Next in Media Mike Shields

Next in Media spoke with Ashley McCollum, Head of Immersive Media Solutions at Roblox about the company's recent push into ad tech, and why brands need to get to know creators on the platform. McCollum also talked about some recent success stories among brands building immersive experiences via Roblox, and what a generation raised in these environments wants from brand and media companies.

Takeaways
• Roblox is a unique platform that combines social interaction with gaming mechanics in 3D virtual worlds.
• The platform has a strong focus on music, artists, and intellectual property, and offers a variety of experiences beyond traditional gaming.
• Roblox is expanding its advertising business and aims to build a new market around immersive media.
• The company is committed to maintaining a high bar for content and user experience while monetizing the platform.
• Roblox provides opportunities for brands to collaborate with creators and reach a highly engaged audience.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Ashley's Role at Roblox
04:12 - Evolution of Advertising on Roblox
08:51 - Balancing Advertising and User Experience
11:32 - Navigating the Organization and Industry
13:46 - Impact on Media Habits and Expectations
24:11 - Ashley's Journey to Roblox

Guest: Ashley McCollum
Host: Mike Shields
Sponsored by: Epsilon
Produced by: Fresh Take

Next in Media spoke with Alison Levin, President, Advertising and Partnerships at NBCUniversal, about how the company is opening up the Olympics to a whole new crop of advertisers while trying to cater to Gen Z's viewing habits. Levin also talked about TV's attribution challenge and whether this is the year of "T-Commerce."

Takeaways
• Brands are leaning in to tell bigger stories and are interested in surrounding content with meaningful narratives.
• Strategic audiences and attribution are top of mind for advertisers, as they seek to move beyond age and gender targeting.
• The Olympics on Peacock will offer new advertising opportunities, including programmatic buying and shoppable ad units.
• Live sports continue to be a valuable asset for NBCU, with high viewership and co-viewing.
• The TV market is evolving, and NBCU is focused on proving the value of its full portfolio and driving purchase behavior.
• Attribution and measurement are key challenges, but NBCU is working on partnerships and tools to address them.
• Clean rooms and programmatic buying are growing in importance, attracting both big advertisers and new brands.
• Programmatic buying in live sports has seen significant growth, fueling client diversity and increasing spend.

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Upfront Season
02:46 - Strategic Audiences and Attribution: Moving Beyond Age and Gender
05:36 - Reimagining the Olympics on Peacock
07:33 - The Value of Live Sports
11:26 - Challenges and Opportunities in the TV Market
15:02 - The Need for Better Attribution and Measurement
25:58 - Programmatic Growth in Live Sports

Guest: Alison Levin
Host: Mike Shields
Sponsored by: Epsilon
Produced by: Fresh Take

Next in Media spoke with Tim Natividad, US Head of Enterprise Sales at TikTok, about how the company is trying to vie for traditional TV dollars - while also helping brands embrace a whole new form of marketing on what he calls a "participation engine.'

Guest: Tim Natividad
Host: Mike Shields
Sponsored by: Epsilon
Produced by: Fresh Take

Next in Media spoke with Melanie Brown, head of advanced TV at Tubi, about the company's unique origin story, and how the company is looking to lead a wider crop of brands to embrace CTV. Brown also provided a reality check on CTV's ad targeting capabilities at the moment, and gave her unique take on the future of media buying and measurement.

Guest: Melanie Brown
Host: Mike Shields
Sponsored by: Epsilon
Produced by: Fresh Take

Next in Media spoke with Lartease Tiffith, Executive Vice President, Public Policy at the IAB about why we haven't seen more action resulting from the various state privacy laws, and whether the FTC has it in for digital ads in general. Plus, what happens to regulation if Trump comes back?

Guest: Lartease Tiffith
Host: Mike Shields
Sponsored by: Epsilon
Produced by: Fresh Take

Next in Media spoke with Amanda Martin, SVP, Monetization & Business Strategy at Mediavine, about whether small to mid sized publishers are feeling the effects of cookies going away, and if they've gravitated to any viable solutions. Martin also gave an update on Google's Privacy Sandbox initiative, and why it's so complex and challenging for the industry to test and implement.

Guest: Amanda Martin
Host: Mike Shields
Sponsored by: Epsilon
Produced by: Fresh Take