In advance of the upcoming ANA In-House Agency Conference, I sat down with long-time "Ad Age" editor turned agency and marketing executive to discuss his views on in-housing, as well as the ad industry overall.

Retail media has undergone a profound transformation over the past decade. What once was a niche, retailer-driven capability focused on driving sales within commerce platforms has now become one of the most powerful tools in the marketing ecosystem.

The upfront has long been a cornerstone of media buying — and for good reason. It guarantees access to premium inventory, especially around live events that command national attention. Sports, award shows, and tentpole cultural moments continue to deliver reliable reach at scale. That has not changed. What has changed is what happens after those events.  Today's consumer does not just watch. They engage, search, share, and move. A moment on TV sparks a wave of activity across digital platforms. Conversations continue long after the credits roll. Brands that show up for the live, primetime moment are only capturing part …

That which we call GroupM - or "WPP Media," for that matter - by any other name would yield as much equity, right?

Reference points line up everything. It is impossible to assess our situations in the world in the absolute. We need reference points: something against which we can compare our situations to see if they're good or bad, worse or better, proper or improper.