Volume 75 | March-April 2024
Executive Summary The agency world has consolidated its talent to streamline operations and simplify how clients interact or leverage integrated offerings. WPP is a prime example: Last year, WPP merged its creative agencies Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R to form VML. Then WPP merged two of its largest communication agencies, Hill & Knowlton and BCW, to […]
Volume 74 | January-February 2024
Executive Summary January and February are often characterized by technological innovation as CES is followed by advertising brilliance during the Super Bowl. There is no better way to start 2024 than being inspired by these two epic events, which are stunning illustrations of where the advertising industry is heading. “The beginning of a beautiful relationship […]
Volume 73 | October-November 2023
Executive Summary If you are looking for a sign, this might be it. Artificial intelligence is not only changing how we do marketing; it’s changing the agency landscape and the offerings brands rely on. AI is disrupting the agency model in significant ways, and not just because of task automation or productivity gains. Agencies are […]
Volume 72 September 2023
Executive Summary “I’m a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world…” Welcome to Barbie Land! Greta Gerwig’s movie about the Mattel icon has been as much of a success in theaters as it has been in co-brand marketing. That was the topic of many conversations in our industry after such a brilliant launch. The blockbuster finished […]
Volume 71 July 2023
Executive Summary Bonjour, mes amis! The world of advertising converged on the French Riviera once again at the International Festival of Creativity near, and sometimes on, the beach of Cannes, enjoying post-COVID and celebrating la crème de la crème in advertising. The sight of old pal and global CMO Ryan Linder play a Stagwell Global-sponsored […]
Volume 68 February 2023
Executive Summary 2022 was tumultuous and challenging at all levels after a series of worldwide tragedies—from the pandemic to weather disasters to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the resulting inflation and high energy prices, the advertising and marketing world had plenty on its plate to address consumer concerns and keep business healthy. This is a […]
Volume 67 December 2022
Executive Summary Most analysts predict high volatility in the months to come, especially in digital advertising, and it is expected to spread across the entire advertising and marketing space. Agencies and advertisers are all dealing with a great sense of uncertainty right now. Macroeconomic concerns have been an ongoing topic of conversation, with unknown consequences […]
Volume 64 June 2022
Executive Summary – Monthly Recap As we get bombarded with news and data, it may be time for a little perspective so we can tease the events that truly matter. I noticed a few interesting trends in the past few weeks. First, the concept of “responsible advertising” is now a reality for advertisers and agencies […]
Industry Update Volume 53
Executive Summary – Monthly Recap Are you tired of hearing about this “new normal”? I think we all are. Normal is not too exciting and it sets the bar quite low. Perhaps we crave a “new extraordinary”? It’s fair to say that life as we knew it has been overturned by this nasty global pandemic. […]
Industry Update Volume 52
Executive Summary – Monthly Recap “Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.” We sure had our fair share of problems in 2020. As we enthusiastically turn the corner and start a promising year, January still had plenty of unexpected surprises for us. It’s hard to choose, really. The insurrection in […]
Full-Year 2020 Industry Summary
Executive Summary – Yearly Recap As you spent hours locked up in an improvised home office, did you feel overwhelmed by the cacophony of industry news, and still felt underinformed? You were not alone. We created these quick bite-sized highlights of what’s going on in our world so friends, colleagues, and clients wouldn’t have to […]
Industry Update Volume 51
Executive Summary – Monthly Recap: Are we there yet? This common kid question during any commute or cross-country holiday journey feels quite appropriate. When will this be over? Let’s face it. We have all been hurt in some way. In a recent PR week article, Civis Analytics/Finn Partners reported that our industry is feeling mood […]
