20+ Digital Meetings Later, Here Are Our Top Takeaways

If you’ve ever found yourself Googling, “How do I watch [X] show or [X] game?” in the past year, then you’ve witnessed firsthand how quickly media is changing. The NFL made its Netflix debut on Christmas Day, multiple sporting events were available exclusively on streaming platforms, and reality TV—once a cable staple—has shifted to streaming. After 300 episodes, Married at First Sight will leave Lifetime to debut on Peacock for Season 19.

And that’s just the shift in video content. We’ve also seen the rise of podcasts, an increase in website cookie consent prompts, and the growing influence of AI. In short, the media landscape is becoming more fragmented, data collection for targeting is evolving, and new tools are making media planning and buying smarter and faster.

During the first few months of this year, our team met with over 20 leading digital vendors specializing in streaming video, display, and audio advertising. Our goal was to gain insights into where the industry is heading, explore new opportunities for our clients, and identify best practices. As a media agency, this is our bread and butter—we dedicate time to staying ahead of industry trends so our clients don’t have to. Here are our five key takeaways from these discussions:

1. Accessibility: Expanding Opportunities for Advertisers

Previously, many advertising opportunities were only available to national brands due to scale and technology limitations. However, that’s rapidly changing. More inventory, ad types, targeting options, and reporting capabilities are now accessible at regional and local levels. This opens up new possibilities for businesses of all sizes, regardless of geographic constraints or budget.

If your business has avoided certain types of advertising due to a lack of local activation options, now is the time to reassess. A media agency can help keep you informed about new opportunities, especially in the rapidly evolving digital space.

2.The “Sea of Same”: Choosing the Right Digital Partners

With so many digital vendors offering seemingly similar products, it can be overwhelming to differentiate between them. Without asking the right questions, it’s easy to get lost in technical jargon. Look for partners that provide transparent reporting and specialize in areas aligned with your advertising goals. Some vendors excel in mobile advertising, others in connected TV (CTV), and many claim they can do it all—but knowing which partners to activate for specific outcomes ensures the best return on investment.

If something sounds too good to be true, dig deeper. Clarify what inventory is included and what you’re actually purchasing. Some vendors blend inventory to lower CPMs, while others mix in digital display ads with CTV campaigns to inflate impression numbers. Ideally, your vendor shouldn’t be the only one grading their own homework. We use an independent ad server to provide a complete, unbiased view of your campaign—eliminating media sales conflicts and potential reporting biases.

When vetting vendors, we examine their inventory sources, targeting capabilities, data quality, reporting transparency, and brand safety measures. These factors make the difference between a high-quality campaign and one where advertisers waste budget on ineffective placements—or worse, impressions delivered in unsafe environments or to bots.

3. Artificial Intelligence: Enhancing, Not Replacing, Human Expertise

For those worried about AI taking over jobs, rest assured—human intelligence is still essential. AI is increasingly being used for planning, reporting, targeting, and content review, but it’s not a complete solution. For instance, AI can help identify brand safety risks in digital inventory, but it might mistakenly flag words like “shoot” or “shot” in a basketball context.

We’re encouraged that vendors aren’t solely relying on AI. While we embrace AI-powered tools for planning and analytics, we continue to verify results using traditional expertise. If you’ve experimented with ChatGPT, you know AI can be a great tool—but it shouldn’t be your entire toolbox.

4. The Future of Sports Advertising: A Shifting Landscape

Sports used to be straightforward—it was either on TV or it wasn’t. If it aired on broadcast or cable, advertisers could buy local or national spots and be assured of when their ads would run.

Now, with streaming, things are more complex. Some games are exclusive to streaming platforms, while others are available on both cable/broadcast and streaming. In many cases, advertisers buy impressions rather than set commercial slots, meaning a purchase of 100,000 impressions for NBA games doesn’t guarantee placement during a specific matchup—or that every viewer will see the ad.

Buying single-event ad placements remains limited, especially at the local and regional levels. Often, advertisers must purchase broader sports packages (e.g., NCAA Basketball games rather than a specific Duke vs. UNC matchup). Additionally, some streaming packages blend in-game ads with adjacent sports content.

We did see Netflix use stitched-in ad breaks for its NFL Christmas Day games, creating traditional commercial pods—but only national inventory was available. We’ll be watching closely to see how streaming vendors evolve their sports ad offerings.

5. Advanced Ad Units: Getting Creative with Digital Advertising

It’s time to think beyond standard digital ads. New opportunities are emerging for dynamic, unique, and interactive ad formats, to name a few:

Pause ads (ads that appear when a viewer pauses content)
Shoppable ads (clickable ads that allow users to purchase directly)
Dynamic creative (ads that adjust based on factors like time of day, weather, or location)

Leaning into these formats can boost engagement and add depth to your media strategy. Being open with your media agency about your goals allows for creative brainstorming and strategic execution. However, some of these ad types require additional lead time, so planning ahead is key. Many vendors also offer creative development support, making advanced ad formats more accessible—even for brands with limited in-house creative resources.

Final Thoughts

The media landscape continues to evolve, and staying ahead requires both time and expertise. As a media agency, we dedicate ourselves to understanding these shifts so our clients can focus on running their businesses. If you’re interested in exploring new media opportunities, optimizing your strategy, or simply making sense of all the changes, we’re here to help.