacks US press, ByteDance delays Seedance 2.0 launch
2+ week, 2+ day ago (303+ words) Welcome to the Brief, The Media Leader's round-up of media news. " Meta'is reportedly planning sweeping layoffs that could affect upwards of 20% of the company's staff. No date has been set for the cuts, nor have the size of the cuts…...
Meet the Media Owner: Channel 4 adopts a platform mindset
2+ week, 6+ day ago (1773+ words) To compete with tech platforms, one needs to act like tech platforms. At least, in some respects. As Channel 4 looks to go to market with a renewed senior commercial team, it has its sights set not only on building on…...
The Brief - Friday 13 March - Publicis acquires AdgeAI, Disney+ goes vertical, The Trade Desk testing AI for campaigns
2+ week, 6+ day ago (171+ words) Welcome to the Brief, The Media Leader's round-up of media news. " Disney+is rolling out a short-form vertical video feed to US audiences. Dubbed Verts, the feed will show mobile app users clips from movies and shows that are on…...
The Brief - Wednesday 11 March - Stagwell Q4 results, MPs reject under-16s social ban, Bluesky CEO steps down
3+ week, 1+ day ago (356+ words) Welcome to the Brief, The Media Leader's round-up of media news. "Stagwell'reported Q4 revenue grew 2% year on year to $807m, with full year revenue also growing 2% to $2.9bn. The challenger agency group has also partnered with'AppLovin'to bring its advanced mobile ad platform, Axon,…...