The Drum Podcast

What is the strategist's job in a time of turmoil?

Our guest this week, Pats McDonald, has reached the top of the strategy discipline, having worked for almost all of the world's biggest advertising groups. Now, those groups find themselves looking at a time of considerable upheaval as AI, consolidation and other factors remake the industry. So: What can the strategy department bring to this time of great change?Mentioned in the episode: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adn5290 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 Winter Olympics & the future of social strategy

We hear a lot about reactive, always-on social strategies - but what do they look like in practice? We're joined by Uncovered's strategy head Nina Landale to look at this year's Winter Olympics as a case study in the new world of influence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global ad spend keeps outpacing GDP. Is a slow-down inevitable?

Following the publication of WARC's Future of Media report - which predicts another blockbuster growth year for the marketing industry (with receipts rising by 9.1% to $1.3th) - we sit down with WARC managing editor Paul Stringer to ask where the money's really going and ask: growth for whom? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has social killed craft - or reinvigorated it?

The death of craft, like the deaths of so many things, is declared with regularity. One culprit accused of killing it: social and the wider world of digital media. Our guests look into the data and the feelings of real creatives to ask: has social really killed craft? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How subs and ads are transforming the New York Times

Tusar Barik, a veteran of Silicon Valley via LinkedIn, joined the New York Times as SVP of marketing at the start of 2025 - a year in which the publisher has seen remarkable growth and profit amid turbulent times for publishers. Barik joins us to tell us how the Gray Lady is continuing to innovate at the spearhead of publishing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.