- More Marketing Data Than Ever, Yet More Confused Than Ever in
Media Insider on
10/17/2025
We got so good at collecting information that we forgot how to connect it to what truly matters.
- 7 Years Since Global Media Charter Launched: Are We There Yet? in
Media Insider on
10/10/2025
The plumbing issues of 2018 haven't disappeared, but industry groups are now focusing more on the broader role of the ad biz.
- Our Media Classification Does Not Fit The Containers Of The Past in
Media Insider on
10/03/2025
As consumers migrate from one device or channel to another, the old labels are no longer useful for strategic planning.
- The CMO Is Dead -- Long Live The Chief Messaging Officer in
Media Insider on
09/26/2025
CMOs are now the keeper of the brand's soul, the chief storytellers responsible for weaving a narrative that drives growth.
- AI Is Growing -- Or Stalling? Both Are True in
Media Insider on
09/19/2025
Examples of the growth (S4 Capital pivoting from agency to agentic) and stalling (several studies) of AI.
- No Risk, No Glory - Nike, Cracker Barrel Deserve Benefit Of The Doubt in
Media Insider on
09/12/2025
It seems every week a new brand is thrown into the public opinion swirl that is a perceived marketing boo-boo.
- Contract And Buy Media Like It's 2025 in
Media Insider on
09/05/2025
How to maximize your return on ad spend? Step 1 is to shift your programmatic budget to prioritize private marketplaces.
- I'd Like A Prescription Against Prescription Meds TV Ads in
Media Insider on
08/29/2025
If you are targeting less than 10% of the U.S. population, you have no reason to be spending money on broad-reaching media like network TV.
- Retail Media Networks: Not Very Measurable, Yet Necessary in
Media Insider on
08/22/2025
Because of their limited access to data on RMNs, brands can't export first-party data to use for targeting campaigns on other platforms.
- Creativity Pays For Advertisers -- But Advertisers Don't Want To Pay For Creativity in
Media Insider on
08/15/2025
Advertisers, pressured by their own CFOs, are reviewing every line item, and agency fees are an easy target.
- I'd Like A Prescription Against Prescription Meds TV Ads
by
Maarten Albarda
(Media Insider on
08/29/2025)
Hi Ed: I am sorry, but yes, some other categories might also be better off elsewhere. But my point is not just the fact that they are buying a very broad reach medium, but they are also buying at at a volume that becomes obnoxious. Plus... if they did not spend that money on TV ads, it just might lower the cost of medicine by 0.01% (sarcasm!).
- Kaila Colbin, Signing Off
by
Kaila Colbin
(Media Insider on
04/18/2025)
Hey Friday partner! Your voice on Mediapost was unique and will be missed. Kaila 2007 A.D.... and here I was thinking that my start on December 16, 2013 was a long time ago... All the very best with the new venture!
- How Toxic Are A Brand's Social Media Mistakes?
by
Maarten Albarda
(Media Insider on
02/28/2025)
Ed: I agree but the "snafu" is often not an ad but the CMO or social media manager posting without thinking, or a brand making a decision about something (price, flavor, size, etc.) and "the public" not taking kindly to it.
- Report From Ukraine
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
02/20/2025)
Thank you for your reporting and I could not agree more with your statements and assessment. I, too, am baffled by the lack of leaders to show up. We are witnessing a wholesale dismantling of all things that stand for compassion, human rights and common decency. It is sickening. Slava Ukraini
- 2024: A Media Insider Review
by
Gord Hotchkiss
(Media Insider on
01/07/2025)
Ha! Angst and despair reign! But seriously, thank you for compiling our collective meanderings. I just celebrated my 12th year in service, having written my first media post for Mediapost on Dec. 16, 2013. Here is to a 2025 that will surprise us all... positively (one can hope!).
- X, Former Twitter, Still A 'Hellscape'
by
Maarten Albarda
(Media Insider on
11/22/2024)
Thanks Tony - I was and continue to be a proud and active member to the Advertising: Who Cares group for Trading, Transparency and Trust. Onwards and (hiopefully), Upwards! And yes, you can find me on Bluesky.
- Campaign Commercials: Bad For America, Bad For Us!
by
Adam Buckman
(TVBlog on
11/08/2024)
Hi Adam - totally agree, and did so here: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/400580/political-advertising-is-terrible-in-both-content.html
- Political Advertising Is Terrible In Both Content And Volume - Why?
by
Maarten Albarda
(Media Insider on
10/25/2024)
Hi Michelle - thanks for the response and the link. I mentioned in the second to last paragraph that political ads almost always get a pass based on free speech, and that the rules that apply to political ads are different from "regular" ads. What I question is their effectiveness - and my assumption is that they "must be" given the rigorous and continuous testing that these ads are apparently subject to.
- Calm 'Newsfeed Anxiety' By Reading Them Less -- And History More
by
Dave Morgan
(Media Insider on
08/15/2024)
I just finished A.J. Baime's "The accidental president" about the first 100 days of Harry S. Truman. An exceptional book - and fascinating insight into 100 days that shaped today's world.
- Principal Media Is Growing -- Marketers Need To Take Action
by
Maarten Albarda
(Media Insider on
05/24/2024)
Hey Ed: my experience is that most, especially larger advertisers (who are the most 'vulnerable' to principle media, per the ANA) have typically very smart media teams in house. These media teams are on top of all the agency media strategy, planning and buys, and are the "go-betweens" for the agencies and advertiser brand management teams. While it is true that many companies often still chase "lower cost" or "efficiencies", I think it is unfair to state that (large) advertisers do not pay attention to the quality or direction of their media investments. Low cost or efficiency does not have to mean "crap". I agree with your auditor comment.