Today’s attention economy is fluid, meme-driven, game-infused and influencer-fuelled. Brands can no longer rely on linear storytelling. The best modern storytelling is multiplayer. 

The industry needs people who can think holistically, move fluently between data and culture, and bring a point of view. In the final part of this mini series, find out what else the future planner needs.  

Those fear-inducing public-service ads don’t work as well as we thought they did. Instead, invite people to believe.

MMM is too slow for today’s fast-paced digital media cycles. Brands need to know in real time when a channel’s effectiveness is fading and when to stop spending.

In the second part of a mini series, Caroline Manning shares four steps to bring coherence to chaos in a fragmented media world. 

Following the Love Island 2025 finale, now is the perfect moment to reflect on what the show represents in today’s cultural and media landscape.

The way people shop has stretched and shifted. H2 is a series of distinct retail rhythms, each with its own audiences, behaviours and opportunities that brands must understand.  

In part one of a three-part series, Initiative’s Caroline Manning explores how the role of media planners has grown to encompass more consultative work.

We are missing an opportunity to create work that truly appeals to the flesh and bones and beating hearts of the human.

LLMs build trust and relevance by citing external sources. Every high‑authority site you do not yet occupy is an invitation to shape how LLMs perceive your brand.