Media Planning
The Future Of AI Marketing Looks A Lot Like Its Past
Twenty years ago, the CMO Council was warning about fragmented data, misaligned teams, weak measurement and fragile trust. Sound familiar? Those same failures are now being scaled at machine speed. By Tom Kaneshige - Chief Content Officer: CMO Council
CTV surpasses linear TV in US consumption, but mobiles environments still underutilized
𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮? By Harry BrowneH - VP - TV, Audio & Display Innovation at Tinuiti
Watching the Index: Hispanic Sampling in a Sensitive Climate
Of the three ethnicities Nielsen tracks in both PPM and diary worlds, Black, Hispanic, and Other, the one that tends to spend the most time with radio is the Hispanic congregation. While every market is different, Hispanics tend to be heavier radio users. It is important that samples for both PPM and diary are effectively balanced for all three ethnicities. Remember, you pay Nielsen for sample, not ratings.
The Bad Bunny Effect: Why This Is Good Marketing
When the news broke in 2025 that Bad Bunny would be part of the Super Bowl conversation, the reaction was immediate and loud. Not just from music fans, but from brands, marketers, and audiences who don’t always see themselves reflected in America’s biggest sporting moment. By Carla Urdaneta - fluent360
Telemundo Delivers Most-Watched Super Bowl in Spanish-Language Broadcast History
Telemundo delivered the most-watched Super Bowl in Spanish-language broadcast history, delivering 3.3 million total viewers, marking a milestone moment for Spanish-language television while solidifying the network’s leadership in live sports. The game topped the prior Spanish-language Super Bowl record by +47%, ranking as the highest-rated non-soccer sporting event in Spanish-language television history, according to Nielsen.
The Truth About Principal Media
Principal media, the practice of reselling media inventory at an undisclosed margin, is controversial. Critics claim that conflicts of interest nullify the agency/advertiser partnership and raise concerns about the quality and strategic alignment of media impressions. On the other hand, evangelists tout cost reductions that business leaders can’t ignore. The truth about principal media is that it’s a business necessity for agencies, advertisers, and publishers grappling with revenue and budget uncertainty.
2026 Outlook Study Forecasts 9.5% Growth in U.S.Ad Spend
Amid the industry's rapid transition from AI experimentation to scaled execution, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released its annual 2026 Outlook Study, "A Snapshot into U.S. Ad Spend, Opportunities, and Strategies for Growth." Based on insights from more than 200 brands and agency buyers, IAB's study forecasts 9.5% year-over-year growth in U.S. ad spend, accelerated by major cyclical events and a clear shift toward performance-led strategies and the increasing use of agentic AI in shaping how marketing decisions are planned, activated, and optimized.
One thing I keep seeing across organizations right now ……
Growth decisions are getting more conservative but not more effective. By Lisa Torres - Founder & Principal, The LIT Group Co.
Marketing didn’t lose it soul. It Optimized it away.
After finally coming around to reading Filterworld, recommended by one of the sharpest strategists in the game, I had a clarifying realization: much of modern marketing has stopped trying to understand culture, especially online. It is trying to game it. Built to outsmart algorithms through optimization, predictability, and speed. It works in the short term. By Marcos Hernandez - Agency Partner | Brand Steward | Catalyst for Disruption & Growth
LOCAL TV AND RADIO: Helping Drive The US Economy. [REPORT]
The commercial local broadcast industry, terrestrial television and radio stations, is critically important to the United States economy as a whole and to local economies in particular. Local television and radio's key role in the dissemination of entertainment and local programming is well established. Its important value to the national economy is often overlooked and in many ways taken for granted. This analysis quantifies some of the core ways commercial local television and radio stations enhance economic productivity, efficiency and growth. Only local commercial broadcast television and radio are included in this analysis.
The Fourth Monkey has emerged………
You shouldn't have to compete with a phone for someone's attention in a meeting. By Chris Laping - The Emotional Intelligence Network
2026 The Year of The Brand
After reading the McKinsey’s State of Marketing 2026 report (link below) this week, it’s fascinating how the pendulum has finally swung back. After a decade of chasing dashboards, marketers are rediscovering something oddly radical: brand actually matters again. By Fraser Thomson - Head of MarketingStrategic Growth Marketer
Creators, Consumers, and Trust: Driving the Future of Media in 2026
2025 didn’t just change media—it rewrote the rules of engagement. Fueled by shifting audience habits, AI innovation, and relentless competition, media consumption accelerated at a pace that challenged every assumption. Creators continued to redefine how audiences discover and engage with content. Meanwhile, piracy grew more sophisticated, and AI reshaped how content is protected. At CTAM, we spent the year tracking these shifts, helping members respond strategically, and identifying what will matter most as we begin 2026. Here are the lessons that stood out. By Vicki Lins - Leader of Innovation + Impact :: President & CEO, CTAM
2025 Hispanic Market Overview Report – DOWNLOAD for FREE
HispanicAd in association with Adam R Jacobson are proud to announce the availability of the 2025 Hispanic Market Overview – titled “VOZ of The American Influencer”
Global ad market prospects upgraded to 8.9% (US$1.19trn) but growth concentrated in Big Tech platforms
A new study from WARC has found that global advertising spend is now on course to close out 2025 with growth of 8.9% to $1.19trn, an upgrade of 1.5 percentage points (pp) from WARC’s September forecast due to strong results from Big Tech platforms and a muted impact on global trade from trade tariffs.
Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots 2025. [REPORT]
Roughly 1 in 5 U.S. teens say they are on TikTok and YouTube almost constantly. At the same time, 64% of teens say they use chatbots, including about 3 in 10 who do so daily
No surprise that 2026 is shaping up to be another ‘more with less’ year.
No surprise that 2026 is shaping up to be another 'more with less' year. But the eye-opening stat from the WARC team's latest Voice of the Marketer report is that Marketing budgets are lagging business sentiment. By David Tiltman - Chief Content Officer, WARC; SVP Content, LIONS Intelligence
Omnicom cuts 4,000 jobs, shut several agencies after IPG takeover including OMD Multicultural Division
According to industry sources, the merger Omnicom and Interpublic Group is complete. Mayor layoffs have occurred and the OMD Multicultural Division led by Mike Roca has been casualty.
Most AM/FM Radio Listening Remains on Radio Receivers
The dramatic rise of digital audio platforms and technologies over the last decade has been chronicled by Edison Research’s Share of Ear® study. Listening to streamed audio content on phones, computers, smart speakers, and smart televisions now dominates the audio sphere. While AM/FM radio is available on all these digital devices, the radio receiver remains the dominant device the U.S. 13+ population uses to listen to AM/FM radio during an average day.
WHAT DRIVES CONSUMER CHOICE, AND HOW BRANDS SHOULD RESPOND – How humans decide. [REPORT]
Reaching a target audience in an attentive state (with the right content) is a widespread equation for effective brand communication. But should it be? Are reach and attention enough to influence people to buy, and continue buying, your brand?
