By Nkechi Agu, Account Manager, Bluestripe Communications
On October 8 and 9, 2024, professionals from across the advertising, tech, and marketing industries gathered at King’s Place for The Future of Media, Adwanted’s conference dedicated to the future of commercial media. With over 500 attendees and leading industry figures, the event offered a glimpse into how technology, media, and marketing are converging to reshape the future.
Day 1: Measurement, Storytelling, and the future of media accountability
Tuesday morning’s sessions centred around the theme of measurement, with a particular focus on cross-media measurement. The underlying message was clear: the future of media is about true accountability, with transparency and accuracy becoming essential as media channels continue to diversify.
One session of note was the fireside chat between Omar Oakes from The Media Leader and Phil Smith from ISBA shedding light on Origin, an initiative designed to meet the needs of advertisers and agencies as they plan and assess campaigns across both digital and broadcast platforms.
The morning concluded with a panel featuring representatives from Adidas, ITV, Happydemics, UM Worldwide and ScanmarQED discussing future measurement strategies. The session explored how marketers can improve both marketing effectiveness and business outcomes by leveraging new cross-platform insights.
Unlocking value: AI, creativity, and speed
After lunch, the focus shifted to the importance of value in the future of media. Mike Durey from Samsung and Jane Holding from Publicis Media highlighted the benefits of using Publicis’ own AI tool to dissect video content, turning long videos into multiple short ads. Their focus on speed, accuracy, and creativity underscored the importance of agile content creation in today’s fast-paced media landscape.
The day ended with a conversation about authenticity in radio and how building personal relationships with audiences, viewing the audience as friends, and fostering intimate communication are all hallmarks of successful radio. Ken Bruce and Fleur East shared heartfelt stories of highly engaged listeners who interact daily with their shows, reinforcing the importance of genuine connections in media.
Day 2: The future of social, digital, and AI in media
Wednesday morning kicked off with Alex Brownsell, Head of Content at WARC Media, discussing the shift in media consumption. He noted that nearly two-thirds of global media time is now spent online, with younger demographics leading this trend. Gen Z, in particular, relies heavily on platforms like Instagram and TikTok for news consumption, marking a significant shift away from traditional media outlets.
Rocco Strauss from Arete Research provided an insightful private equity perspective on the ongoing Google antitrust case. He explained the potential impacts on investors and the ad tech sector, predicting that Google might opt for a PR-friendly solution by divesting its ad tech business into a separate entity, NetworkB Corp. Strauss drew parallels with Microsoft’s strategic focus shift in the early 2000s, suggesting Google may similarly prioritise AI innovations without regulatory distractions.
What’s an industry event without a discussion on AI? Sean Betts from OMG UK explored how marketing is poised to be one of the industries most impacted by generative AI (GenAI). He presented a scale measuring GenAI’s knowledge, understanding, and capability to handle marketing tasks, noting that offline channels – like publishing, out-of-home advertising, and cinema – are currently the weakest areas for AI comprehension. What’s clear, however, is that while the marketing sector is still grappling with the full scope of AI’s impact, its influence is set to grow exponentially in the coming years.
A Look Ahead
As the industry continues to evolve, it’s clear that accountability, creativity, and technological innovation will be key drivers shaping the future of commercial media in 2025 and beyond.
*Bluestripe Communications is owned by Bluestripe Group, the owner of NDA.
