The January launch aligns with a key time of year for job searches when many are motivated to make career moves in their New Year’s resolutions. Research shows that Mondays are the peak for job searches so, to target candidates on their commute as they start their working week, ads will be placed across key commuter OOH locations in London including Kings Cross, Liverpool Street and Waterloo. A study by The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities claims that 7 in 10 UK adults experience ‘the Sunday scaries’, with most citing the upcoming work week as the reason. To distract themselves, Welcome to the Jungle’s target audience turns to social media, therefore the OOH will be supported by display and social across Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn.

Marketing Insight – how could McDonald’s fight growing competition?

Despite being the leading fast-food brand in the Netherlands, growing competition saw McDonald’s struggle to maintain top-of-mind awareness. In a world of convenience and snackability, in more ways than one, McDonald’s needed a campaign that would captivate and engage audiences and reinforce its key market position. 

Now, McDonald’s has some pretty recognisable assets in their armoury. You can’t miss the ‘Golden Arches’ or mistake that tuneful whistle for any other brand, but there was one other trick up Ronald’s sleeve, the iconic smell of a McDonald’s French fry! 

Media Innovation – scented billboards: is smell an underused brand asset?

So how do you capture that iconic smell and turn it into a marketing campaign? The answer? Smell-o-vision!… Well, sort of. TBWA\Neboko, McDonald’s Netherland’s advertising agency, partnered with Raúl&Rigel, a production company specialising in unusual billboards, to create an innovative scented billboard for the campaign. 

The world-first activation featured plain red & yellow billboards (in the classic Maccies colours). Not a word, picture or logo in sight as the billboards were hiding a clever secret. Equipped with an internal heating and ventilation system, the billboards released the scent of the McDonald’s fries hidden within to passers-by within five metres of the installation. Billboards were strategically placed within 200 metres of restaurant locations in the Dutch cities of Utrecht and Leiden. “We are always looking for ways to give iconic brand assets their own place in culture,” Darre van Dijk, CCO of TBWA\Neboko said, “The smell of McDonald’s French fries is one of those iconic features.” 

Accelerating Growth – McDonald’s most successful PR campaign

It’s no secret that many of us are driven by food. From the heady aromas of a coffee shop in the morning to freshly baked goods at lunch, smells trigger a hunger with a potent need to satisfy. That is exactly what McDonald’s scented billboard campaign succeeded in creating. A street survey revealed that 87% of passers by recognised the McDonald’s scent and 71% of them could distinguish the smell of French fries, demonstrating a strong brand recall. 

The campaign also triggered huge online engagement, reaching over 1.5bn in its first week and over 85,000 engagements. The result, an earned media value of €49.9 million, marked it as McDonald’s Netherlands’ most successful PR campaign. 

Could this be the start of a new kind of experiential advertising? Might we see, or rather smell, roses from bus stops promoting Valentine’s flowers, or will the smell of spiced lattes takeover tube stations during our winter morning commutes? 

What is your proudest moment at MI?

The first time I presented a post campaign analysis (PCA) at MI Media I was really nervous. I’d never been the main presenter of a PCA, in the past they had been a team effort with different people presenting different components. However, for our client RNID, I was able to take control of the whole process. I had worked really hard on the campaign and delivered great results; we delivered 12x the number of conversions we were targeted against while remaining under budget! The presentation went really well and the client was ecstatic with the results. 

What advice would you give to someone looking to become a Senior Account Executive?

Always be curious and have a thirst for the industry that you’re going into. There are so many ways you can learn more about the industry. Consider shadowing, find mentors that can coach you in their skills and go to networking events. There’s a misconception that networking is just for more senior people already in the industry, but you can find out so much about different media owners and what they do at these events.  

It’s been a tough few years for all insurance companies, with a turbulent macro political landscape coupled with national economic and environmental hurdles. This has resulted in rising premiums and tightening coverage for higher risk policies – and in some cases coverage removed altogether. In a world where insurers are often mis-trusted, this heightened pressure-cooker environment is making it more challenging than ever for brands to position themselves as a trusted partner, protecting people from disaster.

However, with climate change posing a significant risk to communities and businesses worldwide, insurers will bear a substantial share of the financial burden through claims related to natural disasters. Therefore, there are both business and societal imperatives for them to act. This includes embedding ESG into their own business operations and rewarding sustainable behaviour from policy holders.

By changing underwriting practices, insurance companies can positively impact the environment

The surge in data and increasing AI adoption is an opportunity for insurers to become a catalyst for good. The depth of data now available means quotes can be more personalised than ever before. And by utilising AI to unlock hidden insights faster, personalisation can be offered at scale. This means people will be paying the correct premiums for their situation and can build a policy with exactly the right cover. However, with trust as one of the top motivators between choosing one insurer over another, it’s important to have complete transparency about how data is being collected, used and stored.

Another opportunity for insurance companies is to encourage environmental and societal good by embedding sustainability into their underwriting practices. This could be reducing premiums for insulated homes and EVs, or business insurers offering the construction industry discounts if they apply a green chemistry approach – which reduces pollution and improves overall yield efficiency. Stealing from a different industry, Diageo recently said that when it is looking at product innovation, it always looks for the ‘and’. Meaning that a product innovation only gets developed if it benefits customers, the business AND the environment. Applying this to insurance, ultimately the best claim for all parties is the one that didn’t happen – so by rewarding practices that are better for the environment, encourage safer behaviour or more concrete operations, it’s win/win for everyone.

When it comes to media buying, targeted campaigns across all channels will reduce waste. Not only will this lower the emissions of the campaign but will also save media budgets, resulting in both increased efficiency and effectiveness. It’s also important to understand the sway the industry can have on the advertising industry. With advertising powered by the advertisers, applying pressure on media partners to be more accountable across all elements of ESG, will force the media industry to adopt best-practice ESG principles.

Finally, Garm’s Media Carbon Calculator can measure emissions across all media channels. This allows for the off-setting of emissions through investment in reforestation or renewable energy projects as an example.

The opportunities for insurers to be the catalyst for change across all areas of ESG are huge. Designed to support people and businesses at a time of crisis, they can lend their weight to change consumer behaviour, offer more tailored support to people’s unique circumstances and ensure their own business operations and partners uphold high standards.

What advice would you give to someone looking to become a data scientist?

Don’t stop learning about evolving technologies and techniques in the data science sphere. Become very familiar with how different data science techniques are used and the value they can bring. Your learning will be accelerated through experience in the industry. There are patterns in client problems therefore, once you understand a range of solutions, you can often apply these to many problems. Starting off in a company where I was learning from experts, such as an established data team, really helped me advance my skills and experience. Don’t be scared of suggesting innovative ideas or modifications to make solutions more effective.

Who’s your role model and why?

Robbie Williams is someone who springs to mind. Mainly because, after watching the documentary on Netflix about his life, it really brought out his determination and the way he dealt with his fears. I found it inspiring how he overcame those fears. Often, he would throw himself in the deep-end and run head-first into situations. But, as he’s gotten older, he’s become more emotionally intelligent and able to understand his own emotions and feelings.

How to harness CRM and FPD to understand customer behaviours and create audience pools

CRM systems serve as a foundational tool for managing customer relationships and tracking interactions with a brand. By segmenting customers using domain knowledge coupled with data science and machine learning, brands can understand distinct customer groups. These groups may be based on data such as purchasing habits, frequency of orders or preferred meal types. They may also include customers with preferences around premium organic ingredients, others around affordability and convenience of meal boxes.

FPD provides valuable insights on customer interactions. By harnessing FPD, brands can understand which meals the most popular, what time of day customers typically buy and which promotions trigger higher conversions. Financial data on customers can even allow brands to craft subscription tiers that play into customer behaviours around spending.

By combining CRM and FPD, brands gain visibility on customer preferences and behaviours, enabling them to create highly targeted messaging and subscriptions that fit customer situations and preferences. For meal box subscriptions, this could look like:

• Offering premium organic options for high-spending customers
• Budget friendly convenient options for customers that are cost conscious and value convenience
• Incentives such as discounts or meal plan customisations for customers that show signs of churn
• Based on customer’s past purchases, companies can promote complementary products they believe a segment of customer will like

This data can also be used to segment customers & audiences into distinct audience pools to effectively execute retention and growth strategies. These pools can then be activated to tackle the subscription fatigue head-on with improved engagement and tailored marketing. These customer pools may include:

• New subscribers: Engage new customers with educational content about meal planning, promotions for first time buyers or loyalty awards for continued engagement
• Loyal customers: Reward frequent buyers with exclusive offers, loyalty discounts or premium subscription upgrades
• Churn-risk customers: Identify customers who have paused or cancelled subscriptions and target them with win-back campaigns

Measuring success by tracking KPIs such as customer lifetime value and churn rate, enables companies to see how tailored adjustments to retention and growth strategies have helped. It also enables strategies and messaging to be continually refined and adjusted to have optimal effect.

Our client, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), today launches its new Winter appeal with the TV ad ‘Seconds Save Lives’. MSF is an international humanitarian organization providing medical care where it is needed most – to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from healthcare. Created by krow, and ending with the strapline, “Every Second Counts. You can buy us vital time”, the 60-second spot focuses on trauma care in conflict zones, where every second that passes can be the difference between life or death and providing critical care at the very moment it’s needed is crucial.

The campaign is designed to propel existing and new donors to urgently help save lives of people affected by trauma in conflict environments by bringing them as close to the work of MSF as possible. It will run across TV, press and radio from 7^th November, and on podcasts and Channel 4 VOD from 1^st December. Media was planned by MI Media. Press ads created by Steers McGillan Eves and radio ads by Maple Street.

Craig Gallacher, Business Director at MI Media says, “After the success of last year’s Winter Appeal (from krow and MI) that saw a 15% increase in donations from TV alone, we’re proud to again be supporting Médecins Sans Frontières in providing life-saving medical attention to those most in need this Christmas.”

MSF UK Director of Communications Judith Escribano says, “From Gaza to Sudan, Yemen to the Democratic Republic of Congo, our expert teams treat a patient for the impact of physical violence every six minutes. In a world of escalating conflict, this campaign is needed now more than ever.”

This ad uses reportage-style films capturing a first-hand account from MSF spokesperson, Dr Javid Abdelmoneima doctor who has worked across multiple conflicts, alongside real-life footage from conflict zones.  Using a shutter-style effect and composed music to build on the idea of urgency, the film emphasises that every second that passes is truly critical, urging people to support MSF and the important work they do.

Gemma Galvin, Creative Director at krow Group says “Working with MSF and hearing first-hand experiences from the field was truly inspiring, and at times heartbreaking – especially with how prevalent conflict zones are in our world today. We hope this new campaign will drive home the importance of how every donation can buy precious time and ultimately save lives.”

Tell us about how you got to where you are today, what interested you about MI and the role?

I started out in recruitment back in Colchester where I’m from. I managed a year, but being honest, it really wasn’t for me. In the search for something more fulfilling, I decided I wanted to move to London and find a job in media. I had a friend working in media who spoke highly of the industry and it seemed like it would suit my skillset and personality. I found the job at MI (via a recruiter!) and came on board as an Account Executive almost five years ago now. I have basically grown up with MI, having progressed during my time here to Senior Account Manager.

What is the biggest difference between MI when you started to now?

I don’t think it is that different, which I would say is a positive. The things I enjoyed about MI when I started, I still enjoy doing today. I have worked directly with clients the entire time, building and establishing relationships, some of which are now five years in. MI has always had a good culture and great people which hasn’t changed. It’s a big part of why I like working here.

What does a typical day look like for you? You were previously an account manager, how has it changed since you stepped up to senior account manager?

I became a senior account manager in March this year and, there’s definitely more responsibility (which is a good thing). As AE and AM, you need a bit more direction from those above you, but I’ve found that as a SAM I am trusted to make strategic decisions and take accountability with clients and my team. I work closely with the Account and Business Directors which helps me strive for where I want to be in the future. I have been getting involved more in new business opportunities and pitches which is something relatively new to me, but it is a great to be trusted to come into the process on these. It’s nice to have the added responsibility and it has given me more confidence. I also feel like I am growing with other peers in the industry who are now at similar levels to me and have gone through the ranks which is a nice feeling.

What is your proudest or most memorable moment at MI?

It would have to be contributing to the pitch process for a big charity client, which earlier this year we found out we had won! I was brought into the pitch team from the very beginning, worked on the strategy for the brief and presented on the day. It was great to see end-to-end the hard work and dedication from all members of the team and wider company that goes into a new business opportunity. When it results in a significant win – even better!  Another proud moment was presenting to one of my key clients, Kindred, at their offices in Gibraltar in front of our CEO. From the feedback I got, it was really well received! It always feels good when your efforts pay off, even though it can feel quite high-pressured at the time.

What top tips would you give to someone looking to work in a client services account team?

You really don’t need to be a certain type of person. Even within a media planning and buying agency, there’s a variety of roles that suit different people and personalities. It’s a friendly environment that embraces people as long as they show they care. I would say it’s important to keep yourself organised, show you care about the work you’re doing and results you are achieving for clients. Results are ultimately why you do everything when you work in an account team. But overall, it’s all stuff you can learn.

Are there any lessons you have learnt from during your time in media? Or any mistake you have you learnt the most from?

I’ve certainly learnt the hard way on a few occasions, as I think most people do. The mistakes that matter, you learn from the most. It’s not necessarily bad to make a mistake in a way because you can learn, it’s just important you own the mistake. Once you’ve built a good relationship with clients and even your internal teams, they are likely to be understanding – people are human.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Bad communication and not keeping people updated, which will put me (or the team) in a difficult situation. It’s sometimes hard to find the time to respond when you have a busy workload, but it’s important to prioritise communication, even if it’s just a brief acknowledgement. Also, anything out of my control I find difficult. Sometimes you just need an understanding team to vent to (swear to) and get it off your chest.

We have had a close lens on ESG this year, evaluating the progress made by ourselves, others in the industry and building on the steps that can and need to be made in the future. The recent party conferences and imminent Autumn budget announcement have piqued our interest in whether the new Labour government signals a gear change towards environmental issues. The sentiment towards these issues appears to be growing and there’s lots of positive noise around a pace change in tackling the climate emergency. But we wanted to delve into what progress has been made, how it affects the media landscape and what it means for people trying to run their business sustainably.

So, what has been pledged by Labour?

Ed Miliband, the UK Energy Secretary, has vowed to make Britain a ‘clean energy’ superpower. Albeit, this is partly driven by a need for security, to protect us from being held ransom to fossil fuel inflation by international politics. But with a public target to have a fully de-carbonised power system by 2030, it’s something they’re taking seriously and need to move quickly on. Within weeks of being in power, Labour proudly announced the birth of ‘Great British Energy’ – a publicly owned, UK based, green energy company.

In addition to this, key steps towards a net-zero future were implemented weeks of coming-to-power which included:

• Lifting the onshore windfarm ban
• Introducing a rooftop solar panel revolution
• Establishing a new national wealth fund with the chancellor for green investment

This is a sure sign that the government is taking this seriously and is attempting to live up to it’s label as being the greenest government we’ve had.

To be credible in this, Labour needs to work hard to meet its Paris commitment, meaning it will be forced to increase regulation around emissions and sustainability – pushing businesses to be subject to stricter rules and increase transparency. With government putting more weight behind these issues, it will of course put a greater emphasis on businesses to act in a more sustainably responsible manner.

But why does this matter in media?

With Labour and the United Nation’s green agenda and momentum behind the ‘Better Business Act’ continuing, businesses will need to be more aware of, and transparent about, their effect on the environment. The Better Business Act calls for a change to a section of the Companies Act – “moving businesses from only having to act in the interest of their stakeholders, to having a legal obligation to meet sustainable objectives” too.

Essentially, for the UK to get close to hitting it’s 2030 Net Zero goal, all industries need to pull together. Businesses need to take responsibility for all their emissions waste, the advertising activity included.

“As one of the UK’s top growth industries and service exporters, we look forward to working with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet to help deliver sustainable growth across the UK’s nations and regions,” said Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association. Woodford continued, “as we enter a new political landscape, creating the conditions for responsible, sustainable business growth is the top priority.”

Some brands (and clients we work with) already hold strong ESG credentials. Whether that’s due to the nature of their businesses – for example charities or perhaps eco start-ups that eliminate waste (e.g. wonky fruit and veg or coffee pods) – or because they place priority in other initiatives outside of just the brand e.g. social impact, fundraising for charitable causes. Within media, we see there being two parts that involve us; one is the business (brand) and what it stands for and the other is how it is advertised. The latter being where media strategy and choices are probably the most influential.

Back in May, ThinkBox launched its Profit Ability 2 study. At the event, Lawrence Green – Director of Effectiveness at the IPA gave his view on the top three hurdles he sees in the immediate future. Sustainable advertising was high on the list and he called out the lack of sustainable advertising and lack of corresponding case studies in this area.

Pioneering and effective campaigns such as the the Love Island and eBay partnership and Giff Gaff campaigns have helped the industry to recognise that ‘sustainable’ and ‘commercially effective’ do not need to be an either/or situation. If sustainable media planning can become the default and we see more effectiveness case studies in these areas, it will raise the standards and accountability of the advertising industry as a whole.

Doing our bit – the impact of accountability

We all need to be held accountable for the parts we play in the climate emergency. At MI, we are committed to continuous improvement, which is why we’ve teamed up with Future Plus to guide us on the path of sustainability. Offering tools and support to help integrate sustainable practices into our operations, Future plus has kept us accountable to our own on-going ESG commitments. From measuring our own Scope 3 emissions, to better recycling, improved policies and sourcing sustainable suppliers, our commitment to reducing our impact in the climate emergency remains stronger than ever.

But it’s not just internal practices that are crucial to our journey; working with clients that also share our values and commitments is just as important. Sustainability is becoming such an integral part of our lives and work, which is why we welcome clients that are open to having hard ESG conversations, opting for the more sustainable media plans over cost efficiency. Clients that “do good” make us feel good, and we are honoured to work with so many wonderful charities fighting to make the world a better place. Our Partners are equally important in driving positive change. Sustainable media plans will be prioritised in 2025 and beyond and we’ll be working with our partners collaboratively to offer effective, sustainable opportunities for our clients to take advantage of. We all need to be held accountable.

1/The power of partnerships: radio’s unique trust factor

A discussion on partnerships was also compelling, with leaders from KISS, KFC UK&I and Bauer Media sharing how collaborations can challenge perceptions and build trust. Radio offers a unique space for brands to forge authentic connections with audiences. The discussion highlighted how KFC has used radio partnerships to showcase its community impact programs like Hatch, the KFC Youth Foundation and its partnership with FareShare for food donations. Rebecca Frank, Content Director (KISS), Danielle Ruggles, Brand Fame & Trust Lead (KFC UK&I), Tyler West, Presenter (KISS), and Krissie Ford, Group Client Director (Bauer Media)  emphasised how radio’s trusted environment allows brands to communicate messages that resonate on a deeper level. Listeners often form close relationships with radio hosts, making it an ideal platform to convey meaningful messages. This is particularly useful for brands like KFC, which want to showcase their community efforts beyond their core product offerings. Radio’s agility, with its ability to quickly adapt content, further strengthens its role in delivering powerful messages.

2/Social media: navigating the challenges of content consumption

Simon Kilby, Managing Director of Bauer Media, raised critical questions about the impact of social media on society, particularly regarding trust and mental health. He highlighted how social media has become a breeding ground for misinformation, contributing to anxiety and depression, especially among young people. Kilby pointed out that 8 in 10 people in the UK encounter fake news daily, with social media being trusted by just 27% of the population, compared to 69% for radio.

This growing distrust is having real-world consequences. Kilby noted that anxiety and depression rates among young people have risen by 70% over the last 25 years. He reflected on the pressure parents face to give their children smartphones, which can further fuel these issues. Kilby’s call to action urged the advertising industry to take more responsibility in navigating this increasingly complex digital space and to be aware of the potential harm it can cause to mental health.

3/Creativity is key: don’t lose it

In a fireside chat with Stephen Miron, outgoing CEO of Global, the focus turned to creativity. Miron’s inspiring story of transforming Global into a billion-dollar business emphasised the power of personality and influence in media. According to Miron, resilience and passion are essential for success in this industry, especially for the next generation. His advice for young professionals? “Know your stuff and be confident.” The theme of creativity carried over into other sessions as well, where speakers highlighted the importance of relying on gut instinct and emotional intelligence in decision-making. While data and logic have their place, creativity and human insight remain critical in driving innovation and making impactful decisions.

4/Big screens and big wins: the power of cinema

Cinema made a splash at the conference, particularly in a case study on Hotpoint’s Bailey the Beagle advert. The campaign proved that cinema, often overlooked in media mixes, can deliver impressive results. The study found that cinema’s ability to capture attention far outpaced other channels, with viewers engaging for 48 out of 69 seconds, a much higher rate than on other platforms. The campaign also helped Hotpoint reach younger audiences, with an 11% increase in engagement. As a result, the CMO convinced her team to create longer, 60-second ads, which were later adapted for other platforms. Cinema’s flexibility also allows brands to pair their campaigns with films or actors that align with their messaging, making it an exciting avenue for future media strategies.

5/The future is gaming

A standout session from Craig Tattershall, GEEIQ’s Gaming Strategy Director, highlighted the growing importance of gaming in the media world. He explained that gaming is not just a passing trend, it’s a major force in connecting with younger audiences. Brands are increasingly investing in virtual worlds, which not only help boost brand loyalty but also provide significant uplifts in engagement. Tattershall provided fascinating examples, such as Paris Hilton’s virtual world “Slivingland”, a Roblox game with a concept connecting the Hilton brand to Paris Hilton in playful, innovative way, which generated 27,000 CRM sign-ups . Another case involved Walmart, which has been integrating virtual environments into its broader social media strategy by mirroring items from the real world within these spaces. He emphasised that gamers expect brands to add value to their gaming experience authentically, stating, “By offering in-game items, real-life rewards or creating innovative initiatives within a virtual brand activation, brands can truly connect with gaming audiences.” This type of genuine engagement can help transform gaming audiences into vocal advocates, something more brands are beginning to realise.