The Campaign Podcast

Media has seen a string of deals in the last year, poised to consolidate key areas of the market. Paramount Skydance seeks to complete its $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros., and in the UK, Sky ponders its bid to acquire the broadcast and ad sales division of ITV. In publishing, after several other attempts fell through, European media group Axel Springer, which owns Business Insider and Politico, has agreed to buy the Telegraph Media Group for the sum of £575m.

So, pending various approvals, what would such deals mean for the media landscape and its advertisers?

Campaign's editorial team gather in the studio to discuss why media owners are consolidating, the impact on media buyers and what it means for competition. Hosted by media editor Beau Jackson, this episode includes Campaign’s UK editor Maisie McCabe, editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier and deputy media editor Shauna Lewis.

Further reading
Will Sky’s proposed takeover of ITV be good for advertisers?
ITV confirms talks with Sky about £1.6bn sale of M&E unit
Paramount Advertising takes sole control of UK sponsorship deals

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Publicis Groupe acquired sports marketing and entertainment agency 160over90 this month, in a move it claims will “disrupt” the sector.

In this episode, the Campaign team discusses why Publicis has made this "big bet" now, whether the sector needs disrupting and how influencers are changing the game. The team discusses why some say "the gap between brands and consumers is widening" and how athletes are becoming their own "self-contained media platforms, because their performance in the game is so intrinsic to their personas".

Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings, creativity and culture editor Shauna Lewis and deputy news editor Marianne Calnan-Holland.

Further reading:
What does the fan experience of the Fifa World Cup look like from the UK?
Coca-Cola World Cup spot explores emotional journey of football
Why is gaming not a media channel?
Beyond borders: why countries don’t define modern fandom
Fifa 2026’s longer tournament window presents a golden opportunity for fan activations
Burnley FC and X unveil social documentary on women’s team
Burnley FC and X partner with Sure For Men for UK’s first X Original series

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Last year WPP, Apple and Amazon increased their in-office days, with the latter two tech companies mandating five days in office. In February this year, adland’s best-performing holding company Publicis Groupe increased its mandated staff attendance from three days to four.

In the age of AI and efficiency, this episode of The Campaign Podcast is asking if being in the office more does actually increase productivity, if its possible to measure productivity and if adland will soon be in the office for more days a week.

Hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes deputy editor Gemma Charles, deputy media editor Shauna Lewis and deputy creative and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings.

Further reading:
Should adland follow Publicis and WPP’s four-day office mandate?
This is adland: 2025
Updated: latest hybrid working policies at “new big six”
Why do more office days no longer boost staff’s sense of belonging?
Hybrid working in adland: who struggles most with stricter in-office policies?
Hybrid working Credos report: Less than half of adland happy with home/office split
Mark Read: 'People are happier when they’re in the office'
Is a four-day working week viable for adland?

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In March, Meta and Google were found liable for designing addictive platforms that harmed a young user's mental health, a verdict both platforms disagree with and plan to appeal. Channel 4 also released its documentary called Molly vs The Machines about a 14 year old girl who took her own life after seeing harmful content online. Plus, the UK Government began a consultation for a potential ban for under 16s to improve digital safety, following Australia's ban in December, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying we “have to act”.

Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and other platforms rely on advertising to make money. So whether a government ban or strict regulation of the platforms is the solution, this episode questions how much responsibility should the brands funding these platforms have.

Jake Dubbins, managing director at Media Bounty and co-chair of Conscious Advertising Network, joins the episode alongside Campaign's UK editor Maisie McCabe and editor-in-chief Gideon Spanier. This episode is hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley.

Further reading:
Ian Russell challenges Instagram boss to “chat” at Cannes Lions
Molly vs the Machines showed us that advertising choices aren't neutral
Can we talk about whether fraudulent ads are the tech platforms' biggest problem?
Ofcom research finds rise in concern over online risks versus benefits

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In-house agencies have been growing over the last few years, as brands have been taking more work in-house and building bespoke teams. In the last few weeks, Allwyn launched an in-house studio, ITV shifted its retained creative account from Uncommon to ITV Creative and Uncommon’s executive creative director Richard Biggs jumped to BBC Creative.

Campaign Red analysed this trend and last month produced an in-depth global report, The Inside Job, looking into what disciplines brands are in-housing, why they are luring agency talent and how they are collaborating with external agencies.

In this episode, Niki Garner, director of ITV Creative, joins The Campaign Podcast to discuss the in-housing evolution, why she hires from agencies and how in-house teams can provide the most value. Garner was also named In-house Agency Leader at Campaign’s In-House agency awards last year.

Joining from the Campaign team is data journalist Jamie Rossouw, co-author of The Inside Job, and premium content editor Nicola Merrifield. This episode is hosted by tech and multimedia editor Lucy Shelley.

Further reading:
How to build a successful in-house agency
Allwyn's media director: in-house shop Studio 59 aiming for “newsroom mentality”
BBC Creative appoints Natalie Lau as head of planning
ITV Creative lead dismisses past 'snobbery' aimed at in-house agencies
ITV promotes I’m a Celebrity… South Africa with hand-drawn animation
“The darker side of water”: behind the scenes of Channel 4’s “The fountain of filth”
Lego ad calls 'play' with array of characters performed by Tom Holland
Specsavers highlights audiology services by 'rebranding'
Over four in 10 in-house agencies want to be brand’s lead agency, IHALC research finds
ITV, Reckitt and Pepsi in-house leaders to speak at Campaign's In-Housing Summit
The Lists 2025: Top five in-house creatives
Campaign In-House Agency Awards 2025: winners revealed

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