The Media Leader Podcast

What's behind double-digit digital ad market growth? With IAB UK's Elizabeth Lane

Digital assets are have for several years been the main growth drivers for most media owners. This is as true of TV – ITV just announced it saw 10% growth in digital revenues compared to flat overall revenue growth – as it is in publishing, as seen in the latest consumer ABC figures, as it is OOH, as it is in, of course, social media and search.So it was little surprise that, according to IAB UK’s latest digital adspend report, in 2025 the UK’s digital ad market grew 10% to £40.5bn pounds. It’s a staggering number, especially when you consider that AA/Warc estimated the total UK ad market reached £46.9bn pounds last year.Adspend on social media grew 21% year on year to £11.5bn, even as industry leaders at both agencies and competing media owners made the case to "turn down the toxic" by divesting from social and reinvesting in more trusted media channels.Elizabeth Lane is the head of insight at IAB UK. She sat down with host Jack Benjamin her to unpack the latest adspend report, and why video in particular was a driving force for digital growth last year.The duo also discussed how AI is changing search to the detriment of publishers, what to watch out for in retail media, and why gaming and digital OOH also saw double-digit growth in 2025.Highlights:1:21: Toplines from IAB UK's 2025 Digital Adspend Report3:41: Social's pivot to video helps explain its 20% growth rate13:39: Search, retail media and gaming: disruption and missed opportunities24:06: How AI could change digital investmentRelated articles:UK adspend expected to surpass £50bn for first time in 2026High-attention media is more profitable, finds Peter Field, Lumen and NewsworksReddit looks to scale through search, performance and insightWhy audio is embracing video — with News Broadcasting’s Dave Wilcox and Russell Pedrick---Visit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

Unpacking agency employment decline and progress on gender and diversity efforts — with Lianre Robinson

In February, the Institute for Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) released its latest Agency Census. The findings showed an agency market in contraction: employment at creative agencies fell 14.3% last year – and that’s before Omnicom completed its acquisition of IPG and subsequently announced it would cut thousands more jobs globally.New hiring dropped over 40%, with young people especially finding careers in media and advertising hard to break into, let alone remain in.However, the Census also registered continued progress in gender representation and ethnic diversity at agencies, even if pay gaps persist and geographical diversity is lacking.Lianree Robinson is the campaigning chair for Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership (WACL). She also works as the CEO of The Marketing Academy Foundation and as a mentor for Who’s Your Momma London.If that wasn’t enough to keep Robinson busy, she’s also begun writing a monthly column for us at The Media Leader.Robinson joins host Jack Benjamin to discuss the findings of the IPA Agency Census, and provide a sense check of the progress the media and advertising industries have made with regard to gender and ethnicity inclusion.Highlights:5:38: IPA Agency Census toplines7:16: What has caused the creative agency labour market contraction?10:20: Challenges faced by under-25s employees19:24: Progress, but "relatively slow progress", on gender representation and ethnic diversity24:43: Persistent gender and ethnic pay gaps27:59: WACL's key priorities31:33: Geographical diversity neededRelated articles:Agency employment declines 6.8% as creative roles hollowed outWhy do female-founded agencies remain the exception?I didn’t take the ‘traditional’ route into media. That’s exactly why it workedAsk Nabs Anything: Handling redundancy, rejection and mental health — with Nabs’ Annabel McCaffrey---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

Inside the anonymous group of senior leaders warning of advertising's moral failing — with Inside Track's Ned Younger

In January, an anonymous group of senior leaders at creative, media and adtech agencies released a memo warning that the industry is failing in its moral and civic duties to society.The memo argued that without an interruption to the status quo, advertising will “be a critical enabler to tech platforms that stoke hatred and division, facilitate hate groups to monetise their content at a time of increasing division in this country and many others, support the social license of the fossil fuel industry and provide broader greenwashing and social-washing services to industries that are under public scrutiny, and roll over in the face of anti-DEI rhetoric and desert those individuals, teams and communities that our industry has made commitments to.”It also argued that British business interests are losing independence to US political interests, that working groups have failed to drive internal change, and that the presence of Big Tech companies at industry-wide events and initiatives has stymied attempts at progress.The memo caused a stir, particularly given its timing just days ahead of the annual LEAD conference convened much of media and advertising's top brass to discuss the importance of trust.Its authors were criticised for remaining anonymous, but they nevertheless succeeded in sparking a conversation and renewed interest in key ethical issues that have arguably been suppressed since Trump’s re-election as US president in late 2024.Ned Younger is the director of Inside Track, the non-profit that was responsible for convening these anonymous individuals and facilitating their production of the memo.He sat down with The Media Leader earlier this month to discuss his takeaways from the group, and whether he thinks they will drive real change in the advertising industry.Highlights:2:04: What is Inside Track and how did it convene this anonymous group?6:41: Main concerns expressed by the group10:27: Future direction, calls to action, and the need for better forums of conversation15:16: Why remain anonymous?22:58: The risk of insufficient progressRelated articles:Anonymous group of senior ad industry leaders warns of industry-wide moral failingGovernment plans new powers to tackle online harms: ‘No platform gets a free pass’Meta admits revenue from fraud and scam ads ‘might’ have accounted for 3-4% of total revenueThe crisis in advertising: things we can do todayAct Climate Labs launches blueprint to phase out fossil fuel advertising---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

Why magazine brands united to launch the single marketplace Atria — with Immediate Media's Cath Waller

Late last month, a group of six magazine publishers – Bauer, Future, Hearst UK, Hello!, Immediate and Time Out – launched Atria, a single marketplace through which advertisers can engage with the combined reach of those publishers’ brands, equivalent to about 33m consumers.The effort is powered by publisher-owned first-party data. It is hosted by audience platform Permutive.Cath Waller is the managing director of advertising at Immediate Media. She is also the chair of PPA Magnetic, part of the Professional Publishers Association, the trade body for publishers.A leading voice behind the Atria effort, Waller sat down with host Jack Benjamin to discuss the marketplace's launch and where it might be headed next.The pair also discussed the current state of magazine publishing, and the headwinds and tailwinds facing Immediate.Highlights:2:43: The launch of Atria: how it works and how it came together10:12: "The industry is where it is": Magazine media is disinvested and publishers are under pressure15:25: The value of trusted editorial and a cleaner supply chain20:41: Future-facing goals26:59: How to handle AI? Embracing innovation as AI search reduces trafficRelated articles:Why quality pays: the power of trusted editorial in media planning – PPA Magnetic and The Media LeaderCMOs on what makes publisher partnerships work: ‘Great partners push back’PPA asks CMA to require greater transparency of Google’s AI search featuresThe Fishbowl: Cath Waller, Immediate Media---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader

Why audio is embracing video — with News Broadcasting's Dave Wilcox and Russell Pedrick

At the end of January, The Media Leader held its first ever Audio In Focus Week. The audio landscape is evolving at a breakneck pace – with growing digital audio audiences, and audio businesses moving into video production. So, we decided to dedicate an entire week’s worth of our coverage to exploring the innovations, strategies and voices shaping the media channel.The week was launched in partnership with Octave Audio, the digital audio marketplace owned by News Broadcasting.During the week, host Jack Benjamin sat down with Octave’s managing director Russell Pedrick, as well as News Broadcasting commercial director Dave Wilcox, at in News' London Bridge studio to discuss how the company’s audio offering has developed over the past year.Octave came under the full ownership of News UK last summer, after News bought out Bauer’s share. Bauer went on to launch its own digital audio marketplace, AudioXi.Pedrick was appointed MD in April ahead of the relaunch of Octave, and he’s since worked to expand the service to encompasses visual inventory as well, as News Broadcasting products talkSport, Times Radio, Virgin Radio and Talk Radio transform from radio and podcast shows to visual shows commonly watched online and on TV screens.Pedrick and Wilcox discussed audio's transition to video, Octave’s new AI product, and why they believe digital audio is undervalued in the current market. Hint: it involves needing better measurement standards. Highlights:5:03: Octave's strategic priorities7:31: Octave AI: balancing generative AI creative with desire for the human element12:04: Audio and video are merging, creating new commercial opportunities18:53: Embracing an omnichannel approach and a platform-led audience strategy24:04: Does podcasting need its own JIC?27:24: World Cup opportunity and why digital audio is undervaluedRelated articles:Octave MD reflects on how ‘audio is becoming a bit of a bolt on’ in podcastingPredictions for audio in 2026 from industry expertsWhy the 2026 World Cup should be the ultimate multi-channel showcase Rajar Q4 2025: Top Takeaways---Thanks to our production partners Trisonic for editing this episode.--> Discover how Trisonic can elevate your brand and expand your business by connecting with your ideal audienceVisit The Media Leader for the most authoritative news analysis and comment on what's happening in commercial media. LinkedIn: The Media LeaderYouTube: The Media Leader