Creators, Campaigns, and Cannes: Navigating the Evolving Media Ecosystem

Summary

Next in Media: Creators, Campaigns, and Cannes – Navigating the Evolving Media Ecosystem

Release Date: July 24, 2025

In this episode of Next in Media, host Mike Shields delves deep into the rapidly transforming landscape of media, marketing, and advertising, driven by cutting-edge technology and data. Recorded live at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, this episode features insightful conversations with two industry leaders: Jessica Brown, Managing Director of Digital Investment at WPP Media, and Kelly Metz, Chief Investment Officer at Spark Foundry Worldwide. Together, they explore the burgeoning YouTube ecosystem, the integration of television and digital platforms, the pivotal role of creators, and the challenges of measurement and attribution in an increasingly fragmented media environment.

---

Section 1: The YouTube Ecosystem and Its Integration with Traditional Media

Jessica Brown begins the discussion by addressing the significant growth of YouTube within the broader video consumption landscape. She challenges the traditional notion of categorizing YouTube strictly as "television," advocating for a more holistic view of video platforms.

Jessica Brown [01:22]: "We're trying to think about it more holistically in terms of video... you are trying to reach consumers when it comes to video."

Brown cites recent statistics indicating that YouTube accounts for over 12% of TV consumption, underscoring its vital role in reaching modern audiences. She emphasizes that successful media strategies should focus on the audience and platform suitability rather than confining YouTube to the TV marketplace.

---

Section 2: Organizational Shifts and the Embrace of AI in Media Buying

The conversation transitions to WPP Media's recent organizational changes aimed at streamlining their approach to the market. Jessica Brown highlights the development of Open Media Studio, a platform designed for end-to-end planning, activation, and measurement.

Jessica Brown [02:14]: "We're building out open media studio... a much more streamlined, much more cohesive approach to the market, to planning and to buying."

She underscores the critical role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing media buying processes, blending technological advancements with human insights to optimize campaigns.

Jessica Brown [02:46]: "AI is very important to us, important to our future, important to the way we're buying media. But also the humans that are thinking about the tech are important."

---

Section 3: Simplifying YouTube Advertising and Managing Diverse KPIs

Addressing the complexities of YouTube advertising, Brown discusses the various channels available for brands to engage on YouTube, including programmatic options and direct collaborations with creators. She commends Google for simplifying the purchasing process while maintaining a strategic focus based on campaign KPIs.

Jessica Brown [03:34]: "Google's done a great job of simplifying the way that we buy YouTube... informed by what we're trying to achieve."

She identifies a pressing need for holistic and consistent measurement across different media platforms to enable accurate comparisons and effective campaign strategies.

Jessica Brown [04:09]: "We definitely need more holistic and consistent measurement... compare apples to apples across the ecosystem."

---

Section 4: The Future of Attribution and Shoppable TV

The discussion shifts to the challenges of attribution in both traditional TV and digital platforms like YouTube. Brown points out the advantages of digital platforms in providing more granular data and signals, which enhance understanding of consumer behavior.

Jessica Brown [04:55]: "Digital gives you so many more signals and you can understand so much more... adding interactivity to TV allows for consistent data points."

She expresses optimism about the emergence of shoppable TV, anticipating a shift in consumer behavior where audiences engage interactively with television content.

Jessica Brown [05:28]: "I think it's going to be [shoppable TV]. We always assume that CTV and video was sort of this lean-back experience, but consumers are willing to lean forward and take action."

---

Section 5: YouTube's Position in the TV Market and the Rise of Short-Form Content

Transitioning to the conversation with Kelly Metz, Mike Shields explores YouTube’s efforts to position itself within the traditional TV market. Metz affirms that YouTube is increasingly viewed as part of the connected television (CTV) landscape, especially with investments in platforms like YouTube TV and high-profile events like the NFL games.

Kelly Metz [06:18]: "Clients are not opposed to thinking of YouTube as TV. I think it's part of what they have to buy and how they buy."

The discussion also touches on the impact of short-form content pioneered by platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Metz emphasizes that short-form content should be integrated into the overall video strategy based on the brand's audience and messaging goals.

Kelly Metz [06:56]: "It shouldn't be a different conversation... some brands really should start social first, some should start with long form."

---

Section 6: Navigating the Creator Economy and Enhancing Measurement Tools

Metz addresses the complexities brands face in partnering with creators, highlighting the significant effort required to identify and collaborate with the right influencers. Despite these challenges, she underscores the high ROI from effective creator partnerships.

Kelly Metz [07:38]: "It's hard... but there's 100% ROI absolutely."

She acknowledges the ongoing need for advanced measurement tools to better assess campaign effectiveness across diverse platforms and creator partnerships.

Kelly Metz [09:12]: "I always want better measurement for my clients... platforms are starting to develop tools that are really going to help us service our clients much better."

---

Section 7: Overcoming Attribution Challenges in a Fragmented Media Landscape

The episode concludes with a candid discussion on the challenges of attribution within the creator economy and across various media platforms. Metz notes that while platforms operate as walled gardens, there's an emerging opportunity to develop effective Cost Per Mille (CPM) models based on data from creator collaborations.

Kelly Metz [09:58]: "We can't pretend like it's here already. We need to keep putting pressure on the partners."

She emphasizes the necessity of continuous innovation and collaboration with platform partners to enhance measurement capabilities and provide comprehensive insights for clients.

---

Key Takeaways:

1. Holistic Approach to Video Consumption: Both guests advocate for viewing YouTube and other video platforms beyond traditional TV categorizations, focusing instead on audience engagement and platform suitability.

2. Integration of AI and Human Insight: The successful future of media buying lies in the synergy between advanced AI technologies and human strategic thinking.

3. Simplification and Measurement: Simplifying the advertising process on platforms like YouTube is crucial, alongside developing consistent and holistic measurement tools to evaluate campaign effectiveness across diverse media ecosystems.

4. Shoppable TV and Interactive Media: The potential for interactive television presents new avenues for consumer engagement and data collection, bridging the gap between traditional TV and digital interactivity.

5. Navigating the Creator Economy: Effective collaboration with creators is essential for brand growth, necessitating strategic partnerships and advanced measurement solutions to maximize ROI.

6. Overcoming Attribution Challenges: Continuous pressure and collaboration with platform partners are required to enhance attribution models and provide comprehensive insights in a fragmented media landscape.

---

This episode provides a comprehensive exploration of the current trends and future directions in the media ecosystem, offering valuable insights for marketers and advertisers seeking to navigate the complexities of modern digital platforms and creator partnerships.

Transcript

[View Planner]

Looking to get more out of your YouTube advertising? With view Planner, you can buy with total confidence and clarity. View Planner is a verified YouTube brand suitability and contextual targeting partner in the YouTube measurement program. Recognized by Google as a trusted and independent leader in driving and measuring performance on YouTube, their advanced technology gives you a clear edge. Only with View Planner, we're talking custom curated contextual collections, exclusive content strategies, transparent reporting and AI driven optimization to deliver real results. Don't let your budget go to waste. Partner with View Planner. Experience the difference. Visit viewplanner.com now to unlock your full advertising potential on YouTube. That's V U E P L-A-N-N-E-R.com.

[Mike Shields]

Hi everybody, I'm Mike Shields. Welcome to Next in Media. This is part of my special Live at Cannes series in partnership with my friends at View Planner. I'm here with Jessica Brown of WPP Media. You were the head of Digital investment, that right?

[Jessica Brown]

Managing Director, Digital Investment at WPP Media.

[Mike Shields]

Yes, we got that right. Let's talk about, we're talking about the growth of the YouTube ecosystem on television. You know, a year ago it was kind of impressive. Now it's getting even more so. I think they would like that to become very much part of the main TV marketplace. Is that happening? What's kind of in the way there? What does that market look like right.

[Jessica Brown]

Now when you say tv? I actually want to challenge that because we're trying to think about it more holistically in terms of video. And where that video shows up is irrespective, it's important you don't split YouTube into pieces or whatever based on KPI, based on what we're trying to achieve. Right. So what audience am I trying to reach and where am I going to reach them on what platform? Whether it's advanced audiences, whether it's age and gender. So it's not about cracking the TV economy or marketplace. It's more about how does YouTube show up in terms of consumption. And I think the latest stat I saw was they are 12 over 12% of TV consumption. Right. So they obviously have a really big role in how we're reaching consumers when it comes to video.

[Mike Shields]

Okay, I might as well. Before we forget, catch us up on what your company's got through some big changes. What's going on? Kind of you've been new name, reorganization. What does that mean for this industry?

[Jessica Brown]

Yep. For us it's similar to what I was just saying, thinking about things more holistically. So we're trying to streamline the way that we approach the marketplace, the way that we talk to clients, the way that we plan and buy. So we're building out open media studio. You've probably heard about open intelligence, this platform end to end planning, to activation, to measurement. So it's much more streamlined, much more cohesive approach to the market, to planning and to buying.

[Mike Shields]

Does that mean more algorithmic buying? Everyone's talking about that right now. Is that like the platforms are doing it? Do you guys want to do that? What does that mean?

[Jessica Brown]

Yeah, definitely tech. AI is very important to us, important to our future, important to the way we're buying media. But also the humans that are thinking about the tech are important. And as it relates to YouTube things, you know, what are the insights we can get that will help us make better campaigns on YouTube with creators? What's the different creative versions that we can leverage? AI to help us have more effective and more impactful creative when it comes to YouTube? Things like that.

[Mike Shields]

All right, swinging back to the YouTube topic, there's a lot of ways into YouTube. You can do it programmatically and go through the select channel. They have, they have a couple of new products that are timed towards big key moments. Things are trending. You can go directly to creators. That sounds, I guess, great, but also complicated, especially when you're talking about all these different KPIs. How does that affect your day to day? Is there, is there a way to simplify that or should there be?

[Jessica Brown]

I think Google's done a great job of simplifying the way that we buy YouTube. You know, there's two different doors we can go through. Whether it's Google Ads or DV360, it goes back to this holistic view of what we're trying to do. What's the KPI? What's the goal that we're trying to achieve? And what products we buy and how we buy will be informed by what we're trying to achieve.

[Mike Shields]

What do you need more of? Do you need more. Everybody wants more. More measurement or more cohesive way to identify people? Is it very challenging to put all these different types of video platforms together with traditional TV and streaming and throw in maybe so, you know, TikTok and things like that. What do you need more of right now?

[Jessica Brown]

Yep, we definitely more holistic and consistent measurement. When we're thinking about YouTube and like the creators that we would be working with, that can live on multiple channels, right? It'll live in multiple walled gardens. So how do we consistently measure across all of them, whether it's A purchase type, intent, signal. So what's the more holistic view so that we can compare apples to apples across the ecosystem?

[Mike Shields]

You know, there's, there's a, we're in this moment of outcomes are bigger than ever. They've always, it's always been important in our industry. But there seems to be more pressure on everybody to drive alcons prove it. Television has, you know, has had a certain role in that, in that process. There's a lot more pressure on the medium today. YouTube seems equipped to be able to handle that. But how would you grade TV attribution overall and then maybe how it's evolving on YouTube?

[Jessica Brown]

I guess the thing that I love about digital is that you get so many more signals and you can understand so much more. And that's very different than the way that we're looking at tv. But we are, as you start to add more of these sort of shoppable interactive units to television, whether it's CTV or streaming and YouTube and similar, we can start to look at these consistent data points or consistent interaction points that let us look like, for like. So it's sort of adding that level of interactivity to what we're doing on TV so that we can see things consistently.

[Mike Shields]

Are you bullish on shoppable tv? Do you think it's still really early?

[Jessica Brown]

I don't know if it's really early. It's early. I'm bullish on it. I think it's going to be. We always assume that CTV and video was sort of this lean back experience. But I actually think consumers, you know, we got used to mobile phones, you watch TV with your phone, that we're actually willing to lean forward and take an action.

[Mike Shields]

Younger generation seem absolutely there's.

[Jessica Brown]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Mike Shields]

All right, Jessica, awesome stuff. Thanks for your time here.

[Jessica Brown]

Thank you.

[Mike Shields]

Hi everybody. Welcome to Next to Media. I'm Mike Shields. We're here live at Cannes. This is part of my special series with my partners at View Planner on the YouTube ecosystem. I'm here with Kelly Metz. You have a new job and title. Help me out.

[Kelly Metz]

Chief investment Officer, Spark Foundry Worldwide.

[Mike Shields]

That sounds prominent and big and exciting. We've talked about this in the past, probably, but YouTube has really been trying to crack the TV market for the last couple years. They've got the numbers in their favor, but I wonder how if that's resonating with all clients, are they TV yet?

[Kelly Metz]

I mean, when you look at the viewership, yeah, they are definitely connected television. And I think clients are seeing that particularly around their investments that they've been making with their virtual MVPD YouTube TV and what they've spent on the NFL and the NFL game that's coming up. I think clients are not opposed to thinking of YouTube as TV. I think it's part of what they have to buy and how they buy.

[Mike Shields]

Okay. YouTube talks about shorts being actually big on television, which surprises me. I don't know if brands see the short form thing as it is the same. You know, I guess I'm asking, are TikTok and YouTube shorts part of video but not really TV, or is it like a totally different conversation?

[Kelly Metz]

It shouldn't be a different conversation. And depending on where a brand is in terms of the audience they're trying to reach and the message they're trying to get out, some brands really should start social first. They just start short form first. Some brands, you know, given where they are in their genesis and who they're trying to reach and the impact they're trying to create, should start with long form. There's just. There are a lot of different options now and there are different ways to get there.

[Mike Shields]

Okay. Tons of talk this year and last year about creators. Google announced their a new initiative to try and make that easier. It still seems hard for me, at least for brands to find the right creators, figure out who to spin with, activate at scale. Is that something that's getting better, a challenge in your life?

[Kelly Metz]

It's not a challenge in my life at Publicis because we have made some very strategic acquisitions in the space around Influential and now Captivate. So I would say I'm very fortunate in that I work with the best in the marketplace in terms of how we navigate that for our clients. And it's. It's hard. Yes. Is it worth the effort? 100%. Is the ROI there? Absolutely. So. So yes, I would say. I would say it is difficult. There is risk involved, but there's. There should be risk involved in any campaign if you're really. If you're really trying to drive growth.

[Mike Shields]

And I guess can you. You're in that great position. But can you spend the dollars you. You want or ought to? Perhaps, given that it's not that automated. It's not that simple to do a big bunch of creator deals at once.

[Kelly Metz]

We try to make it as simple as possible. So I think you'd be shocked how fast and agile we are and how quickly we can get campaigns into market. And you just juxtapose that with the legacy of what it takes to do a commercial spot for traditional television, the production time, the lead Time, everything that goes into it, we should equate it to that.

[Mike Shields]

Not a programmatic, real time bidding, not.

[Kelly Metz]

Necessarily a real time bidding environment, because these are. You're investing in your brand, you're creating awareness of your brand when you engage in creators.

[Mike Shields]

Shouldn't rush that.

[Kelly Metz]

Correct. It should be very deliberate.

[Mike Shields]

Get that right. And that's. And you're buying. What these people have is their audience and authenticity. Bringing it back to this macro conversation. What is missing for you to be able to do your job better? I'm sure you would like better measurement, more comprehensive ways of comparing all these media together. What's missing on that front? What would you like to see happen?

[Kelly Metz]

I mean, I always want better measurement for my clients because that's how we know to do things differently or to do more of things that are working. I would say what's nuanced about the creator influencer space is the platforms themselves are starting to develop tools that are really going to help us service our clients much better. I mean, I certainly. That's been what I've been hearing, particularly here in Cannes, is that there are tools now available never before that are going to really, really change the game in terms of how we make sure that we're taking advantage of what is available on a given platform, like meta or TikTok, and doing all the right things to stay authentic.

[Mike Shields]

Now, what about on the back end? It would seem to me it's harder. Everybody is putting pressure on everybody for attribution and CFO is looking at everything. It seems harder to measure the impact of that stuff.

[Kelly Metz]

Broadly speaking, you're still, I mean, they're still walled gardens. You're still very much measuring within their ecosystem and then being able to extrapolate and provide via foreign creators, which is not the comparative. I think the creator space is really interesting because. Because you have the opportunity, you do have the opportunity with many platforms to create an effective CPM based on your. Based on your. On your data from the creator space. So it's nascent, but we'll definitely get there. But to your point, we can't pretend like it's here already. We need to keep putting pressure on the partners.

[Mike Shields]

You need more. Keep going. All right, Kelly, awesome stuff. Thanks for your time here.

[Kelly Metz]

I'd love to be awesome. It's great.

[Mike Shields]

You are always.