What are the biggest advertising shifts to prepare for over the next 12–18 months—and how should marketers respond across YouTube, synthetic audiences, AI-driven discovery, platform “AI wars,” and the resurgence of traditional media like TV and out-of-home?

In this Q4 2025 edition of Horizons, we recap recent audience interests (especially Performance Max and practical AI) before diving into what’s changing fastest in the media landscape. We explore new YouTube capabilities (including emerging brand measurement and lift reporting), argue that Shorts is being underestimated versus TikTok/Reels for key age segments, and frame YouTube as both a living-room screen and social environment that deserves more strategic creative and budget attention.

Introducing “synthetic audiences” as a research and planning accelerant: AI-driven personas trained on real, longitudinal qualitative/quantitative data that can be queried like an always-on focus group to stress-test creative, comms, and channel plans—without pretending it’s a “real human.” The episode also examines an emerging “two-tier internet” where AI agents transact directly with sites (and the disruption this creates for ecommerce, SEO, and brand visibility), plus Meta’s Andromeda shift toward broader targeting and heavier creative dependence—raising concerns about brand control, workload, and trust.

Finally, they argue “traditional” is becoming newly accessible: ITV (and Channel 4) are bringing programmatic-style targeting into linear TV, lowering barriers for advertisers, and even offering tools/support to create ads—while maintaining stricter governance than many social platforms. Out-of-home is also evolving rapidly through scalable 3D/anamorphic formats, new pricing tiers, and programmatic consolidation, enabling high-impact, hyper-local domination without “costing the world.”

What you'll learn:

1. The newest YouTube updates (Brand Pulse, search lift) and why Shorts deserves more budget + creative focus
2. How “synthetic audiences” work—and how to use them to stress-test strategy and creative fast
3. What the emerging “two-tier internet” means for SEO, ecommerce, and being visible to AI assistants
4. Why Meta’s Andromeda shift changes targeting, creative demands, and brand control risks
5. How TV is becoming programmatic (especially via ITV/Channel 4) and what that unlocks for smaller advertisers
6. What’s changing in out-of-home (3D/anamorphic tiers, programmatic scale) and how to use it for high-impact local domination

Get in touch to have a chat with us so we can explore where we can help drive genuine behaviour change for you. Our people all come from eclectic backgrounds which make for an awesome team dynamic. We are obsessed with producing amazing work for all of our clients.

We want to be challenged, tear up the rule book. Never stop, never settle, always improve. Be amazing. Join the revolution.

Is search collapsing… or are we on the edge of the next big growth wave?

Dive into Horizons Q3 2025 as we map the next 12–18 months of digital change. From Meta’s shift to incremental attribution to Google’s Performance Max transparency and the rise of zero-click search, this episode is your field guide to staying interesting (and effective) at work.

Explore how WhatsApp is exploding—from broadcast channels to high-ROI CRM and cart-abandonment journeys—plus why LinkedIn’s Brand Link (pre-rolls before thought-leader video) signals a serious video play beyond B2B. We unpack what AIEO (AI Engine Optimisation) means for organic visibility, why CPCs may rise yet conversion quality improves, and how to evolve creative fast as targeting narrows.

Then we go bigger: AI avatars, digital twins, and 24/7 livestream sellers—and the brand-safety, rights, and ethics that come with them. See how Alibaba’s AI-first product pipeline flips make→market on its head, and why community, service design, and transparency will decide winners.

What you’ll learn

• How to scale Meta with broader audiences + rapid creative variation while managing frequency decay.

• Where PMax now excels, how to structure assets, and when to keep Search control.

• Practical plays for WhatsApp (broadcast, community, CX) that don’t feel like spam.

• Preparing for zero-click: benchmarking AIEO visibility and rebalancing KPIs toward qualified demand.

• When to use creator-style vs. ad-style video on LinkedIn’s new inventory.

• A clear, ethical lens for adopting AI agents in sales, service, and content.

Get in touch to have a chat with us so we can explore where we can help drive genuine behaviour change for you. Our people all come from eclectic backgrounds which make for an awesome team dynamic. We are obsessed with producing amazing work for all of our clients.

We want to be challenged, tear up the rule book. Never stop, never settle, always improve. Be amazing. Join the revolution.

Is traditional advertising dead or on the edge of a marketing revolution?

Dive into Horizons Q2 2025 as we redefine the boundaries of advertising, harnessing AI and personalisation to shape the marketing world. From Google's groundbreaking AI project Gemini to Shopify and OpenAI’s partnership transforming e-commerce, this episode showcases the innovations shaping the future.

Explore YouTube’s game-changing ad strategies, Google's Performance Max, and their impact on digital campaigns in Europe and the US. Discover dynamic integrations of creativity and data in out-of-home promotions with Transport for London and connected TV trends emphasising content over platform loyalty.

We’ll also uncover surprising synergies between B2B and B2C strategies, spotlighting innovative TV campaigns by companies like Xero. Plus, join us as we decode shifting social media behaviours, from WhatsApp's rise to Spotify’s video content revolution. Finally, don’t miss the potential of older demographic engagement in streaming and the art of storytelling in connected TV ads.

Packed with actionable insights and bold predictions – this is marketing redefined.

Get in touch to have a chat with us so we can explore where we can help drive genuine behaviour change for you. Our people all come from eclectic backgrounds which make for an awesome team dynamic. We are obsessed with producing amazing work for all of our clients.

We want to be challenged, tear up the rule book. Never stop, never settle, always improve. Be amazing. Join the revolution.