• by Barbie Romero , Yesterday

Do you prefer brand awareness or performance? What is your preferred marketing channel? In this series, we get to know past Insider Summit attendees and ask about their preferences.

Erin Nicolai, Associate Director, Media, Digitas:

• Big Game Ads or Strategic Brand Fit: Strategic Brand Fit. To maximize the impact of media investments, brands should be intentional about where and how they show up. While big game advertising can be exciting and highly visible, it often comes with a high price tag and doesn’t always deliver the same ROI as a targeted media strategy aligned with the brand’s audience and business objectives.

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  Social-First Media or Traditional Media Buying: Social-First Media. With consumers spending more time than ever on social platforms, a social-first approach has become increasingly more important. It allows brands to engage audiences where they are already consuming content while providing greater flexibility, targeting capabilities, and opportunities for real-time optimization.

• One-Time Sponsorship or Athlete Partnerships: Athlete Partnerships. While athlete partnerships aren’t the right fit for every brand, they can be incredibly effective when there’s a genuine alignment between the athlete and the brand values. Long-term partnerships often create stronger authenticity, deeper audience connections, and more opportunities for storytelling than one-time sponsorships.

• Polished Commercials or Creator Collaborations: Creator Collaborations. Authenticity is key to connecting with today’s consumers. Collaborating with creators who have established trust with their audiences allows brands to communicate in a way that feels natural and relatable, often driving stronger engagement than highly produced traditional advertising.

• Campaign Moments or Continuous Content: Both. Maintaining an always-on content strategy is essential for staying relevant, but increasing media investment during key brand or cultural moments can help maximize visibility and create meaningful breakthrough opportunities. A balanced approach delivers both consistency and impact. 

• Chasing Trends or Meeting Audiences Where They Are: Meeting Audiences Where They Are. Rather than pursuing every trend, brands should focus on reaching their target audience on the platforms and channels they use most. Aligning media investments with audience behavior tends to lead to more efficient spending and stronger overall campaign performance.

• World Cup or Super Bowl: Super Bowl. The Super Bowl remains one of the most iconic advertising moments of the year. While the World Cup offers unparalleled global reach over an extended time period, the Super Bowl provides a unique opportunity for brands to make an immediate cultural impact. The creativity and competition surrounding Super Bowl advertising continues to set a high standard for marketers and serve as a source of inspiration each year.

If you’re interested in submitting content for future editions, please reach out to our Managing Editor, Barbie Romero at Barbie@MediaPost.com.