Media Mind groups and quiz night dates announced – let battle commence
For the past month, Adwanted UK has been visiting agencies to brief their teams on the 2025 Media Mind competition.
We can now announce the groups and quiz dates for the 2025 Media Mind group stage:
Group A: Bicycle, Bountiful Cow, Craft Media, December 19, JAA and Walk-in Media.
Group B: Initiative, Medialab, OMD, PHD, Spark Foundry and Essencemediacom.
Group C: Carat, Hearts & Science, Mindshare, Starcom, UM and Zenith.
Group D: Goodstuff, Havas, MG OMD, Performics, Wavemaker and the7stars.
What have we discovered on our tour of the UK’s leading media agencies?
Everyone loves a quiz
Trepidation has given way to a quiet (and not-so-quiet) determination to win. Being tested on your industry knowledge in front of your colleagues takes a degree of bravery, so well done to all who have stepped up.
The results so far have been encouraging, with teams getting around half of the questions right — even before they have had chance to swot up on all the categories.
It’s a promising indication of the talent and breadth of knowledge present in the industry today. A shout-out must go to OMD’s Osman Rafeek, who posted the highest individual score to date at our briefings, with a very creditable 13 out of 20.
Agencies have also been generously donating to our charity partner Mind, which we have been supporting to bring practical mental health advice to the industry through the competition. You can, too, on its website.
Lots to know… but impressive resources at hand
Things are very different for our competitors from the original Media Mind back in the early 90’s.
With about 30 commercial radio stations, 3 commercial TV channels, well-known national newspapers and magazines, a finite number of outdoor sites, and no digital channels at all, it was almost possible to challenge yourself to know every conceivable fact. In a world of limitless inventory, that is plainly no longer the case.
What is true is the availability of quality information, from audience and revenue data to case studies on the benefits of different channels and media owners, is also way more abundant and helpful for those prepared to immerse themselves – thank you to our category partners for creating and sharing these resources with our competing teams.
A special mention to the team at Jicmail, who have gone as far as creating a bespoke page for Media Mind competitors.
The industry has got behind Media Mind
We have been overwhelmed with the support that Media Mind has received since its launch at Adwanted’s Year Ahead event in January. From the support of industry bodies to the questions and online resources provided by our category partners, it has touched all parts of the industry.
That is why we are delighted to announce the participation of Captify, Mobsta and Taptap Digital as network partners. Their involvement really helps us to ensure contestants are well looked after and refreshed at the quiz nights. Most importantly, they dramatise one of the most important and enjoyable aspects of working in the media industry.
The interaction between agencies and media owners is a fruitful one on so many levels. It aids understanding of a complex market, it helps deliver solutions for clients and as we all know it fosters lifelong relationships and friendships across the sector. We are delighted to celebrate this special and unique feature of our industry.
Our network partners will be joining headline sponsors ISBA, Advertising Association and the IPA as well as our category partners at the events. Along with Adwanted Connected, we’d like to thank Amazon, DCM, Google, JICMAIL, Newsworks, Ocean Outdoor, PPA Magnetic, Radiocentre, Thinkbox and UKOM, whose help and support has been invaluable in making this competition happen.
Finally, we want to acknowledge the role of all the EA’s, PA’s and team members who have helped us organise the logistics. Coordinating multiple diaries of busy agency staff, securing meeting rooms and helping schedule quiz nights is a daunting task. We have been so impressed and grateful with the patience, persistence and good humour which everyone we have dealt with has shown and will take the chance to thank everyone in person at our quiz evenings.
Now the logistics and briefings are done, let battle commence!
Simon Redican (far left) is founder of The Media Knowledge Company and Matthew Ogbonmwan is a client services representative at Adwanted Connected