Community members please see the latest industry trends round-up from our MD
As ever we would welcome your thoughts and comments…top trend 7 seems tailor-made for Box 😀
Top Trends
- AI-powered advertising & personalization
AI is increasingly driving monetization in media, especially via connected TV and digital formats. PwC forecasts AI-driven ads as a major growth driver across entertainment. Reuters
That means more dynamic, real-time ad targeting and creative personalization across screens, with AI tailoring content to individual tastes and contexts.
- AI in content creation, production, and post-production
Beyond creative “assistants,” AI is playing a bigger role in automating “behind the scenes” tasks: script evaluation, metadata generation, versioning, translation, and even virtual production workflows. Deloitte Italia+2PwC+2. Use cases are expanding: studios turning comics/graphic novels into streaming series using AI-enhanced pipelines. TV Tech
- Emergence of agentic AI & autonomous workflows
The trend toward “agentic AI” (AI that plans and acts, rather than only responding) is accelerating. McKinsey & Company. In M&E, this could translate to systems that autonomously route assets, recommend content strategies, or even dynamically adapt creative elements across markets.
- Interoperability, standards & AI governance
With multiple tools and AI agents in use across media pipelines, standards and governance are becoming critical. Initiatives in broadcast and media standards communities (e.g. via SMPTE) are spotlighting interoperability, metadata schemas, and ethical frameworks. TV Tech. That’s going to be a battleground as IP, licensing, and rights management get more complex with AI-generated or AI-assisted content.
- Immersive & experiential media gains momentum
Immersive theatre, AR/VR-infused experiences, shared-reality venues, and location-based entertainment are becoming more mainstream. Financial Times+2PwC+2. These experiences help franchises extend beyond screens into physical and hybrid formats, deepening fan engagement.
- Streaming consolidation, bundling, & discovery optimization
The fragmentation of streaming is pushing for consolidation or smarter bundling strategies. AlixPartners+1. At the same time, discovery and UX are under pressure — AI-driven search, context-aware content surfacing, and unified interfaces are becoming competitive differentiators.
- Data, infrastructure & compute pressures
The demand for real-time, high-bandwidth streaming, AI workflows, and immersive formats is putting strain on infrastructure. Edge compute, high-throughput networks, application-specific semiconductors, and cloud/edge hybrid setups are becoming more critical. McKinsey & Company+2Deloitte Italia+2. Storage, archival, and retrieval systems will need to evolve to handle sprawling unstructured media assets at scale.
- Music & AI collaboration in performance and production
In the music domain, AI is increasingly treated as a collaborative tool: co-composition, multilingual / multigenre releases, live performance augmentation, and experimental formats. arXiv. Artists are using AI not just to produce, but to reimagine how music is distributed and experienced. (edited)
Key Trends for Agencies
- Agentic / Autonomous AI in Media Planning & Buying
Agencies are experimenting with “agentic AI” — AI that doesn’t just assist but acts: selecting media, adjusting bids, reallocating budgets in real time. Digiday+2IAB+2. This empowers faster decision-making and flexibility in campaigns, which clients increasingly demand.
- AI-Powered Insights & Strategy Tools
Rather than relying purely on human analysts, agencies are layering AI to surface audience segments, forecast trends, identify channel mix shifts, or even simulate “what-if” scenarios. IAB+2Digiday+2. In many cases, the competitive edge is in who can turn data into context and action faster.
- Hyper-Personalization & Dynamic Creative at Scale
Agencies are pushing beyond “one creative fits many” toward dynamically tailored creative variations (for region, viewer profile, time of day). Digiday+3WordStream+3Deloitte Italia+3. Paired with AI, campaigns can optimize themselves mid-flight rather than waiting for post-hoc edits.
- Creative / Production Augmentation via Generative AI
Many agencies are beginning to embed generative models into production: draft storyboards, assist with copywriting, generate visuals, or assist versioning / localization workflows. Digiday+2Deloitte Italia+2. This allows for more creativity at lower cost and faster turnaround.
- Shifts in Agency-Client Commercial / Billing Models
With AI absorbing some of the “grunt work,” agencies are rethinking how they price and bill: outcome-based (performance), retainer + value-add, or hybrid models rather than pure labor-based billing. Digiday. There’s a recognition that clients won’t pay for overheads AI makes obsolete.
- Integrated Tech Stacks & Interoperability
Agencies are under pressure to integrate multiple systems — media platforms, data platforms, creative tools, measurement tools. Seamless interoperability is becoming essential, not optional. Deloitte Italia+2IAB+2. Agencies that can “glue” ecosystems together gain efficiency and agility.
- More Emphasis on Governance, Transparency & Explainability
As AI takes more autonomous actions, clients demand transparency: Why did the algorithm shift budget? Which creative variant was chosen and why? Agencies must embed explainability, audit trails, and guardrails. IAB+1. This is particularly important in regulated industries or brand-sensitive sectors.
- Smaller, Leaner Agency Units / Boutique Teams Powered by AI
Because AI can handle much of the “heavy lifting,” we’re seeing lean teams or boutique agencies scale rapidly with lower overhead. This levels the playing field vs. big holding companies. Digiday+1. It also makes specialization and vertical expertise more viable.