Angela Martin

Retail media is growing up, but the roots matter. I had a brilliant conversation with Tom Limongello and Todd Sawicki on The Middlemen Podcast. We covered a lot, but a few things stuck: 🔄In the UK, retail media started in-store. Tesco. Loyalty cards. Coupons at checkout. That foundation still shapes how we think at SMG: holistic campaigns that enhance the shopper experience, not channel-by-channel plans. 🎯The best campaigns don’t start with "We want *insert media channel*." They start with KPIs, "We need to drive penetration," or "This SKU isn’t getting picked up enough." And then we use every tool in the kit: media, promo, price, etc. to make it work. 🧠Merchandising and media must move together. If they’re misaligned, one of two things happens: either nothing moves, or the wrong metric does. ✈️ And travel retail? Hugely underutilized (for now). SMG North America is proud to power WHSmith North America Media Network to unlock the value of high-intent, high-spend airport shoppers. No e-commerce. No endless scroll. Just real-world attention for brands. It’s always refreshing to step outside the echo chamber and have an honest chat about what’s working (and what’s not). Link to the podcast episode in the comments below! Would love to hear what you think. Cheers to Tom and Todd for the invite. #retailmedia #themiddlemen #thoughtleadership

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What a day! Yesterday Thinkbox Vision’s event saw many marketeers gather to explore the TV industry and the role advertising continues to play.   Our Chief Commercial Officer, Rak Patel was amongst the industry experts reflecting on the current state of play, speaking on a panel alongside commercial leads from Sky Media UK, ITV and Disney to discuss where TV is going and how it will better serve brands.   Key takeaways from the session include: - Reach, Trust & Effectiveness: TV remains a trusted platform, delivering reach and reliable results for brands in a fast-changing environment. - Industry Collaboration: Initiatives like Project Lantern are driving progress, creating universal measurement standards and increasing accessibility—especially for SMEs. - Positive Regulation: Governance and oversight provide brands with the confidence to invest in TV, knowing their campaigns are in a safe and effective space.   Attendees then got to hear the latest news from Project Lantern, a joint measurement initiative between Sky, ITV and Channel 4. As well as insights into the Educating Yorkshire series with Mr Burton sitting down with Twofour’s David Clews and AJ Odudu.

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As the UK prepares for changes in restrictions around advertising less healthy food or drink (LHF), the industry is asking: will this stifle creativity or spark a new era of innovation?   Our CEO, Richard Arscott, shares his perspective in this piece for Creative Salon Worldwide:   "Ultimately, these restrictions have the potential to shape a more positive and beneficial communications landscape - helping build brands the world wants more of that drive commercial performance while also serving people and the planet."   Read the full article in the comments below. #Advertising #Creativity #LHF #HFSS

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Community isn’t about numbers, it’s about connection 🤝 In our latest video, Co-Founder & CMO of CLIQ, Nicola Gunby shares: • Why niche, interest-based communities are thriving • The danger of chasing big audience numbers over real engagement • How brands can think outside the box to stand out in a saturated space 📣 What’s the most unique community initiative you’ve seen a brand create?

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🚀 Jungle Creations accelerates its growth with new Executive Director of Growth Jungle Creations, a leading social and influencer marketing agency, announces the appointment of Ed Knights as Executive Director of Growth. Reporting to Jade Raad, Chief Growth Officer, Ed will lead the growth and expansion strategy, combining creativity and commercial vision to strengthen the agency's position in the market. With his experience at Born Social and M&C Saatchi Performance, Ed arrives at a key moment for Jungle. 👉 Learn how Jungle Creations continues to climb in the world of social marketing: https://lnkd.in/gvYjPz5F #SocialMediaMarketing #InfluencerMarketing #GrowthStrategy #AgencyLeadership

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UK ad spend is rising faster than the economy. The latest Advertising Association / WARC Expenditure Report has dropped and it shows that adspend is up 8% in Q1 2025, led by growth in search (+12.3%) and online display (+10.1%). That gap says a lot about where marketers are placing their bets: short-term performance, measurable outcomes, and formats that can flex with shifting priorities. It also reflects the pressure brands are under. With sluggish GDP growth and tighter scrutiny on budgets, advertisers are looking for ways to do more with less - reallocating spend toward agile, efficient digital channels. But that shift only works if the underlying infrastructure can support it. Without full visibility into how spend is delivered and what value it returns, performance-led buying can quickly become performance assumed buying. That’s where transparent, efficient programmatic systems make a real difference. When every impression is trackable and every pound accountable, brands can react faster, spend smarter, and build trust into every transaction. More ad spend isn’t the full story, how that spend works is what really matters. Read the full AA/WARC Expenditure Report here: https://lnkd.in/eermZHYX

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