#paid-media

#paid-media

To achieve ambitious targets during continued economic uncertainty, marketing strategies must evolve and adapt. This begs the question: how do we need to adjust our plans to better serve our consumer's needs? Let's first hone in on the biggest challenges we're currently facing as an industry. Understanding your customer and their needs Consumer shopping behavior is vastly different now than in 2019 and, while looking back on past data is still essential, we can't use it as robustly to predict trends.

Running a business in a major UK city has never been for the faint of heart. Between the skyrocketing rents in London, the competitive salaries in Manchester, and the general cost of keeping the lights on in Birmingham, the overheads are enough to keep any founder awake at night. But lately, there's another headache that's becoming impossible to ignore. The cost of paid media advertising has shot up from being a manageable expense to a serious drain on resources.

Public relations has long been about crafting narratives, shaping perception, and amplifying trust. Yet in today's digital economy, traditional press releases and media outreach alone no longer guarantee visibility. Brands that once relied solely on earned coverage are now realizing the immense value of integrating paid media into their PR strategy. Sponsored content, native advertising, and influencer partnerships are not simply add-ons-they're essential tools that allow brands to cut through the noise, reach targeted audiences, and measure tangible impact.

What does it take to reinvent high-performance marketing? In this episode of Playbook Broken, we're joined by Ryan Nelsen, CMO of StackAdapt, to get the playbook on AI-fueled advertising and strategic growth. With a proven track record at major tech companies like Qualtrics and MX, Ryan offers a masterclass on the future of enterprise marketing. From navigating the complexities of paid media to launching innovative products, this conversation is full of lessons from the marketing front lines.

The industry is crowded, competitive, and still shackled by advertising restrictions. To get noticed, brands are often told they need to hire a "specialized cannabis PR agency." But here's the reality: too many of these agencies overcharge while underdelivering. Campaigns vanish after a press release cycle, leaving brands with little more than a hefty invoice. What if there was a smarter, more direct path?

"This brand has never had top-of-funnel paid media launched at scale," Lynch said on the company's most recent earnings call. "It's hard to believe, but all the marketing has always been word of mouth, earned media and bottom-funnel ... promo activations, and so we leaned in on making some of these investments and so we're ecstatic with the results."

Since the early days of Google search, brands have invested heavily in either organic SEO or paid advertising. For years, debates raged about which approach delivers more value - long-term organic growth or immediate paid reach. But in 2025, the conversation has shifted. The rise of AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude means the future of brand visibility is not about choosing between SEO and paid media, but about integrating them strategically.

They're moving spend out of paid media that they would have previously done on linear TV, like big ad spots, and chopping that up and using it to bolster and support the creator economy,

A paid media mix encompasses various paid marketing forms used to reach targeted audiences effectively while allowing full control over targeting, timing, and budgeting.