Kindness Is Strength: Jack Myers and Luisa Diaz Discuss the Power of Leadership and Compassion (Video)
In a world that often rewards power over empathy and competition over connection, Luisa Diaz stands as a beacon of kindness, resilience, and leadership. As the founder of the Luisa Diaz Foundation and the visionary behind the Mi Amor Gala, she has made it her life’s mission to uplift survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, offering them not only aid but also the opportunity to reclaim their power.
MAGNA and VOX MEDIA Unlock Listener Mindsets as Podcasts Fuel Digital Audio Market Growth
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 21, 2025 – MAGNA and VOX MEDIA have been tracking the meteoric rise of podcasts since 2020, publishing research on how podcasts fit into media strategy, followed by a look at the content creators and hosts in the world of podcasts and their influence on listeners. In a new study called “It’s All in the Mind(set)” released today, VOX MEDIA and MAGNA move the conversation beyond the medium and the makers to go deeper on how – and why – brands should consider listeners’ mindsets when advertising on podcasts.
How to Reach All Audiences with Targeted Advertising
Advertising isn’t about reaching all audiences at once. It’s about reaching the right audiences at the right time with the right message. When it comes to selling your products and services, you really only want to focus on the relevant audiences who’ll actually care about what you’re offering.
A Visit From St Martin*
In the days before Christmas, all through the land, We all need to pause and understand. What just went down on election day, As we hope that our country will find its way.
Human-Centered AI: A Path to Building Trust in Technology
Trust in technology is waning, and the skepticism surrounding AI systems is even more pronounced. Despite the promises of innovation and efficiency, recent research by Sonata Insights and the IAB indicates that even the most tech-savvy, young consumers are wary of messaging created by AI. Consumer skepticism about AI isn't arbitrary. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer’s Insights for the Tech Sector report (2024), there is a significant 26-point gap between trust in the tech industry (76%) and trust in AI (50%). This gap is further exacerbated by key concerns such as privacy (39%), the devaluation of what it means to be human (36%), harm to individuals (35%), and job loss/ security (22%). These findings raise a crucial question: How can an innovative organization seeking to enhance processes and services with AI earn the trust of consumers?
The Age of AI Leadership: Redefining Innovation and Creativity
With change the only constant, we are witnessing the dawn of a transformative era -- one where innovation itself is being redefined. The acceleration of technological progress, particularly generative AI, is not just reshaping industries but fundamentally altering the way leaders must think, act, and innovate. This evolution challenges us to reconsider the very nature of creativity, leadership, and organizational growth.
Navigating Amazon: It’s Easy
Remember the old Staples “Easy” button? I can hear “That was easy” ringing in my ears as I write this – sort of like that old song you can’t get out of your head.
"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5)
In this episode of About That, Carl Mayer speaks to Tess Erickson, Director of Strategy and Research at Involved Media, about the agency’s Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report on Connected Video and Short-Form Video.
Advertising: Who Cares? Onwards
In April, Nick Manning and I started a grassroots movement called ‘Advertising: Who Cares?’ (AWC) because of a number of serious, even existential, threats to not only the craft but ultimately the business of advertising.
UP Entertainment Launches National UPlift Someone Day to Extend Its Brand Mission Beyond the Screen
After twenty years of sharing uplifting programming for the masses, UP Entertainment is taking its mission beyond the screen with the launch of its inaugural National UPlift Someone Day on October 30th, coinciding with the network’s 20th anniversary. This new initiative aligns with their long-standing commitment to delivering content that inspires audiences and aims to bring that positivity into communities across the country.
Kelley Drye’s Barbara Hoey on the State of DEI -- and How Companies Can Move Forward (VIDEO)
More and more companies in media and entertainment have embraced diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and most have done so with the intent of making their companies more welcoming to people of different races and cultures. It’s a concept akin to “a rising tide lifts all boats” -- and it benefits leadership as well. But in June 2023, DEI took a hit in the form of a legal challenge brought against Harvard by a group called SFFA (Students for Fair Admissions), which claimed Harvard was discriminating against Asian applicants in favor of Black applicants with lower GPAs. In this edition of Office Hours, Kelley Drye’s Barbara Hoey explains how the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of SFFA set off a wave of legal action by conservative groups against DEI programs within law firms, law schools, corporations and even nonprofits, putting DEI initiatives at risk.
Spectrum News: A Trusted Source for Both Audiences and Advertisers this Election Year
Balanced news coverage that engages and informs is essential year-round, and even more critical in an election year. Spectrum News features expert journalists across the country who report on issues that impact our communities, celebrating the people, places and stories that connect us.
Board Member Insights: Keeping a Media Company Vibrant in a Volatile Marketplace (VIDEO)
It is a bit unlikely for someone who majored in and started his career in marketing to switch careers to hard numbers, but MFM Board member Dan Gallagher of Sinclair made the transition so successfully that he is now Sinclair’s Vice President and Operations Controller. In this Office Hours segment with regular contributor John Sanders of Bond & Pecaro, Gallagher shares the factors that guided his career and the priorities he has for the MFM Board.
Active International Rebrands with a Fresh Corporate Vision to Mark its 40th Anniversary
In a significant move coinciding with its 40th anniversary, Active Media Services, Inc. has rebranded to “AMS” and restructured its operations to reflect a more cohesive corporate vision. The New York-based media solutions company, which serves a global client base with offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia, is aligning its core businesses -- Active International, Involved Media, and XACTV Network -- under one unified brand.
New Toolkit Offers Updated Messaging to Address the Chronic Absenteeism Crisis in K-12 Schools
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, one out of every four students—or even more—have been considered chronically absent in U.S. school systems, meaning they missed at least two school days per month during the academic year. To combat the growing absenteeism crisis, a new study from the Ad Council Research Institute (ACRI), with support from Overdeck Family Foundation, provides guidance for how school leaders, educators, community partners, and others can more effectively encourage families to send their children to school on a consistent basis. Download the full report and toolkit, “Back to the Classroom: How to Overcome Chronic Absenteeism and Encourage Parents to Send Kids to School Consistently.”
Ten Advertising Trends Brands Need to Heed
What are the factors driving purchases for today’s cost-conscious consumer? How do advertisers address the challenges of a quickly shifting media landscape? And what makes out of home more essential than ever for brands that want to break through?
Sinclair Broadcasting: All the News That Isn't
Donald Trump said he crushed it with Black journalists last week. You'd believe that too if you read the news story Sinclair sent to 40 percent of American households.
A New View of the Advertising Process in the Mind
The oldest of the models was AIDA – Attention, Interest, Decision, Action. This was a perfect flavor for the rational view of the economic agents i.e. consumers at the time. It was assumed obvious that each person would make decisions based on the rational weighing of the benefits versus the costs. The industry was intrigued to find out that “emotional” and “image” ads could also have effect, and this led to pockets of creative people who would specialize in such ads.
Alphabet Decides the Cookie Monster Can Continue to Eat: Google's Controversial Decision to Retain Cookies
In a not so surprising twist, Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, has decided to maintain the use of cookies in its Chrome browser, introducing a new approach aimed at elevating user choice rather than outright eliminating third-party cookies. This move, articulated by Anthony Chavez, Vice President of Google's Privacy Sandbox, signifies a pivotal shift in how online privacy and advertising might coexist in the digital ecosystem. A topic that in and of itself has been controversial for some time. Meaning can privacy and advertising coexist.
US Youth Soccer and WeAre8 Announce Partnership to Elevate Media and Unity
Only in the last 20 years has it been possible to accurately measure the ROI of media advertising, and the demand for TV sports by fans and advertisers has been growing ever since. Sports account for about 95% of the highest rated shows on television. The reach and impact of sports TV is indeed legendary. Now that streaming has democratized video even more than YouTube and Meta did, US Youth Soccer (USYS), the largest youth sports organization in the country, is leading the charge of youth sports onto streaming television, and at the same time helping to roll out the world’s first positive social media platform, WeAre8.
