The Media Leader Podcast
Episodes
Why the United Nations is asking advertisers to protect the open web
25 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, the United Nations in partnership with the Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) launched an issue brief warning the integrity of the global...
Believe It or Not Ep. 6: Will AI end enterprise software businesses as we know them?
21 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a new mini-series, former Media Leader editor-in-chief Omar Oakes is joined by former Dentsu International CEO, now AI strategist Hamish Nicklin to...
How brands can win authority in LLMs - with Havas, Heineken and Publicis
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With the advent and adoption of AI search, consumers’ online research and discovery behaviours are shifting. How can brands win authority in this ne...
Believe It or Not Ep. 5: Is AI sycophancy bad for business?
14 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a new mini-series, former Media Leader editor-in-chief Omar Oakes is joined by former Dentsu International CEO, now AI strategist Hamish ...
How outcomes measurement has changed the CMO-CFO relationship - with Nimmi Shah and Sameer Modha
11 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a more important relationship in our industry than that between the CMO and the CFO?Given the macroeconomic environment – war, inflation, A...
Believe It or Not Ep. 4: Is AI turning the internet into a sea of slop or has 'churnalism' already made it sloppy?
07 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a new mini-series, former Media Leader editor-in-chief Omar Oakes is joined by former Dentsu International CEO, now AI strategist Hamish ...
Can retail media be a brand channel? With Tesco's Tash Whitmey
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, The Media Leader is embarking on its first ever Retail Media Week in Focus.The fledgling channel has been having a moment. Investment in re...
Believe It or Not Ep. 3: Is there still room for human creativity in the AI era?
30 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a new mini-series, former Media Leader editor-in-chief Omar Oakes is joined by former Dentsu International CEO, now AI strategist Hamish ...
What next after the social media addiction trial? With ScrollAware's Jess Butcher
27 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In March, Meta and Google were found by a Los Angeles jury to have deliberately designed their platforms to be addictive in a way that was demonstrabl...
Believe It or Not Ep. 2: Will humans still touch media plans within five years?
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a new mini-series, former Media Leader editor-in-chief Omar Oakes is joined by former Dentsu International CEO, now AI strategist Hamish ...
What does it mean to create 'thumb-stopping' content? With LadBible's LA Ronayne
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
One question that we’ve returned to time and again on this podcast and in our coverage, as media practitioners return to time and again themselves, ...
Believe It or Not Ep. 1: Will AI replace most white collar jobs?
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a new mini-series, former Media Leader editor-in-chief Omar Oakes is joined by former Dentsu International CEO, now AI strategist Hamish ...
Introducing Believe It or Not, a mini-series about AI in media hosted by Omar Oakes and Hamish Nicklin
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most AI podcasts tell you one of two things: either AI is going to save the world, unlock human potential, cure diseases, fix the broken bits of capit...
Why cut-through, not scale, will be the real trick to this year's World Cup - with The Guardian's James Fleetham and Marcus Christenson
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was produced in partnership with The Guardian.The World Cup is poised to be the biggest media event of the year in 2026, and media owners...
What UM has learned from a year of Full Colour Media — with Susan Kingston-Brown
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, UM unveiled a new global omnichannel media planning proposition: Full Colour Media.The approach, underpinned by a custom body of research d...
Can GB News scale its advertising business? With chief revenue officer Ross Sergeant
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this month, Allwyn’s global media director Ross Sergeant announced he would be joining GB News as its chief revenue officer.The appointment ...
How the BBC will fulfill its remit as global streaming giants encroach — with BBC iPlayer's Kerensa Samanidis
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The BBC is at a critical moment as it looks to negotiate with the government over the renewal of its charter.This month, it published its response to ...
What's behind double-digit digital ad market growth? With IAB UK's Elizabeth Lane
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Digital assets are have for several years been the main growth drivers for most media owners. This is as true of TV – ITV just announced it saw 10% ...
Unpacking agency employment decline and progress on gender and diversity efforts — with Lianre Robinson
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In February, the Institute for Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) released its latest Agency Census. The findings showed an agency market in contracti...
Inside the anonymous group of senior leaders warning of advertising's moral failing — with Inside Track's Ned Younger
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In January, an anonymous group of senior leaders at creative, media and adtech agencies released a memo warning that the industry is failing in its mo...
Why magazine brands united to launch the single marketplace Atria — with Immediate Media's Cath Waller
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Late last month, a group of six magazine publishers – Bauer, Future, Hearst UK, Hello!, Immediate and Time Out – launched Atria, a single marketpl...
Why audio is embracing video — with News Broadcasting's Dave Wilcox and Russell Pedrick
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of January, The Media Leader held its first ever Audio In Focus Week. The audio landscape is evolving at a breakneck pace – with growing ...
How to harness the value of trust — with Matt Bourn and James Best
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This month, advertising industry trade bodies the IPA, Isba and the Advertising Association are spending a great deal of combined energy highlighting ...
Open questions for the year ahead
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's nearly the end of January, and from a macroeconomic perspective, it’s been an absolutely wild month. The US threatened to invade Greenland and ...
Will 2026 be the year of the indie agency? With Martin Wooley and Paul Phelps
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A year ago, the Alliance of Independent Agencies and the Land of Independents collaborated to launch a new initiative aimed at sharing knowledge and s...
How do advertisers view TV vis-à-vis platforms? With Unilever, PepsiCo, ex-Kraft Heinz
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Last month at the Future of TV Advertising Global event in London, three key brand marketers spoke about how they view the strengths of TV, particular...
What a K-shaped economy could mean for the ad market — with Kate Scott-Dawkins
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, yes, it’s the holiday season and we’re just days away from Christmas. But it’s also the global ...
What will define the future of TV advertising? With Roku's Mike Shaw
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was produced in partnership with Roku.It's been a busy past few months for Roku: in the US, it launched a new low-cost subscription servi...
The rhythm of the week has changed. How should marketers react? With The Guardian's Imogen Fox
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was produced in partnership with The Guardian.Each year, The Guardian’s advertising team delivers a research project cheekily called Sh...
The future of Isba and Origin — with Simon Michaelides and Phil Smith
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last December, Phil Smith, the director-general of Isba (the trade body for advertisers), announced he would be stepping down after eight years.Succee...
Why Josh Krichefski joined an indie challenger
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
PMG, an independent challenger ad agency, has gone on an investment spree. Over the past few months the agency has hired top talent, and in recent yea...
'Full service thinking': How brands are reorganising as media becomes less siloed - with MediaSense's Ryan Kangisser
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the key topics of industry research we at The Media Leader have been following is how media companies – be they agencies, owners or brands –...
The strategy behind Publicis Groupe's landmark year — with Niel Bornman
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, The Media Leader hosted its flagship annual event in London, The Future of Media, and for this week’s episode of the podcast, the team wa...
How Roku is piecing a fragmented TV landscape back together — with Tom Price
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was produced in partnership with Roku.It's been a busy past few months for Roku: in the US, it launched a new low-cost subscription servi...
Why there is a 'human premium' in consumer research — with IPG Mediabrands' Michael Brown
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the heart of every media plan is the need to understand what a consumer wants; wants from your brand, your product, how they want to be spoken to a...
Platforms' teen safety efforts amount to 'broken promises' — with Andy Burrows and Harriet Kingaby
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year, the Molly Rose Foundation, the charity founded in the memory of Molly Russell, in partnership with online safety researchers, has released ...
How to deliver on boardroom promises — with Boots, Havas, Kinesso and MiQ
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's one thing to get your CFO's attention and a marketing budget approved. It's another to deploy that investment in a way that builds your brand and...
Why aren't brands investing in high-attention media? With Peter Field, Heather Dansie and Mike Follett
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At The Media Leader's Future of Media Manchester event last week, effectiveness expert Peter Field and Newsworks insights director Heather Dansie pres...
Ask Nabs Anything: Handling redundancy, rejection and mental health — with Nabs' Annabel McCaffrey
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It has been a tough year for many working in media. Jobs appear to be shrinking amid AI transformations and cost-cutting drives necessitated by strugg...
How opaque algorithms are influencing communication — with Lea Karam and Patrick Fagan
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 c...
Measurement can't be an afterthought — with IPA's Denise Turner
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 B...
Why sport is every brand's playing field — with Sky's Pippa Scaife and Dan Cohen
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 B...
Ethics in the future of media technology — with Professor Andy Miah
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
How should brands navigate AI search? With Havas Media Network's Paul Bland
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve entered a new era of search.Google’s dominance is being challenged: social platforms like TikTok and Reddit were already upending traditiona...
Can creative speak the language of media? With Daivid's Barney Worfolk-Smith
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How to bring creative and media together? It’s a question that has perplexed advertising leaders for years.The big money in advertising has been shi...
The future of CTV and shoppable telly — with LG Ad Solutions' Tony Marlow
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was produced in partnership with LG Ad Solutions.It’s no secret that TV is undergoing a transformational shift — both in terms of use...
Why social media engagement and commerce are all about fandom — with BBC Studios' Jasmine Dawson
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a lot going on at the BBC at the moment. A pair of scandals relating to a Gaza documentary and former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace hav...
The great AI work transformation — with RX Global’s Robin Tapp and Salesforce’s Felicity Starr
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was produced in partnership with Salesforce.AI is changing the world of media and marketing at a rapid pace. But how are brands using the...
How to hack the attention economy — with VCCP Media's Will Parrish
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone is fighting over slivers of attention.In an era marked by the massive popularity of short-form video, changes in behaviour around second-scre...
How Tottenham Hotspur FC is integrating AI — with Rob Pickering and Salesforce's Felicity Starr
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was produced in partnership with Salesforce.AI is changing the world of media and marketing at a rapid pace. But how are brands using the...
Addressing the 'hot potato' of child safety online — with SuperAwesome CEO Kate O'Loughlin
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the great laws of advertising is that everyone wants to reach and understand young consumers.Earlier this month on the podcast, host Jack Benja...
Channel 4 at Cannes: A new SME marketplace and the 'superpower' of friction
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was produced in partnership with Channel 4Channel 4's chief commercial officer Rak Patel and head of sales strategy Sam Hicks join Jack B...
Hasbro navigates a changed toy market and macro uncertainty — with Jennifer Burch and Kristina Fields
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brands are navigating choppy waters this year amid macoreconomic uncertainty, meaning media strategies are having to remain nimble and adaptable.One b...
How Paramount is building simplicity and scale — with Lee Sears
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is a lot going on at Paramount. There's a proposed merger with Skydance on the horizon, a sudden change in its media agency, strong growth for P...
Is the ad industry ageist? With Anna Sampson
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all get older and with age comes wisdom and, especially today, a whole lot of purchasing power.But the ad industry is appearing to suffer from a se...
Adapting to shifting media consumption habits — with TikTok, Spotify, Global and BBC
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is an interesting tension brewing between broadcasters and platforms as we enter into a rapidly shifting era of media consumption.The two types ...
An indie's journey into VC — with MNC's Luke Bristow
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not often you hear of a media agency going out and acquiring a venture capital fund. But in February, independent shop MNC bought Grwth, a VC f...
How Austria is reinventing linear TV buying — with Sebastian Hinterstoisser and Tom Peruzzi
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Something big is going on in Austria.Last year, Austrian broadcasters and media buyers launched an upgraded linear TV audience measurement system and ...
Can brands become influencers? With Jungle Creations' Melissa Chapman
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do brands keep up with social trends? It’s a perennial question in an era marked by the sheer speed at which social media moves.But as brands co...
Why consistency is key for brand success — with Specsavers' Ian Maybank
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of The Future of Brands on Tuesday, Jack Benjamin is joined by Specsavers head of media, connections planning and insights Ian Maybank to discus...
Can social media be a force for good? With WeAre8's Laura Chase
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Social media gets a lot of flak. Its critics accuse platforms of causing massive negative externalities on society – everything from crumbling democ...
Alan Rusbridger on the future of news and Prospect's growth
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Why cinema is becoming more prominent on AV plans — with DCM's Karen Stacey
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ode...
Who will win the AI/publisher copyright fight? With PPA's Sajeeda Merali
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The creative industries' fight to protect their intellectual property from AI companies reached a crescendo last month amid the end of a government co...
Why OOH is in rude health — with JCDecaux's Chris Collins and Dallas Wiles
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
How The Guardian is expanding its commercial footprint — with Imogen Fox
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was produced in partnership with The Guardian.Last month, The Guardian promoted its chief advertising officer, Imogen Fox, to a...
Is the death of the marketing funnel nigh? With IAB’s James Chandler
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, digital advertising trade body IAB UK unveiled new research forecasting a matured digital market, a fast-growing video and retail media mar...
Unpacking flaws in current brand safety efforts — with Responsible Marketing Advisory's Emily Roberts
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, concerns around brand safety and the opaque nature of programmatic advertising flared up again following a report from adtech transparency...
Stephen Miron on his career and legacy
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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....
Are communities the future of audience-targeting? With MG OMD's Natalie Bell
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are audience-targeting practices too simple in an era of big data? Advertisers and their agencies tend to use demographics to target people across med...
How Lantern will bring outcome measurement to TV — with ITV's Sameer Modha and Sky's Matt Hill
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 adve...
We need to talk about Meta — with Outvertising’s Sonnie Spenser
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On 7 January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to its platforms’ content moderation policies that, he admitted, will mean the company is “...
Rethinking agency remuneration in 2025 — with MediaSense's Ryan Kangisser
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In November, a report from global advisory MediaSense found that an overwhelming majority of advertisers — three-quarters — are looking to make ch...
Why responsible marketing is the future — with Hearts & Science's Garrett O'Reilly
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 bille...
Are all 'views' created equal? With TikTok, DCM, Total Media and Mindlab
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s really behind that view? Are all views created equal? What truly keeps our attention? Are consumer habits really changing that much?As market...
Why uncertainty is the new normal — with GroupM's Kate Scott-Dawkins
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 20...
2024 in review: Themes and challenges for the media industry
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Epic conversation with Pete Robins: The fifth age of media
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Our agony aunts answer your burning media planning questions
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Prentice, head of media strategy and planning at Heineken UK, Rachel Coffey, chief strategy officer at Initiative UK, and Peter Rowe, head of me...
Are middle managers being set up for success? With Nabs' Sue Todd
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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, ac...
Ken Bruce and Fleur East on how radio has changed — and stayed the same
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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-on...
How life on a commune shaped Havas Media CEO Paddy Affleck's leadership
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
It'll all end in tiers: Latest on 'premium vs ads' strategy for Netflix, Disney and Spotify
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The newly promoted Jack Benjamin and outgoing editor-in-chief Omar Oakes discuss a flurry of updates about streaming service user numbers and how thei...
The Future of Origin with Isba's Phil Smith
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 advert...
Trump, The Sequel: Has media learned anything since 2016?
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
How useful are AI performance tools? With Pinterest's Matt Crystal
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This year, most major digital players including Meta, TikTok, Google and Pinterest have developed AI tools to help marketers get more out of their cam...
TV's 'tipping point': In conversation with Sky, C4, Direct Line and Samba TV
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Agency bosses talk tough over principal media
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's earnings season and the publicly listed agency groups have been more expansive about their "proprietary media" or "principal-based media" product...
The mounting case against blocklists
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 resear...
Future of Media London takeaways: confidence, trust and risk taking
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Are AI ads the future of TV? With ITV's Jason Spencer and Alan Hall
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Sheepb...
Amazon UK upfronts, Pinterest's brand pitch + why women's network Wacl is more 'business-like'
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Why the future of media is in Manchester
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes report highlights from The Media Leader's first outing in Manchester! The Future of Media Manchester attracted aroun...
Stories that mattered this week: Origin launches — now what?
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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-...
Are news outlets too dependent on social media? With NMA CEO Owen Meredith
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
News titles across the UK are changing hands and senior leaders amid what has been a downturn in the digital advertising market. Meanwhile, challenges...
Stories that mattered this week: Observer sale, Radiocentre's Tuning In, Origin row
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 re...
Are brands overspending on social? With EssenceMediacom's Richard Kirk and Olga Zaitseva
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Stories that mattered this week: Google's adtech trial, Spectator sale, EssenceMediacom changes
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Benjamin and Omar Oakes discuss the major stories of recent weeks following a brief summer hiatus. Key stories include Google's second antitrust ...
How keyword-blocking continues to harm publishers — with Mantis EVP Terry Hornsby
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Terry Hornsby, founder and executive vice-president of Mantis, joins Jack Benjamin to discuss how keyword blocklists remain in use by advertisers to t...
AMA: Ask media experts anything!
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Benjamin hosts a live panel where three media strategists field questions about common challenges in advertising.Speakers: Jackie Lyons, chief pl...