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.

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. 

ITV carries immense cultural power that makes a sell-off far from straightforward, writes the editor.

Advertisers needed ‘protecting’ 100 years ago, which is why we have JICs like Barb and trade bodies like Isba. How we define ‘protection’ and ‘choice’ will matter most as Origin formally launches next year. 

Apple is selling AI as a life hack for stupid liars. It’s not a good strategy and it’s distinctly un-Apple.

The media we create for ourselves is the best tool we have to combat noise and disinformation.

If network agencies run their business like supermarkets, their double-digit margins are unsustainably high, writes the editor-in-chief.

Tech is radically changing media and advertising, but our first Future of Media Manchester event reminded us that what matters most to creativity and sales is the same now as it was 200 years ago, writes the editor-in-chief.

This sector has the talent and the tools to succeed. But whether it has the stomach to start challenging bad practice is key to arresting its decline, writes the editor.