Nicole LalevaThe International Knowledge Exchange on November 19th, 2024, provided a platform for media and advertising professionals from the US and Europe to share insights on the latest innovations in measurement, initiatives, and solutions.
The event was curated by leading organisation, including CIMM, egta, EACA, IAB Europe, and WFA. Industry leaders discussed challenges and opportunities in retail media, the evolving landscape of advertising, and the latest developments from major players like Google. Key highlights included sessions on retail media and predictions for 2025, with contributions from prominent speakers such as our Industry Development & Insights Director, Marie-Clare Puffett, Tom Ashby, Global Lead, Media Services, WFA, Anna Westerink, Retail Media lead BNX, Unilever, Philip Acton, Country Manager, UK, Adform, David Towers, Senior Partner, Wavemaker and more.
Session 1: "The Evolving Retail Media Landscape"
The first session of the event, "The Evolving Retail Media Landscape", featured Marie-Clare Puffett, Industry Development & Insights Director, IAB Europe, Tom Ashby (WFA), and Anna Westerink (Unilever). Marie-Clare highlighted IAB Europe's key efforts in addressing challenges in retail media, focusing on the importance of standardisation and transparency. Tom Ashby identified key market challenges—lack of transparency, fragmentation, and a knowledge gap—while Anna Westerink emphasised the need for real-time data and third-party verification.
The session underscored the need for collaboration between the buy and sell sides to address these issues, with IAB Europe's role in developing measurement standards for both on-site and off-site retail media, improving comparability, and fostering transparent reporting. A major milestone was the launch of Version 1 of these standards in 2024, with ongoing work on in-store media standards.
IAB Europe's efforts, alongside WFA and Unilever, are aimed at overcoming operational challenges retailers face, such as securing buy-in and investment, by offering standards and certification programs that promote professionalism and transparency. The session concluded with a call for industry-wide collaboration, shared standards, and transparency to ensure sustainable growth and a more trustworthy retail media landscape.
Watch the session recording here.
Session 2: Advertising: Who Cares?
The second session featured Nick Manning and Brian Jacobs, two well-known figures in the media industry, who discussed their initiative focused on transparency, ad fraud, and principle-based media measurement. Nick, founder of Encyclomedia International, and Brian, founder of BJ&A with a rich background in media agencies like Leo Burnett, Kantar, and UN, shared insights from their work.
The session began with a slide showing Nick and Brian meeting in a Southwest London coffee shop, where they first realized the quality of their ads was lacking and decided to share their perspective on improving advertising. They published a blog to gather feedback, urging the industry to take action. The second slide featured a quote from Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman: "We need to measure success by looking forward, not backwards." This reflects their belief that advertising should focus on future growth and success, rather than being constrained by past practices.
The session concluded with a Q&A addressing how to overcome the challenge that better advertising outcomes might cost more, particularly in terms of data, fees, and ad taxes. Brian Jacobs responded that the solution lies in evolving the business model. He explained that currently, agencies often charge based on hours rather than outcomes, but emphasised the need to shift towards measuring success based on business results. Nick added that good advertising is more effortful and requires more investment, but ultimately delivers better ROI. Both mentioned that the industry must break free from the cycle of low-cost impressions and focus on real analytics of business success.
Brian also emphasised the importance of industry-wide collaboration and the need for everyone to get involved in shaping the future of advertising. Anne-Laure Dreyfus, TV Director, egta, pointed out the pressure that professionals face in the industry but emphasised the need for collective effort to improve the advertising landscape. Brian and Nick both expressed optimism about moving the initiative forward and encouraged the industry to act, highlighting that with everyone’s involvement, meaningful progress can be made.
Watch the session recording here.
Session 3: What's Happening at Google and What Does it Mean for Marketers?
This session featured experts David Towers (Wavemaker), Philip Acton (Adform), and Jon Watts (CIMM) discussing Google’s dominance in digital advertising and the challenges it faces.
Google controls around 30% of global ad spend, with key brands like Chrome, YouTube, Google Ads, and Analytics. It holds 90% of the search market, 70% of mobile devices, and 62% of global browser usage, raising concerns about monopolistic practices. Google’s exclusive deals with device makers and acquisitions have led to accusations of stifling competition. Philip Acton highlighted Google’s ongoing legal battles, such as its cookie replacement efforts with Privacy Sandbox and control over auctions through technologies like Project Poirot. While acknowledging Google's contributions to online advertising, he pointed out concerns about its market dominance.
David Towers, with years of industry experience, noted how Google’s low-cost strategies have pushed competitors out of the market, especially in search and paid search management. He argued that this has solidified Google’s control over advertising. The panel also discussed the future of advertising, with Philip advocating for reducing Google’s dominance to foster more transparency and competition. While Google’s role in shaping the industry is undeniable, the panel agreed that reducing reliance on one player is essential for innovation.
In the final question, the panel debated whether Google’s integration of its various businesses—search, bid management, YouTube, and ad servers—impacts advertisers. Philip expressed concerns over the monopolistic effect, with legal challenges suggesting Google may need to divest some of its assets. David noted that the integration simplifies activation for advertisers, especially small ones, but agreed a more fragmented ecosystem could create challenges.
The session concluded with a recognition of both the efficiency and potential risks of Google’s integrated model, calling for a balanced approach that supports competition, transparency, and innovation in digital advertising.
Watch the session recording here.
Top 5 Predictions for 2025
The final session of the 2024 International Knowledge Exchange focused on expectations for the advertising and media landscape in 2025. Key insights from various organisations highlighted emerging trends and developments:
2025 will mark a year of growth and improvement in U.S. measurement:
Media agencies will face the following challenges and opportunities in 2025:
The TV and radio sectors are becoming increasingly active across all parts of the marketing funnel.
The common thread across these insights is the need for collaboration and innovation to address the complexities of a fast-evolving media landscape. 2025 will demand adaptable, privacy-focused, and purpose-driven solutions to ensure sustainable growth and actionable insights across the ecosystem.
Watch the session recording here.
