What's on Tap...

How senior living brands can connect with the growing 65+ demographic

Brian St. Cyr — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:25:31 GMT

By 2030, the U.S. will hit a milestone: all Baby Boomers will be age 65 or older, representing more than 20% of the population.

As the 65+ demographic grows, the senior living industry is also entering a period of sustained growth, driven by demographic shifts, as well as evolving expectations around aging.

While most seniors currently live independently, factors such as health, mobility, and financial pressures can influence decisions, while caregivers may be balancing work, family, and emotional stress.

What marketers need to know

For senior living marketers, understanding your audience is key. Creative should focus on redefining aging, while also addressing concerns and speaking directly to caregivers with reassurance and guidance.

Insights include:

Focus on empowering creative. Campaign messaging that emphasizes active living, and community consistently outperforms care-first positioning.
Address caregivers’ concerns. Speak directly to caregiver stress, uncertainty and time pressure by highlighting the peace of mind and decision support offered.
Provide clarity around costs. Being clear and transparent around costs, coverage and care options will move consumers faster through the decision funnel.
Combine print and digital. Print and digital both play important roles, with search, social and online video reaching families during active consideration.
Timing matters. Decision-making spikes after the holidays and mid-year. Align media weight with these moments, using a variety of digital tactics to capture high-intent research behavior.

How Mediaspace can help

Mediaspace helps senior living brands reach the right audiences, win high-intent moments, and drive measurable growth.

Our team goes beyond simply age-based targeting, leveraging health-aware, behavior-based data, and campaigns run in HIPAA-compliant, brand-safe environments designed for healthcare. From early research to move-in consideration, we activate across print, magazine, search, social, CTV, digital display and video to capture demand when families are actively looking.

Through real-time reporting and continuous optimization, we prove impact, ensuring media investments drive meaningful results.

Why print should be part of your Gen Z media plan

Brian St. Cyr — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:09:05 GMT

To connect with Gen Z, marketers should think beyond the screen.

According to new research, young adults are choosing to read the news, not watch it. A survey from Pew Research Center found that 45% of 18-29-year-olds prefer reading the news, compared to just 31% who prefer watching it. As eMarketer writes, “This text-first preference aligns with how young adults consume content overall.”

eMarketer also notes that young consumers bring a research-driven mindset to information gathering, as nearly 90% cross-check results across multiple platforms before making decisions.

These insights into younger consumers' preference to read the news, combined with their inclination to check multiple sources when gathering information, offer valuable insights for marketers looking to make connections with Gen Z.

To reach younger audiences, a print + digital buy can be an effective way to connect with Gen Z based on their media habits.

Print + Digital = Powerful Connections

With print and digital, marketers can lean into how each medium fits within the sales funnel, create a unified brand, and optimize reach and engagement.

What’s more, a combination media buy can be highly cost effective, as marketers can benefit from the rate savings associated with an integrated buy.

How Mediaspace can help

For marketers looking to connect with Gen Z audiences via print and digital, Mediaspace can be an invaluable asset.

Mediaspace is the print and digital expert, and the team is driven by the company vision: To be the best provider of print and digital services in the eyes of customers, vendors and employees.

With decades of industry experience and relationships, Mediaspace offers a unique understanding of both mediums and has a proven track record of delivering results – helping marketers to obtain the best rates, the best results, and to make powerful connections with consumers of all ages.

$8 million for 30-seconds?

Brian St. Cyr — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:55:04 GMT

With the “Big Game” set for this weekend, it’s an annual tradition to eagerly anticipate the advertising we’ll see – and also analyze what else you would buy with that media spend.

As Digiday writes, “With the broadcast appearing on NBC, Peacock, Hulu, YouTube TV, DirecTV, and NFL+, and other major cultural moments waiting in the wings, some may question whether an $8 million opportunity to get in front of 127 million viewers simultaneously is worth it.”

According to Digiday’s analysis, with an $8 million budget, marketers could buy:

🏈Nearly five years on a wallscape on Interstate 95 in Miami

🏈667 million impressions in an airport terminal takeover

🏈A prime-time spot on network TV every single night for four months

We would add that you could also buy full-page ads in more than 1,400 major daily newspapers in every single U.S. DMA - twice!

As Digiday writes, “The Super Bowl may be one of the last monocultural moments, but there are other ways to spend that money.”

Why AI Companies are Leveraging Traditional Advertising

Brian St. Cyr — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 16:53:18 GMT

As AI reshapes the economy, AI companies are seeking to solidify their positions as market leaders.

In their efforts to make the case for their products to consumers, AI companies are increasingly turning to traditional advertising, including digital, OOH and print.

“AI companies are engaged in an expensive arms race to attract users…,” the Wall Street Journal recently wrote in a story about OpenAI’s Super Bowl advertising plans.

The WSJ reports:

“Tech companies including Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Perplexity collectively spent $333.6 million on linear TV ads promoting their AI offerings in the U.S. last year, a 43% jump from the prior year, according to estimates from ad tracker iSpot. They also shelled out $426 million on digital ads in 2025, more than triple their 2024 outlays, according to estimates from research firm Sensor Tower.”

Why are AI and tech companies turning to traditional advertising?

An analysis in the Harvard Business Review entitled, “Why Marketers are Returning to Traditional Advertising,” found that consumer-facing companies are leading the shift to traditional ad mediums, noting that, …somewhat ironically, companies that earn 100% of their sales through the internet are leading this inflection …”

Harvard Business Review cites several reasons, including:

1. Breaking through “digital clutter.”

The authors cite research that found more than half of consumers often or always watch traditional TV advertisements and read print advertisements that they receive in the mail from companies.

2. Capitalizing on consumer trust.

HBR cites research which found that “the top five most trusted advertising formats are all traditional,” with customers most trusting of print, TV, direct mail and radio advertising, writing, “As a result, marketers can use traditional advertising to build brand credibility and trust with jaded buyers.”

3. Leveraging the “digital lift.”

The article notes that “Digital technology can leverage traditional tools in powerful and surprising ways,” such as using QR codes in direct mail advertising.

The bottom line

“The marketing push by AI firms is expected to intensify as the sector continues to grow,” predicts the Wall Street Journal.

As AI companies compete to earn consumer trust, and market share, traditional advertising, including print, digital, and OOH, allows them to break through the noise and make meaningful connections with consumers in trusted environments.

Mediaspace Solutions has extensive experience partnering with AI companies, and the agencies that work with them, to get the message out via strategic media plans across print, digital, radio, podcasts, OOH and more.

3 key ways media teams can prepare for 2026

Brian St. Cyr — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:07:03 GMT

The countdown to the end of the year is on, and now is a great time for media planning teams to reflect on 2025, and prepare for the year ahead.

Here are three key ways that media teams can get ahead of the curve and be ready to kick off the new year with optimal results for clients.

1. Audit channel performance.

Take a look at the past year’s performance and metrics, analyzing to see if KPIs and goals were met and assess which channels were your stand-out performers.

Kantar’s Media Reactions report found that marketers may need to re-evaluate where they prefer to advertise. Notably, for the first time in the report’s history, no platform appeared in the top five across both global consumers and senior marketers, reflecting a seemingly growing divide between marketers’ preferences and consumers’ preferred channels.

When assessing channel performance and setting priorities for next year, also keep in mind the importance of integration. Gonca Bubani, global media director at Kantar, told Ad Age that an increase in consumer receptivity to advertising stems from ads starting to feel more integrated across different media channels, so in 2026, seek to create media plans that deliver unified storytelling across channels and platforms.

2. Review key dates.

Now is a great time to review key dates 2026.

Take note of the timing for 2026’s important holidays, relevant cultural events and tentpole moments, and industry-specific moments. For example, on July 4, 2026, the US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which could be an important moment for your clients to honor.

There are also big sports moments upcoming, such as the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which start on Feb. 6, and the FIFA World Cup, from June 11 to July 19 across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

By looking forward to the big moments that align with your clients’ objectives, you can get a head start on relevant media plans.

3. Consider engaging with a strategic partner.

Consider whether your team could benefit from additional expertise in the year ahead.

Mediaspace Solutions is an “agency for agencies,” acting as an extension of your team, or offering white-labeled work behind the scenes.

Publisher and platform agnostic, with expertise in print, digital, OOH, radio and more, Mediaspace takes a strategic approach and brings proprietary research tools to ensure your team is driving optimal ROI in 2026 and beyond.

Contact Mediaspace Solutions to find out more about how we can be a strategic part of your 2026 planning process.

How Global Energy Companies are Building Trust and Awareness Through Media Strategies

Brian St. Cyr — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:28:36 GMT

In announcing their 2025 report on the energy industry, S&P Global’s headline read, “Global Energy Industry at a Crossroads of Challenges and Opportunities.” The report detailed its findings around energy transition, technology and market shifts, slower energy demand growth, and integrating AI into operations.

As the global energy industry navigates today’s challenges and opportunities, strategic media plans can help power success, building trust, awareness and showcasing clean energy initiatives.

Here are a few ways in which global energy companies are leveraging media:

Building Trust: Energy companies can leverage integrated media plans to share campaign messages designed to build public trust. For example, the UK’s National Grid leverages “communications across strategy, creative, social, PR and influencer marketing…” focused on “strengthening trust, addressing local concerns and fostering a shared sense of national progress around energy infrastructure,” efforts which are reported to be building on the success of last year’s ‘The Great Grid Upgrade’ campaign. In addition, this spring, the UK’s British Gas debuted a new brand platform, "Taking care of things," focused on how British Gas gives customers peace of mind, with a media campaign that included OOH, print, radio, cinema, digital, social and more.

Increasing Brand Awareness: For the UK’s Octopus Energy, which launched in 2016, “The first challenge was getting Octopus Energy in front of potential customers,” and the company turned to Google to help build brand awareness. Google reported results for the campaign, which included Search, Display Ads and YouTube, that saw brand consideration lift by 3.5%, brand awareness rise by almost 5% and brand capability increasing by 9.7%.

Showcasing Clean Energy: To highlight its mission to transform the Big Apple to green energy by 2040, New York’s Consolidated Edison (ConEd) last year debuted its “Where Clean Energy Lives,” campaign, which spanned video, broadcast, TV commercials, print, digital out-of-home and transit messaging. Reported results indicated the campaign generated “a significant shift in public perception,” with a 20% increase in the view that “ConEd is leading New York’s clean energy transition” and an 18% increase in the perception that ConEd is a “forward-thinking company” committed to making renewable energy available to its customers.

Mediaspace Can Help Year-Round – and When It Matters Most

As the above examples illustrate, during a time of challenge and opportunity for energy companies, integrated media campaigns can have powerful results.

Mediaspace offers deep expertise in delivering high-performing media strategies for the energy sector. From print and digital to expertise in OOH, radio and more, Mediaspace has the expertise to develop, negotiate and execute media strategies for energy companies to connect with new and existing customers in a complex and evolving industry.

What’s more, Mediaspace has the capabilities to deliver results for energy companies when it matters most, such as during weather events and storms.

For example, one major energy company needed to reach customers with important messages before, during and after a storm. Mediaspace’s research team identified top newspapers, trade publications and websites with the greatest reach; used a combination of audience, zip-code and geo-targeting tactics to efficiently and effectively reach key demographics; and implemented high impact and weather-triggered messaging for the greatest impact and relevancy. The results far exceeded benchmarks, making a difference for the company and its customers.

How marketers can make authentic connections with Hispanic communities

Brian St. Cyr — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 19:14:14 GMT

As National Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 through October 15, comes to a close, it is a good time to reflect on the importance of reaching Hispanic communities throughout the year – and the power of Spanish-language and Hispanic media outlets to make such ongoing and authentic connections.

The power of the Hispanic consumer

“The Latino economic boom has also led to a wealth boom for the group,” wrote CNBC last year, citing data from the Hispanic Wealth Project which found that Hispanic household wealth has tripled over the last decade.

The article also noted that reports forecast for the U.S. Latino economy through 2029, showing the cohort’s economic output will surpass Japan’s by 2024 and Germany’s by 2027, based on national GDP forecasts from the International Monetary Fund.

Prioritizing authenticity

For marketers looking to connect with this valuable consumer audience, authenticity is key.

According to eMarketer, “Cultural authenticity and language accessibility directly influence purchasing decisions and brand loyalty. Despite that, just 27% of Hispanic consumers feel accurately represented in English-language media always or often.”

To make authentic connections, consider media plans that include Spanish language and Hispanic owned or operated media outlets, across print, digital, streaming services, CTV, audio, and more.

How Mediaspace can help

Mediaspace provides clients with expert advice on planning, buying and executing Hispanic newspaper plans in multi-market buys based on campaign objectives.

Mediaspace has:

A dedicated media planning and buying service specifically for the Hispanic market.
A proprietary database includes over 700 ethnic publications and capabilities to place digital on any Hispanic publication’s website.
The ability to leverage volume with Hispanic-owned, operated or affiliated publications to achieve the lowest rates.

The bottom line

As eMarketer writes, “Companies must recognize that Hispanic Americans represent not just a key demographic but loyal consumers with significant buying power expecting a degree of inclusivity.”

Mediaspace is committed to helping to make ongoing and authentic connections with Hispanic consumers throughout the year, through strategic integrated media plans.

The power of combining print and digital buys

Brian St. Cyr — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 14:29:10 GMT

Looking to drive online traffic? Consider buying a print ad.

In an article entitled, “Print Ads Are an Ecommerce Opportunity,” Practical Ecommerce wrote, “Branded print advertising can positively impact digital. Countless published reports confirm that branding boosts performance ads, driving relatively more clicks, engagements, and conversions.”

Citing online retailer Amazon leaning into their print toy catalog, the piece noted that “print promotions… complement digital advertising,” concluding, “In short, printed and online ads are complementary approaches to achieving marketing objectives.”

At Mediaspace, we consistently see the results our clients obtain by pairing print with digital. In one case study, we found that when print ads hit the market, the client's website saw a 19% - 38% lift in website traffic, showing the power of print to drive digital traffic, and the great synergy of print and digital working together.

Print and digital work together

Advertisers are faced with the constant challenge of how to best reach and engage customers.

Newspaper print and digital are excellent choices, with several key benefits, including high levels of trust, relevancy and targeting. Pairing print and digital together compounds those benefits.

When combining print with digital, clients achieve a unified brand across mediums, creating integrated marketing for effective reach, frequency and engagement. The alignment highlights the strengths of each medium and how each fits within the sales funnel, while reaching online and offline audiences within the environment in which they want to consume content.

Plus, as a bonus, marketers benefit from the rate savings associated with a combination buy.

How Mediaspace can help

While change is constant, the power of a print presence and a strategic digital buy continues to be a strategic and impactful way to connect with target audiences.

Amid an ever-evolving media landscape, Mediaspace is the digital and print expert, continually at the forefront of innovation, driving efficiencies and results for clients.

From research and planning to execution and verification, the Mediaspace team creates a streamlined and successful print and digital advertising experience.

How financial institutions can supercharge new customer acquisition with smart media strategies

Brian St. Cyr — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 21:04:36 GMT

For banks, new customer acquisition is one of the top business challenges in 2025, according to industry association BAI, which referred to acquisition as “a daunting test in 2025 amid the increasingly competitive banking landscape.”

Compelling creativity, combined with a smart media strategy, can help banks and financial institutions connect with customers across geographies and demographics. Innovative media strategies are taking outside-the-box approaches to connect with customers and power new customer acquisition.

Here are three creative media strategies for financial institutions to reach new customers:

Take a hyper-local approach: For financial institutions seeking to increase affinity and connect with new customers in key markets, shifting from national advertising to a more regional, hyper-local magazine and newspaper strategy can yield powerful results. One bank client which adopted this strategy saw a sharp rise in brand awareness and overall brand growth. Bonus: the client also saw cost savings through added value and bonus opportunities, improving year-over-year rate efficiency while at the same time increasing impressions.
Leverage unexpected placements: Financial institutions can make an impact by deploying surprising media placements. Quoted in Ad Age, JPMorgan Chase’s chief media officer said, “We really focused on unexpected placements, like putting ourselves where fashion brands belong,” noting their “media strategy … is an ode to OOH and print.” The article cited cover wraps on newspapers and strategic OOH takeover such as one at Grand Central as key examples of how JPMorgan Chase is leveraging bold and unexpected, yet highly strategic and targeted, media placements to drive results.
Make a statement with airport advertising: HSBC has long been known for leveraging airport advertising, an approach it has relied upon for decades. Talking to The Drum, about why HSBC focuses on airports, head of marketing at HSBC noted that airports are an “amazing media channel,” explaining, “Airports are one of those unique environments, one of the spaces that are actually growing as far as customer numbers are concerned.” The research supports the power of airport advertising; according to airport media company Clear Channel Airports, “Travelers actively engage with airport advertising. In fact, 83% of frequent flyers notice airport ads, 69% take the time to read them, and 47% can recall them afterwards.”

How Mediaspace can help

Mediaspace brings extensive expertise in delivering high-performing media strategies for financial advertisers. Mediaspace's combination of proprietary data and research tools optimize targeting, while the team’s excellence in media negotiations also gives clients a competitive advantage.

From hyper-local buys targeting high-value, high-priority zip codes to expertise in OOH, newspaper cover waps and FSIs (Free-Standing Inserts), Mediaspace has the breadth and depth of expertise to craft, negotiate and execute out-of-the-box media strategies for financial advertisers to connect with new customers and stand out in a highly competitive industry.

Why the power of print magazines is making headlines

Brian St. Cyr — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 18:03:27 GMT

The New York Times: “The revenge of the niche fashion magazine”

Fast Company: “Magazines aren’t dying - just ask these indie publishers”

Digiday: “How Time’s collectible covers make the case for a print comeback”

These are just some of the headlines cited in Media Voices’ report entitled “Inside the Print Revival,” detailing the power of print magazines.

“Print isn’t back – it never left,” wrote media trade association FIPP, in a message about the report, adding that, “magazines are finding new relevance in a digital-first world” amid recognition of the “enduring value of print in a balanced, multi-platform media strategy.”

Inside the print magazine “revival”

The report provides detailed insights, including:

Reasons for rising consumer interest in print magazines: The report explores reasons behind the print magazine revival, ranging from stresses of the global pandemic, to the feeling that reading a magazine felt like taking “time out for yourself,” as well as a nostalgia shared among older and younger Gen Z consumers for nostalgia for a pre-digital time.
Advertising advantages: The report states that one “advantage print advertising might have … is hard boundaries - publishing schedules, page counts and advertising editorial ratios that are fixed and brand safe…”
Benefits of print + digital: The report states that, with “the total value of the magazine publishing sector - print plus digital - forecast to pass $120 billion in 2033, print is literally only half the story. These days, the smart money is on premium print publications that squeeze more from less, with a strong, complementary digital presence.”

How Mediaspace can help

At Mediaspace, leveraging the power of print + digital is our expertise.

Some benefits of combining digital and print include:

Building brand awareness and facilitating quick action. Digital and print work together to compound the benefits of awareness and action.
Creating a layering effect. When combined, print and digital together create a layering effect, as readers who see the ad in print may then be more likely to engage and click through when they encounter your message again on digital.

Reaching readers wherever they are. Together, digital and print reach readers in whichever environment in which they prefer to consume content.
Delivering greater ROI. Combining digital and print buys can enhance rate negotiation, delivering greater ROI through strategic spending.

Mediaspace is the digital and print expert, streamlining buys and supercharging results. Reach out today to find out more about how you can leverage the power of a unified digital and print magazine buy.