It’s time we stopped performing thought leadership and started pursuing actual thought if we want the industry to be better.

Ad-funded content on platforms doesn’t work because there are too few platforms and the rents are too high. As media fragments and production businesses suffer, creators must diversify to survive.

Media leaders love to talk about workplace culture, but grieving parents are still being sidelined. Baby loss isn’t rare — our silence about it should be.

It may be too painful to accept that what Elon Musk is doing to our industry is highly dangerous. We must all resist the urge to see this shocking behaviour as the new normal.

It’s not a question of if but when you decide to give up on your principles. Nothing will get brands, big or small, to leave Meta. 

Holdcos talk about diversity and culture but remain addicted to centralising operations. Why is this command-and-control mindset not challenged enough?

Advertising is now dominated by a handful of players that don’t play by established rules, like JICs or trade bodies. This poses a huge risk for advertisers. 

For my last column as editor-in-chief, I’d like to sign off with a celebration of those that best demonstrated The Media Leader’s values of disruption, inclusion, courage and excellence this year.

Amid a backdrop of fevered M&A chatter, 2024 was a year replete with significant moves for both global streamers and broadcasting incumbents. 

When Omnicom and IPG merge, nothing really changes apart from some agency brands get shut down and a lot of people lose their jobs. The big holding groups remain one homogenous blob.