Walking through the halls of SXSW London this year, I couldn’t help but reflect on how dramatically the conversation has shifted since my last visit to the festival’s original Austin home in 2019. Back then, I was there with Funnel Music, the company I co-founded, and the industry was consumed with one word: copyright. Panel after panel dissected rights management, streaming royalties, and the complex web of music ownership in the digital age.
But here’s what struck me most about 2019 – while the conference rooms buzzed with legal debates, the real magic was happening in the venues. Acts like Fontaines D.C., Black Midi, and Squid were tearing up stages, creating sounds that felt genuinely revolutionary. These artists weren’t just following algorithms or trends; they were forging entirely new paths through raw creativity and human intuition.
Fast forward to SXSW London 2024, and the pendulum has swung dramatically. The dominant theme wasn’t copyright – it was AI. Every other session seemed to explore how artificial intelligence would reshape content creation, marketing strategies, and audience engagement. The enthusiasm was palpable, and admittedly, some of the possibilities are genuinely exciting.
Yet something felt missing. Where 2019 had those breakthrough musical moments that made you stop in your tracks, this year’s festival felt notably light on those serendipitous discoveries. Perhaps it’s coincidence, or perhaps there’s something deeper at play about how we’re approaching creativity in the age of AI.
The Homogenisation Risk
This shift from copyright concerns to AI fascination has me thinking deeply about our industry. As Director of Growth at Mostly Media – a top 50 independent media planning and buying company – I spend my days hearing our team’s strategies that cut through the noise to reach the right audiences with the right message at the right moment.
The promise of AI in media planning is undeniable. It can process vast datasets, identify patterns human analysts might miss, and optimise campaigns with impressive precision. But here’s the critical question we need to ask: if everyone has access to the same AI tools, analysing the same data pools, and following the same algorithmic recommendations, where does differentiation come from?
We’re at risk of creating an echo chamber of strategy. When every media planner is using similar AI models trained on similar datasets, we inevitably converge toward similar solutions. The nuanced understanding of brand voice, the intuitive grasp of cultural moments, the ability to spot emerging trends before they’re reflected in the data – these uniquely human capabilities become our competitive advantage.
The Human Edge in Media Planning
The best media planning has always been part science, part art. Yes, we need the data, the analytics, the performance metrics. But we also need the human insight that recognises when a TikTok trend is about to break mainstream or understands that a particular audience segment responds to authenticity over polish – or spots the cultural moment that makes a brand message resonate.
At Mostly Media, we’re embracing AI as a powerful tool, not a replacement for strategic thinking. We use it to surface insights, automate routine tasks, and optimise performance. But our value lies in the interpretation, the creative application, and the strategic direction that only comes from human experience and intuition.
Learning from the Music Industry
The contrast between those 2019 SXSW breakthrough acts and this year’s more muted musical landscape offers a valuable lesson. Fontaines D.C., Black Midi, and Squid didn’t emerge from algorithmic recommendations – they came from scenes, from human connections, from the kind of organic cultural movements that happen when creative people push boundaries without knowing exactly where they’re going.
Similarly, the most effective media strategies often come from understanding the human stories behind the data. It’s about recognising that behind every click, view, and engagement is a person with complex motivations, cultural context, and emotional needs that can’t be fully captured in a dataset.
Moving Forward
As we navigate this AI-powered future, the key is balance. We should absolutely leverage these powerful tools to enhance our capabilities and deliver better results for our clients – and in truth, we’re on an AI train which is not for turning. But we must resist the temptation to let AI think for us entirely.
The future belongs to those who can combine AI’s analytical power with human creativity, cultural insight, and strategic intuition. Those who can use technology to amplify their uniquely human abilities rather than replace them.
Just as those breakthrough artists at SXSW 2019 didn’t follow formulas but created something genuinely new, the most successful media strategies will come from planners who use AI as a springboard for innovation, not a crutch for conformity.
The question isn’t whether AI will transform our industry – it already is. The question is whether we’ll use it to become more human in our approach, or less.
I read something today about retail media and how people were using it poorly. It mentioned Attention and Influence and that really grabbed me.
The marketing world is on a slippery slope.
The slope towards hyper short term ROAS figures & daily sales targets against daily media spent. Adjustments made in real time always following data, blindly.
A slope driven by those who stand to profit from it, those whose employment depends on it and those that clearly don’t truly understand the relationship between the advertising £ and ROAS.
If there is spreadsheet or dashboard with figures that seem to correlate, well that is the box ticked for those that read the reports. Job done.
Much has been written about ‘Short and Long’ and its incredibly compelling, yet still it’s a daily battle for those of us advising on the best use of a client’s advertising budget.
There are undoubtedly low consideration products with massive latent demand that can build healthy businesses in a short term ROAS world, but in my experience of 30 years in the game and seeing the results of all sorts of campaigns, these are the exceptions not the rule.
There are so many categories that are hugely competitive or have longer consideration windows. This is where relying on solely short term ROAS is frankly a nonsense. There may be data, but the data is most definitely being interpreted wrongly to the detriment of the brand spending the money.
If we want someone to buy a product, one that’s been around a long time and has multiple competitors, or a new product that no one has heard of, we must influence the purchaser in our brands’ favour and we do this by grabbing their attention.
This is what the Mad Men did it in the 60’s. Grabbing the attention of the consumer and influencing them, turning them on to products they never even knew existed and didn’t know they needed. They told compelling stories that drew the audience in. This process didn’t happen in one day, it was a process that occurred over time, and it most definitely wasn’t linear, but you can be sure that healthy sales built over time. In modern talk, they were building the top of the funnel with thousands if not millions of potential customers. In those days the demand was harvested in bricks and mortar retail but let’s not be mistaken the bricks and mortar were the last step on the journey not the first.
There is so much talk about Offline and Online when it comes to ROAS. Offline is largely unattributable, it doesn’t fit the short term ROAS model, so is inefficient. I’ve been in meetings and heard countless stories of marketing departments discounting media choices based purely on the fact it was unaccountable in a short term ROAS model, it clearly had little if any worth to the bottom line. Online is clickable & measurable and that dashboard looks amazing. There are short term ROAS figures aplenty. We can see the sales right here and now.
My head hurts when I think about this.
In my world there is a shift towards understanding that the likes of YouTube don’t really sell product today. Thank goodness, it’s a drum I have been banging for years. But, but, but it’s a digital medium so it must work on a short term ROAS basis, it’s digital, that’s what digital does right? We have a dashboard. Sadly, the danger is as soon as YouTube figures don’t look great in the dashboard it gets culled. Little thought of what YouTube may be contributing to the bottom line that we can’t attribute is taken into consideration. We can’t put it in a chart, so it doesn’t make the cut.
Please, let us stop talking about Online and Offline. It’s misleading. The burgeoning TV streaming market is the perfect example. It is TV but its digital (the targeting capabilities are simply awesome), so is it ‘Online’ or ‘Offline’? It’s piped into your lounge and broadcast on that 55-inch TV, which also offers the viewer an option to watch YouTube, the legacy ‘online’ medium, alongside good old Linear TV, the bastion of ‘offline’ mediums. All three end up being viewed on the same TV in the same lounge – the difference is purely the type of content the viewer chooses to access. ‘Online’ or ‘Offline’ is irrelevant, each medium has incredible ability to grab attention and influence the viewer, but they all will look weak on a short-term ROAS Model.
Yes, we need to harvest demand that we are generating, 100%, that’s your short term ROAS right there. However, we must remember there will be far more demand to harvest and it will be far easier to convert at the bottom of the funnel if we grabbed their attention and influenced them further up the funnel.
Right, I’m off to brush up on classic Don Draper lines for my next pitch.
BeReal, the social media platform known for its unfiltered, real-time glimpses into users’ lives, is expanding its advertising model to the United Kingdom and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) following a successful launch in the United States. This expansion marks a significant shift in how brands can connect with users on social media. Forget perfectly polished social media feeds and influencer-driven campaigns; BeReal is challenging brands to embrace authenticity and connect with users in a way that feels, well, real.
In a digital landscape saturated with curated content, BeReal has carved a unique space by championing every day, unfiltered sharing. The app’s core feature—a daily notification prompting users to share a photo using both front and back cameras simultaneously—provides a truly authentic and unedited glimpse into users’ lives.
But BeReal’s commitment to authenticity isn’t just about user experience; it’s the bedrock of its advertising model. As CEO Aymeric Roffé claims, “We have always put authenticity first on BeReal, and our advertising model reflects the same principle. We offer companies the opportunity to connect with our audience in a way that feels authentic and engaging, while staying true to the ethos that has made BeReal a phenomenon”.
Boasting 100 million downloads and 20 million daily active users, BeReal has clearly captured the attention of Gen Z. The platform’s user base is predominantly young, with 71% aged 18 to 27, and it shows a notable 62% skew toward female users. However, its true strength lies in its exceptional user engagement.
A remarkable 70% of daily active users post content every day, spending an average of 30 minutes in the app. This level of consistent activity creates a highly receptive environment for brands seeking authentic connections with a truly engaged audience.
Leading brands like Nike, Netflix, and Pepsi have already partnered with BeReal, recognising the platform’s potential for authentic audience engagement. By embracing BeReal’s unique format, these companies are tapping into a space where content feels personal and direct.
BeReal’s advertising model presents brands with a unique opportunity to connect with a highly engaged audience in an authentic and impactful way. Here’s a look at the key features and opportunities in 2025:
BeReal offers robust targeting options, allowing brands to reach their ideal audience with precision:
The minimum investment for advertising in BeReal is £10,000. While this represents a significant investment, the potential for authentic engagement and high visibility within a highly engaged user base makes it a compelling option for brands seeking to stand out in a crowded digital landscape.
BeReal offers an intriguing opportunity for brands to connect with an engaged and discerning audience. By prioritising authentic storytelling, it provides a refreshing alternative to traditional advertising.
With BeReal, brands can:
That said, while BeReal is an exciting platform to watch, its high advertising costs and relatively niche audience mean we’re not yet recommending it to all our partners.
As the platform evolves and scales, it could become a valuable addition to marketing strategies. Still, for now, we believe it’s best suited for brands with a strong focus on innovation and storytelling—and the budget to match.
If you’re curious about BeReal’s potential or want to explore how it could complement your digital marketing strategy, contact the team at Mostly Media. Let’s discuss whether this emerging platform aligns with your goals and budget.
Mostly Media, the Bath-based media planning and buying specialists enjoyed recent success at the Independent Agency Awards scooping not one, but two awards.
Hosted by the Alliance of Independent Agencies at the leading worldwide marketing and digital festival ‘MAD//FEST’, this prestigious award ceremony celebrates the finest work across the independent agency sector.
Firstly, for the third time in four years, Mostly Media proudly received the Best Use of Media award, this time for their work on behalf of the UK charity, Crohn’s & Colitis UK.
Secondly, Mostly won the coveted Freedom Award for Client Service, a testament to their exceptional culture and dedication to clients.
Head of Digital Tom Marshall who led the team’s digital campaign commented: “It is a fantastic achievement for such a wonderful cause. To receive the recognition for both Best Use of Media & Client Service was really special, and so well deserved for all the amazing planning and strategic work from the CCUK (Crohn’s & Colitis UK) team, they were amazing to work with on this campaign, so a big thank-you to them for trusting us with this project. Special mention also to the Mostly Team for their brilliant strategy, planning, implementation, and optimisation work – 250,000+ symptom checker completions & delivery of the campaign message to potential sufferers of Crohn’s & Colitis is out of this world!”
Recap of Mostly Media’s Recent Award Wins:
– **2021**: Best Use of Media on behalf of thortful (DTC / Brand Response)
– **2023**: Best Use of Media on behalf of Cawston Press | B-Corp™ (FMCG / Brand)
– **2024**: Best Use of Media on behalf of Crohn’s & Colitis UK (Charity / Performance)
– **2024**: Freedom award for Client Service on behalf of Crohn’s & Colitis UK (Charity / Performance)
About Mostly Media
Based in Bath, Mostly Media is an award-winning top-20 independent media planning & buying agency that prides itself on scaling businesses at pace through media strategy.
Founded on the principles of creativity, agility, and client-focused service, Mostly Media has a proven track record of achieving exceptional results for a diverse range of clients.
RAJAR have released the latest listening figures and all stats are pointing to a record-breaking time for Radio.
The latest RAJAR sweep has shown that more people are listening to radio than ever before. 88.6% of adults in the UK are tuning in, that’s a massive 49.9m.
Commercial Radio is at an all time high of 39.7m listeners with Global’s Heart Network remaining the largest network reaching 12.3m adults every week and with Bauer’s Greatest Hits Network showing good growth with a record of 7.7m listeners each week. The latter is buoyed by the stellar performance of radio legends Ken Bruce & Simon Mayo.
Impressively, 75% of commercial radio stations have seen increased reach compared to the previous quarter and that clearly has been stolen from the BBC where 53% of stations have seen reach decreases.
The conclusion is that Radio is in rude health and the British public are in love with it, more than ever before.
As a media agency, it’s heartening to know that some of the more traditional channels we have in our armoury are more than alive and kicking and it means that we can cost-effectively communicate with our client’s potential customers knowing full well the likely results we’ll achieve.
Talk to Mostly Media today if you want to discuss all things audio.
Our friends at Thinkbox are back with their annual TV wrap-up. We’ve taken a deep dive through the report and pulled out what we think are the key points!
Viewing patterns have stabilised, somewhat –
Commercial TV viewing (covering linear TV and all forms of broadcaster VOD) held fairly steady across 2023, showing only a 1.7% decline vs 2022. It’s worth remembering that 2022 was a World Cup year which naturally boosts TV viewing across all audiences. This is the smallest decline we’ve seen since 2016(!), pandemic aside.
BVOD continues to grow –
While linear TV viewing dropped 6%, BVOD saw yet another year of strong growth at 23%! The release of ITVX and all of its exclusive content was a key driver of this.
SVOD subscriptions reaching maturity in the UK –
As has been widely reported, SVOD subscriptions dropped marginally last year, although 75% of the population continues to subscribe to at least one service. The crackdown on password sharing coupled with the cost of living crisis are the lead causes of this. It does though paint a picture of an SVOD market that appears to have plateaued and points towards a more stable future of viewing trends.
The link to the full report is here. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to shoot our TV team an email!
Credit: James Budden, Senior AV Manager
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