WMG’s Brand Advisory Board (BAB) is an invitation-only group of 20 senior clients that meet regularly to tackle some of the biggest challenges around content-driven international marketing.

As one of our BAB members pointed out, when budgets and resources are stretched, getting a content partnership over the line can be challenging. Clients want reach and numbers; they want to know how many people will see their campaign. Mahmood’s job is to explain, carefully and convincingly, why that’s not always the right approach. Her first challenge is “convincing them that quality content is better than eyeballs.”

Winning that argument isn’t just about presenting the right data. It requires trust. And in the world of content partnerships, that trust has to flow in three directions: between the agency and the client; between the agency and the media partner; and ultimately, between the content and the audience it’s trying to reach. Getting this balance right is what separates a good campaign from an award-winning one.

The agency buffer

“The main thing to understand is that the agency is trying to help both parties – the client and the publisher,” Mahmood said. This involves both project management and crisis management – providing a buffer between the two parties. The agency must juggle the client’s commercial objectives on one side with the practicalities of what media partners can actually deliver on the other.

For clients, that relationship provides confidence. “As a client, it gives me the licence for my decision on why I’m working with a certain media outlet,” said Ebru Ozguc, Group Strategic Marketing Director at Babcock International. “I think agencies play a critical role.”

A three-way partnership

This is particularly important in sectors like financial services, which are heavily regulated. A client needs to be able to justify every media decision internally. The agency’s expertise and track record means the client doesn’t have to become an expert in content partnerships themselves. They can trust that the framework being recommended is the right one; that the partners have been properly vetted; and that the measurement approach will hold up to scrutiny.

On the other side of that triangle, the agency is often managing relationships with multiple media partners, running several partnerships in parallel across different publishers: “We worked with multiple international media outlets , running campaigns simultaneously,” Mahmood said, delivering a coordinated omnipresence that aligns every channel to work in concert, amplifying impact rather than competing for attention.

Keeping those plates spinning – aligning timelines, negotiating terms, maintaining quality across different editorial environments – is work that happens largely out of sight of the client. The agency takes care of the details, so the client doesn’t have to.

Building trust and transparency

None of this works without a willingness on all sides to share information openly, and the group was candid about the fact that this isn’t always easy to achieve. Measurement is as much a relationship challenge as a technical one. Agencies can only deliver against business objectives as far as the data clients are willing to share, and not every client makes that straightforward. 

This is one of the places where long-term relationships pay off. A client who trusts their agency will share more. An agency that has proven itself over time will ask the right questions and know how to use the answers. The UBS ‘Banking is Our Craft’ campaign has been running in its current form for roughly a year, with individual partnerships typically lasting four to eight weeks, and some extending to six months – long enough for genuine optimisation to take place.

That said, there is a limit to what any single party can measure in isolation. The most robust picture of campaign performance tends to come from combining agency data with third-party validation and brand perception research.

The 25/75 rule

While measuring high quality content campaigns is more complicated than display advertising, Mahmood explained that Publicis has developed a practical framework that keeps the commercial conversation grounded. For every pound invested in a content campaign, they aim to keep a balance of roughly 25% into production vs 75% into amplification.

“You are roughly investing 25% on production,” Mahmood explained. “The remaining amount is put towards amplification. So that in itself sets up a winning strategy, in that you will get your ROI.”

The ratio also shapes how negotiations with partners are structured. Added value typically comes back as display inventory.

Display and content run simultaneously rather than sequentially, providing the impression numbers that stakeholders need to see, alongside the deeper engagement data that tells the more nuanced story. “It’s not a choice of one or the other,” Mahmood says. “What we try to do is keep a balance.”

Why the story matters

For a wealth management brand like UBS, the objective isn’t to sell a product in the conventional sense. The goal is to deepen relationships, increase their existing assets under management and attract capital from clients who may hold assets elsewhere, people who are not going to be moved by a banner ad, however well-targeted.

“A content partnership like this will likely resonate, especially in the private banking and wealth management space, because the product isn’t transactional based. The service is built on trust and relationships,” said Jamila Saidi, Global Head of Digital Commerce, Culture & Lifestyle at the UK Department for Business and Trade. “This type of content partnership lets you tell the human story, a client’s goals for passing on wealth to the next generation or their philanthropy ambitions, for example. It captures the emotional depth that other channels can’t always do.”

That’s why the three-way relationship matters so much in this sector. The media partner brings the trusted editorial environment and the right audience. The agency brings the strategic and creative framework. The client brings the authentic story. If you take one element away, the whole thing collapses, but together, they create something that none of them could produce alone.

AI and the future of content

The conversation turned to the inevitable question of how content partnerships evolve in a world where audiences are increasingly turning to AI for information. Mahmood explained that Publicis is already using AI to build a proper benchmarking tool based on years of historical campaign data across UK and international partnerships. The goal is to give clients better negotiating power, clearer ROI benchmarking and, ultimately, help them to make better content decisions.

There’s also active work with partners to feed brand-relevant content into LLMs at scale, finding new ways to maintain presence in an environment where the traditional search result is no longer always the first port of call. “We just need to be smart about it,” Mahmood said.

What came through from the discussion is that achieving an award-winning campaign for financial services content is not the work of one party alone. What AI can’t replace is the strong personal relationships created between agency, client and media partners – the bond that comes from knowing who you’re working with, what everyone’s trying to achieve and that you’re all pulling together in the same direction to succeed.

You can find out more about entering the 2026 World Media Awards here.

Why the WMAs matter more than ever

The World Media Awards campaigns are built on a foundation of trusted media partnerships. This reflects the World Media Group’s tenet that advertising which aligns with high quality media is not only more effective at reaching highly engaged audiences, but also at building long-term trust for the brand. In an age of misinformation, noise and AI slop, trust is the most valuable currency there is.

“With Artificial Intelligence rapidly reshaping how content is created, distributed and consumed, it’s more important than ever to pause, take stock and celebrate what human creativity and editorial judgement can achieve,” said Jamie Credland, CEO of the World Media Group. “The World Media Awards exist to do exactly that. They are a benchmark for excellence; a way of demonstrating what great work looks like in the context of trusted editorial environments.”

Sean Adams, CMO, Brand Metrics, the official partner of the 2026 World Media Awards, said: “At Brand Metrics, we work with premium publishers to help them measure the effectiveness of advertising and commercial content on their sites, so partnering with the World Media Awards is a natural fit for us. We believe in the value of high-quality journalism, and we’re pleased to be able to support an event that champions excellence in the industry.” 

A panel of international judges

To reflect the importance of collaboration in creating successful international, content-driven advertising campaigns, the independent jury is made up of heavyweight judges from brands, agencies and media owners. You can see the jury here. 

The World Media Awards offer a unique prize to each of the sector category winners. The winning entries are amplified in a worldwide advertising campaign valued at more than €750k, running across the World Media Group’s leading international media brands. Members comprise BBC News, Business Insider, CNBC, CNN, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, The New York Times Company, Reuters, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and associate member, The Atlantic.

Championing international trusted journalism

The WMAs are not-for-profit. Fifty percent of the entry fee will be donated to Reporters Without Borders, which protects and supports journalism and freedom of speech around the world. 

Early bird general entry fees are £150 (tech vendor entries are £200) from 5th March 2026 up until 8th April 2026, after which the general entry fees are £200 and tech vendor entry fees are £295.

How to enter

You can enter the WMAs at https://world-media-group.com/awards/how-to-enter/. Campaigns must have intentionally targeted audiences in at least three countries, and 75% of the activity needs to have been implemented between 1^st January 2025 and 30^th April 2026. There is no requirement for campaigns to have run in any of the World Media Group’s member brands. The deadline for entries is Thursday 21st May, 2026.

General categories

This year there are 12 award categories including the Content Leadership & Innovation and Rising Star awards, which are awarded to individuals, based on nominations from WMG members. The jury will select the Grand Prix from amongst the following category winners:

• Corporate Influencer
• Financial Services
• Luxury & Lifestyle
• Technology & Telecoms
• Travel & Tourism

Specialist categories

The following five categories are designed to celebrate the power of great partnerships between brands and media owners; the potential for brand storytelling to drive progress on social issues; the companies and services enabling the industry to do its best work; and the next generation of talented individuals leading the way in delivering effective, creative and innovative solutions for brands.

• Brand & Media Owner Partnership
• Branded Event
• Enabling Success
• Small Budget, Great Impact
• Social Good

WMG member-nominated categories

• Content Leadership and Innovation Award – recognising an individual who has demonstrated leadership and innovation in the creation of great content-led international marketing strategies.
  
• Rising Star – recognising a talented individual who is making a significant impact to the creativity and effectiveness of content-led advertising strategies, early on in their career.

The winners will be announced at an exclusive live ceremony on Thursday 24^th September, 2026. Shortlisted entrants will receive two complimentary tickets to join the celebration as guests of the World Media Group, and additional tickets will be available to purchase.

About the World Media Group

The World Media Group is a strategic alliance of leading international media organisations that connects brands with highly engaged, influential audiences in the context of trusted and renowned journalism. Its members include BBC News, Business Insider, CNBC, CNN International, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, The New York Times Company, Reuters, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, associate member The Atlantic, and partners Avid Collective, Brand Metrics and Dianomi.

1. Geopolitical uncertainty is now the standard operating environment

Describing this year’s WEF, Srivastava said, “I personally felt there were two Davoses going on in the same place.” Walking down the promenade on the first day, the conversations Srivastava overheard were all about AI and innovation. “That was until Tuesday and then the narrative started changing a bit,” she said. As people got ready to welcome President Trump, the discussion switched to geopolitics.

From that moment on, Trump dominated the agenda and what followed was a great deal of uncertainty. Business leaders who arrived talking about AI, left talking about Greenland. Trump’s press conference showed how quickly and easily off-script remarks can move markets, redirect investment strategies and reshape diplomatic relationships.

This poses challenges for business journalists: “We have to pivot very quickly when he posts something or says something in an interview,” Srivastava explained. Likewise for businesses, it’s impossible to predict which country or trade relationship will dominate the headlines next.

Key takeout: Leaders need to build organisations agile enough to respond to all kinds of geopolitical uncertainty – from tariffs and trade frameworks to the repositioning of alliances.

2. AI has moved from buzzword to balance sheet, but impact is still to be seen

Srivastava referred back to Davos three years ago, where conversations about AI were often superficial. “Everyone wanted to talk about AI. It felt like a tick box sort of thing – every company wanted to let you know they were doing it.” Last year, the conversations were around scaling and investment. This year, the conversation shifted to upskilling and reskilling; how companies are navigating AI and creating an AI-fluent workplace, and whether AI is translating into revenue, savings and measurable returns.

One CEO said to Srivastava “AI is like a mirage”. Leaders are thinking about what it can do and making projections based on where they think it will help them, but it’s only when you start to incorporate it into your daily life – into productivity or hiring for example – that the benefits become clear. “That’s when we see those examples translate to revenues or savings, to the actual balance sheet. That’s when we’ll know where we’re heading.” Srivastava said.

Key takeout: We may be a few months or even years away from seeing the actual impact of AI but for organisations that have committed budgets to AI transformation, now is the time to define what success looks like.

3. Upskilling is the strategic challenge nobody has quite solved yet

What’s becoming clear is that technology is moving faster than workforces. The gap isn’t just between those companies that use AI and those that don’t – it’s between leadership and employees. “There’s a disconnect between senior level and junior level,” Srivastava said. “There are junior members joining who are very AI-fluent. So how do you bridge that gap?” There’s also a gap between large organisations with the resources to retrain staff and smaller ones who can’t afford to.

Upskilling isn’t simply about training programmes – it’s often a cultural and operational shift. Srivastava said companies such as Udemy are working with governments to build foundational skills at scale, while some organisations are tying AI proficiency directly to KPIs and performance reviews.

Key takeout: Businesses of every size need to ask: Do our people know how to use these tools effectively, and are we measuring whether they do?

4. Sustainability hasn’t gone away; it’s been reframed

Based on the news that came out of Davos, you could be forgiven for assuming that ESG and climate issues have fallen off the agenda entirely. “I wouldn’t say it’s completely off the agenda,” Srivastava said, “but AI and Trump completely dominated this year for anything else to be visible.”

According to Srivastava, what’s happening is in fact a reframing. Whereas in previous years when companies had doubled down on climate, Srivastava said the conversations have shifted from climate as a standalone commitment to “resilience as the common denominator.” While carbon footprint is still important, Chief Sustainability Officers have been able to “politely step back from climate a little bit because everyone has a transition plan in place,” and instead, use the platform to speak about other things, such as personal resilience. This reframing allows environmental responsibility to be connected to broader commercial outcomes rather than treating it as a separate reporting obligation.

Key takeout: Organisations that weave ESG and resilience into their core strategy rather than treating it as a separate function will be the ones to thrive.

5. Leadership itself is being redefined, and the pace of change is unforgiving

Another thread running through this year’s forum was a conversation around what it means to lead right now. Emerging leaders are taking on a role that looks fundamentally different from just a few years ago: They are expected to be visible, agile, to pivot publicly and quickly, and to simultaneously juggle complex issues such as AI, geopolitics, culture and climate. “It’s so important to be agile in this environment,” Srivastava said. “It’s so important to pivot and know when to pivot. And so, we’re moving away from old school leadership, where you’re sitting in your office. It’s very much like shop floor leadership.”

Just as the role of CEO is shifting from a figure of stable, long-term strategic authority is under pressure to a more responsive, exposed approach, communications strategies are changing too. Traditional media sits alongside independent voices and influencers; there’s an expectation for candid and direct engagement with leaders, and the narrative can shift at any moment.  

Srivastava views this challenge as an opportunity to experiment. “You do see that shift coming through in legacy media where we’re trying to embrace change and I think it’s thanks to the influencers keeping us on our toes.” But while there’s a balance to be struck, Srivastava notes “There’s still a very important place for trusted media. When news breaks, and there’s so much misinformation in the world we live in, audiences come to us to check” what was actually said.

Key takeout: Organisations and leaders who are open and authentic in their communications and storytelling are the ones best placed to benefit from this new environment.

With the mood coming out of Davos appearing to be more uncertain than in previous years, the task for business leaders in 2026 is to build operations that can operate effectively within that uncertainty, rather than waiting for clarity that may never come.

You can read more Davos highlights from Fortune’s Kamal Ahmed, BBC News’s Faisal Islam and The Economist’s Rachana Shambougue here.

We are delighted to announce the continuation of our partnership with Brand Metrics, a global SaaS platform for campaign effectiveness measurement.

Brand Metrics has been a longstanding supporter of the World Media Group and its annual World Media Awards, which celebrate excellence in international content marketing and cross-border advertising campaigns. The renewed partnership reflects a shared commitment to demonstrating the measurable value of advertising within trusted, premium media environments.

As the advertising industry continues to navigate questions around effectiveness and accountability, the partnership underscores both organisations’ belief that data-driven measurement is essential to helping publishers, advertisers and agencies make more informed decisions.

“We’re pleased to continue our partnership with Brand Metrics,” said Jamie Credland, CEO of the World Media Group. “Brand lift measurement sits at the heart of what we champion here at WMG – that advertising alongside trusted, premium journalism delivers real, demonstrable impact for brands. Brand Metrics’ technology gives publishers and their advertising partners the evidence they need to make the case for quality media, and we look forward to building on our work together.”

“We’re very happy to continue our partnership with the World Media Group,” said Anders Lithner, CEO of Brand Metrics. “WMG does important work in bringing together premium publishers and advertisers, and we’re glad to support an organisation that helps move the industry forward.”

Brand Metrics’ platform integrates directly with publisher technology stacks to deliver consistent, benchmarked brand lift data across display, video, branded content, and CTV campaigns. Trusted by more than 60 publishers worldwide, the platform enables publishers to demonstrate the commercial value of their audiences and helps brands and agencies optimise future investment.

About the World Media Group

The World Media Group is a strategic alliance of leading international media organisations that connects brands with highly engaged, influential audiences in the context of trusted and renowned journalism. Its members include BBC News, Business Insider, CNBC, CNN International, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, The New York Times Company, Reuters, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, associate member The Atlantic, and partners Avid Collective, Brand Metrics and Dianomi.

About Brand Metrics 

Brand Metrics is a SaaS platform revolutionising campaign effectiveness measurement. Our technology seamlessly integrates with publisher tech stacks to measure digital campaign performance at scale, delivering simple, consistent brand lift data. This data enables publishers to grow their sales revenue and empowers advertisers and agencies to learn from the results and optimise future campaigns for greater effect.

Brand Metrics supports campaigns as small as 50k impressions across display, video, branded content, and CTV, delivering four key metrics benchmarked against 60,000+ campaigns. The platform is trusted by 60+ publishers around the world, including NYT, The Guardian, and Bloomberg. For more information, visit brandmetrics.com.

Some of the world’s top editors came together recently for our annual post-Davos panel, The Editors’ Perspective On The Year Ahead. Kamal Ahmed, Executive Editorial Director at Fortune, Faisal Islam, Economics Editor, BBC News, and Rachana Shanbhogue, Business Affairs Editor, The Economist, provided insight into what went on behind closed doors at the WEF in Davos in a panel chaired by Hannah Diddams, SVP, Global Marketing, Studios & Events at Business Insider.

Here are some key takeaways from their discussion to shape the year ahead.

Geopolitics and the ‘New Sheriff’ 

Faisal Islam, who has been going to Davos for two decades, described this year’s event as “definitely the most surreal World Economic Forum I’ve ever seen.” Trump, the “New Sheriff” in Davos (as described by his own Secretary of State), dominated every conversation, but not in the way many anticipated.

Whereas in individual meetings with the US president, corporate and world leaders often lean towards explaining the world as they feel he wants to hear it, our panel agreed – that doesn’t work in Davos. Not only was President Trump amongst his contemporaries – other world leaders listening to him – he was also surrounded by corporate leaders who are starting to worry about the consequences of totally unnecessary geopolitical instability.

The result is what Islam described as “a certain assertion of conventional reality that would never have happened anywhere else.”

Geography Versus Geography

Fortune’s Kamal Ahmed noted a fundamentally different shift from previous years. “It wasn’t about politics versus business, which was the financial crisis paradigm. It was geography versus geography.” 

Business leaders know that the era of greater free trade is over, marking the end of the “steady state” of increasing globalisation. Instead, it’s now about how to operate amongst the key geographies – in America, Europe, India and China. 

This means developing a “twin track approach”: maintaining strategic focus whilst building in a “tolerance for noise” that accounts for geopolitical volatility. Executives now operate knowing that 20% of the time there’s going to be this tolerance noise at the edge of their business.

AI Use Cases Emerging, but ROI is Slow

The shift from AI hype to applied AI was unmistakable this year. Addressing the question of how valuable AI really is for businesses, The Economist’s Rachana Shanbhogue said the ROI isn’t quite there yet: “Everybody talks a really great game about this, but my impression is people are still experimenting.” Although there’s a lot of interest in what AI could do for healthcare, for example, it’s still a future promise rather than something happening now.

However, genuine use cases are emerging. IBM’s pre-Davos announcement that 94% of their Human Resources functions are done by AI, resulting in redeploying headcount, demonstrates that with the right approach in the right discipline you can have a big ROI impact. 

Ahmed said companies are talking about businesses moving beyond “vertical AI” – the division-by-division efficiency gains – towards “enterprise model” AI that connects data across the entire organisation.

Voice to Reinvent the Workplace

We were presented with a surprising vision of how we’ll be interacting with AI systems in a few years. Tech leaders suggest that voice interfaces will replace keyboard data input sooner than we think.  “Within two years, you’ll just speak with your objective-driven AI, into your ear, and it will create workflows, presentations, data and you will never touch a keyboard,” Ahmed said, potentially forever changing the workplace as we know it. 

On the subject of when AGI (artificial general intelligence that can actually start to think like a brain) is likely to be widely available, what tech leaders are describing as “years away” realistically means just 3-5 years.

Adding to the complexity, social backlash against AI is building. Concerns range from energy consumption to job displacement. One executive suggested that governments might need to freeze layoffs in the interim to allow society to adjust to AI.

Ahmed expressed the uneasiness some leaders are feeling about AI and the direction of travel for their business. They’re heading “downhill, in a good way, but it’s shrouded in fog. They can’t quite see the bottom of the valley, but they know it’s there. So, there’s still a sense of trepidation.”

Even before AI has reached its peak, the next wave is looming on the horizon. “The next big moment of tech (and fog) is Quantum,” Ahmed said. But with Quantum technology comes a whole range of new issues. As Islam pointed out “When it works, it will break every single encryption, not just cryptocurrency, financial services or government.” 

Media’s Renaissance: Signal Over Noise

One of the most optimistic themes of the discussion was the renewed value of trusted journalism. As Islam put it: “In many ways, the media is the front end of the application of unbelievable computing power to traditional industries.” 

There’s been a crucial shift in behaviour now audiences have started to experience AI slop. Once people start seeing AI-generated drivel in their feeds, Islam said, “they want it to be real; just want a human being to have touched this in some way.”

The numbers back this up. BBC viewer figures show 12 million people viewed President  Trump’s Davos speech and 47 million viewed “Liberation Day”. More niche subjects are also attracting attention  –  a piece about TSMC chip manufacturing achieved a surprising 3 million views – suggesting audiences are returning to trusted journalism to make sense of the world around them.

The commercial model is shifting too. As Ahmed observed, media is “moving away from the clicks game into the value game,” and people will pay for quality. He said one of the biggest changes he’s seen in his career is that “we now listen to audiences intensely about what it is they want”, rather than simply producing commodity news.

An Optimistic Outlook for the UK

Amidst the geopolitical turbulence, the UK emerged with a surprisingly positive narrative. Both Google’s Sundar Pichai and NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang identified the UK as a potential “powerhouse in AI”. Islam, who had recently interviewed both leaders, said Britain’s potential seems “blazingly obvious to the most important people in the world,” even if this narrative hasn’t yet broken through domestically.

Mark Carney’s speech served as a pivotal reality check moment, with one editor noting how it helped burst the “reality distortion field” that can form around power. The former Bank of England governor’s return to the Davos stage represented a kind of recalibration, reminding attendees of what good economic discourse is supposed to sound like.

The World Keeps Turning

It is increasingly clear that the rest of the world is recalibrating regardless of American direction. Trade deals that languished for years such as the EU-India agreement, have suddenly gained momentum. “In a lot of cases, these deals that have been talked about for a really long time have been hastened,” noted Shanbhogue. “Suddenly there’s impetus to actually sign.”

America, which was 40% of the world economy a few decades ago, is now just 23%. While still significant, what we’re now seeing is that if the US starts to go off on its own, the rest of the world will not be afraid to do what they need to, in their own country’s best interests. 

The panel concluded on an optimistic note. As the global order reconfigures around new geographic realities, businesses find genuine uses for transformative technology and audiences tire of AI-generated slop, the ability to provide signal – whether through trusted journalism, practical AI applications or clear strategic thinking – has never been more valuable.

This partnership reinforces the World Media Group’s commitment to championing trusted international journalism and demonstrating the value of advertising within premium news environments to global marketers.

Global reach, trusted journalism

CNBC’s membership comes at a time when advertisers are increasingly seeking environments where their messages reach engaged, affluent decision-makers alongside trusted editorial content. Reaching half a billion people every month across all platforms, CNBC provides 24-hour global business coverage, from the opening of Asian markets through to the Closing Bell on Wall Street.

“CNBC reflects everything the World Media Group stands for: trusted, high-quality journalism that commands the attention of influential audiences,” said World Media Group CEO, Jamie Credland. “Their global footprint and multi-platform presence makes them a valuable addition to the WMG. We’re excited to work together in demonstrating the commercial power of premium news environments.”

Anna Foot, Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales at CNBC International said: “CNBC delivers business and financial news in a way that recognizes markets are interconnected across countries and time zones. Joining the World Media Group connects us with international publishers who share a commitment to trusted reporting and its role in the global advertising ecosystem, and we look forward to sharing insights with industry peers.”

Essential viewing for business leaders

CNBC’s fast-paced, hard-hitting coverage has made it essential viewing for senior business leaders worldwide. Beyond its global television network, CNBC maintains a strong digital presence. CNBC.com features extensive video content, real-time market analysis and analytical financial tools across mobile, tablet and desktop platforms and CNBC’s two direct to consumer products, CNBC Pro and CNBC+ unlock industry-leading expert research and analysis, investing tools and premium content.

We look forward to welcoming CNBC to World Media Group events and initiatives throughout the year. Find out more about CNBC at www.cnbc.com.

About CNBC

CNBC is the recognized global leader in business and financial news, reaching half a billion people every month across all platforms. With headquarters in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, CNBC delivers real-time coverage of financial markets, breaking news, exclusive interviews, expert analysis on stocks and trading, and in-depth reports on the forces shaping the global economy. CNBC’s mission is to help business leaders, the financial community, and anyone with assets to invest or protect make informed decisions and stay ahead.

CNBC connects with audiences through a comprehensive portfolio that includes live global TV programming, digital destinations such as CNBC.com, CNBC Make It, and CNBC Select, and subscription services like CNBC+, CNBC Pro, and the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer. Premium content is also available through live events, councils, mobile apps, podcasts, newsletters, social media, and across digital video and voice platforms.

CNBC is a VERSANT brand. For more information, visit www.cnbc.com.

At the Americas Financial Marketing Leaders’ Summit in New York, the World Media Group brought together a panel of leading journalists to explore the complex economic and political environment currently shaping financial communications. Lananh Nguyen, US Finance Editor at Reuters, and Jacob Bogage, White House Economics Correspondent for The Washington Post, offered invaluable insights into how businesses and media organisations are adapting to unprecedented levels of change and unpredictability.

Operating in chaos – the new normal

Perhaps the most striking theme from the discussion was how businesses have learnt to operate within what Bogage described as an inherently “reactionary” administration lacking clear ideological consistency. The early days of the Trump administration saw a pace of policy announcements Bogage said was “unsustainable from an organisation standpoint.” 

Nguyen noted that businesses have become adept at distinguishing between headline-grabbing announcements and substantive policy changes. When it comes to tariffs, for instance, companies recognise that “trade negotiations take a long time. This is a starting point, and we’re going to have negotiations over many months, and we are not at a final end state yet.” This measured approach prevents businesses from constantly recalibrating their strategies based on every press conference or social media post.

The changing nature of power and influence

Bogage highlighted a crucial shift in how power operates within the current administration. Rather than focusing solely on Oval Office announcements, many of which he characterised as largely “ceremonial” events for cameras, journalists and business leaders alike must track how influence has dispersed across various agencies and departments. “Sometimes you have to look beyond the Oval Office and look at who is truly building power, and that’s a more sustainable way to report on the administration,” he explained.

This dispersed power structure creates new challenges for dealmakers and corporate strategists. Nguyen described how senior executives must now navigate a “dual track” system, considering not only traditional regulatory processes but also presidential interest in specific deals and relationships with individual CEOs. As one dealmaker put it, understanding “which CEOs he likes or doesn’t like” has become part of the strategic calculation.

The AI reality check

The discussion around artificial intelligence revealed a market undergoing a healthy correction after periods of excessive hype. Nguyen reported broad consensus at recent Reuters conferences that investors are now applying more rigorous scrutiny to any company positioning itself within the AI space. The key question has shifted from excitement about potential to fundamental business viability: “Do you actually make money? Do we think that the thing you’re doing can make money? And then we’ll write a cheque.”

This more measured approach reflects what Nguyen called a “healthy scepticism” rather than evidence of a bubble about to burst. The AI tools that are proving their value – those used by corporate professionals for reading, summarising and drafting content for example – are becoming integrated into daily workflows, much as the internet did.

Financial cognitive dissonance 

One of the most challenging dynamics facing both policymakers and businesses is what Nguyen described as a “cognitive dissonance” between consumer sentiment and economic data. Whilst consumers spending remains robust according to bank reporting, the sense of financial pressure is palpable. “You go and buy a coffee for $10 – it’s painful, no matter how much you earn,” Nguyen observed.

This disconnect creates significant political and commercial risks. Bogage warned that the gap between corporate optimism and consumer pessimism will likely feature prominently in upcoming elections, with the question “Why are major firms so optimistic, but you are not?” serving as a powerful populist message. Previous attempts by the Biden administration to “dictate to the American people, you should feel better” proved unsuccessful, and the Trump administration now faces the same challenge.

Listening to audiences

Both journalists emphasised the evolving nature of how news organisations connect with audiences. Bogage’s innovative approach to covering the government shutdown exemplified this shift. Rather than producing traditional articles, his team responded directly to audience questions through video content using simple green and red signs to indicate which services were open or closed. The content performed exceptionally well across platforms, from TikTok to LinkedIn. Bogage likes to think of it as “We’re not a newspaper, we’re an accountability organisation,” and with that comes an obligation to be ”really generous and really attentive to our audiences”.

This perspective allows for flexibility in format whilst maintaining journalistic rigour. Nguyen echoed this sentiment, highlighting Reuters’ expansion into podcasts, events and video content, all underpinned by the subject matter expertise and source relationships that distinguish professional journalism.

Trust in an age of disinformation

When asked about maintaining credibility in an environment where everybody who has a camera or phone is a reporter, both journalists emphasised that institutional trust now flows through individual relationships. 

Bogage noted a shift towards placing greater responsibility on individual journalists, as the representative of their media brand: “I have a lot of people who tell me, I trust you, Jacob. And therefore, if you are willing to be at this place, I trust this place.”

Nguyen says that because Reuters and its journalists have over time established a reputation across the industry and across the world, her approach is straightforward: “All we can do is say, here’s how I stand out. I stand out because myself, my colleagues, my team, my entire organisation, thrives and lives and breathes based on our integrity and the quality of our reporting.”

London – 6th January 2026 – The World Media Group (WMG) has appointed two new Co-presidents for 2026. Antonia John, Global Advertising Account Director at CNN International Commercial, and Chris Woodall, Head of European Advertising at The Wall Street Journal, will lead alongside WMG CEO, Jamie Credland, as the organisation enters its next phase of growth.

Both John and Woodall bring extensive industry expertise to their new roles and have been long-standing supporters of the World Media Group. As Co-presidents, they will raise awareness of WMG’s work championing trusted international journalism whilst ensuring the organisation remains closely connected to the industry’s challenges and opportunities.

John and Woodall will work alongside the other members of the leadership team, including Jasmin Kaur, global partner at Havas Media Group, who was recently appointed as Chair of the WMG’s Agency Advisory Board.

The incoming Co-presidents succeed BBC’s Samantha Adams and Economist Impact’s Emma Winchurch-Beale, who have served in the role for the past two years. Adams and Winchurch-Beale have been instrumental in driving the group’s energy and growth during a period of change. During their tenure, the World Media Group expanded its global presence with events in the US, Middle East and Asia. It also hosted the largest ever World Media Awards in 2025, with the flagship event selling out in record time.

Jamie Credland, CEO, World Media Group said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Antonia and Chris as our new Co-presidents. Both have demonstrated a strong commitment to the World Media Group and bring a wealth of expertise from both broadcast and publishing that will be invaluable as we continue to grow and evolve. I’m very much looking forward to working with them over the next two years.

“I’d also like to express my gratitude to Sam and Emma, who have been pivotal in driving WMG’s success. They were a huge support to me when I stepped into the Chief Executive role two years ago, and their dedication has left the organisation in an excellent position. I’m confident they’ll continue to contribute to WMG’s success going forward.”

The appointments reinforce WMG’s commitment to delivering maximum value to members as they navigate the evolving international media landscape.

About The World Media Group
The World Media Group is a strategic alliance of leading international media organisations that connects brands with highly engaged, influential audiences in the context of trusted and renowned journalism. Its members include BBC News, Business Insider, CNBC, CNN International, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, The New York Times Company, Reuters, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, associate member The Atlantic, and partners Avid Collective, Brand Metrics and Dianomi. To find out more about the World Media Group, please visit www.world-media-group.com.

Created by the company’s branded content studio, Reuters Plus, ‘Be Informed’ spotlights Enterprise journalist Maurice Tamman and the investigative campaign, Fentanyl Express. The Reuters team infiltrated the secretive supply chain of the synthetic opioid, and with just $3,600 purchased enough precursor chemicals to produce at least $3 million worth of fentanyl tablets. 

“What we were doing, is effectively recreating what the cartel suppliers were doing,” says Tamman. “The idea that we went out and were able to firsthand document how these supply chains work, was a unique effort to create something that has largely gone uncovered.”

Arif Durrani, Global Content Director, Reuters Plus Studio explained, “Through the pace of the backing track and stripped back graphics, we wanted to capture some of the energy and tension involved in the reporting process. Maurice is a great narrator, and our ‘pulling back the curtain’ approach is an attempt to help audiences better understand the human investment and rigour behind such ambitious work.”

The seven-part editorial series, some two years in the making, has won several high-profile awards for its thorough and impactful work, including the prestigious 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. 

It comes during another challenging year for professional journalism, with data from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism 2025 Digital News Report finding overall trust in news providers sits at just 40%, amid increasing media fragmentation.

Tamman notes that some stories require a level of expertise and global resources many news organisations do not have. He adds: “This was an extremely large team by journalistic standards. It included graphic artists, editors, lawyers and reporters deeply sourced all over the world. From Washington DC and LA all the way to China and Mexico. It was a truly remarkable team. There really aren’t that many news organisations left in the world that can do this.” 

Whether you’re a policymaker, business executive or simply a concerned citizen, being informed by trusted, accountable journalism will help you make critical decisions.

“In an age of misinformation, disinformation and AI deep fakes, this timely film invites people to think about where they get their news. In a world of increasing uncertainty, being informed by quality, trusted journalism will help you make better decisions,” Durrani said.

Özgüc began by talking about the importance of establishing good client-agency relationships. On moving from Vodafone to Babcock, she made one thing clear to her former agency: “I’ll work with you, but I want to work with Nik. Put Nik on my account.” It wasn’t about the agency, or the credentials, or the case studies. It was about having trust in one person. Agency relationships can rise and fall based on individual connections and honest conversations.

The brief is everything (so stop sending it by email)

Of course you’re only as good as your last brief. Özgüc doesn’t mince her words when it comes to clients supplying bad briefs to agencies: “Don’t accept lousy briefs. If the brief is bad, the work is bad, and then it can cost you the account, because the account judges you on the work, they don’t judge on the brief.”

When Özgüc joined Vodafone, her boss thought their agency needed replacing. Before making that move, Özgüc did something radical: she looked at what the agency was actually being given to work with and discovered: “We’d been giving the worst briefs, and the brief is so important.”

She urges agencies to stop accepting briefs by email without any discussion. “You need a meeting to go through it and challenge it. The work you do, you’re not delivering a tangible product. It’s an important service. So to be able to understand the brief and raise the bar – to take it and make it even bigger – is so important.”

Challenging the brief is how you demonstrate value and build trust. It shows you’re thinking strategically, not just executing tactically.

A three-way partnership

When it comes to media partnerships, Özgüc says there’s a dangerous assumption that the agency and media partner should handle everything whilst the client waits for the finished product.

“I believe the client should be at the table as well,” she insists. “It shouldn’t be the agency talking to the media partner. You should be part of the discussion so that you can shape it.”

She says the agency’s role in these partnerships is to provide project management excellence. “The agency is a wonderful facilitator, but in essence, the client is working with the media partner. That’s high stakes for the media partner and the client. The agency’s job is to make it a very successful relationship.”

The strategic conversations, such as what success looks like, KPIs and measurement, require all three voices at the table with the agency acting as the project manager “keeping everyone on their toes.” 

What clients really need from agencies

“I would never operate without an agency. The agency has much more experience than me. They’ve seen other clients, other industries.” Özgüc says. She expects them to “Take the brief and make it bigger. Give me examples from other clients, other industries, because I want to be successful.”

She’s a big believer in “big bets” and wants agencies to “really make me dream bigger.” This is where agencies become genuine partners: “I had an idea of what I wanted to do, and the agency came and we made it bigger. We made it different. Helped me stand out.”

If you’re wondering whether to include a ‘wild card’ in response to a brief, the answer is yes. “I love ideas that are off-brief. Every time I give a brief, I expect some sort of a wild card as well. It is often the wild card we end up bringing to life.” This isn’t about ignoring instructions. It’s about demonstrating lateral thinking whilst delivering what was asked for.

Navigating internal politics

Özgüc is keen to stress that the whole team needs to understand the client directly. She believes that when only account managers interact with clients, you lose the creative tension that produces breakthrough work.

“I hate to work just with account managers. Account managers are important. But I don’t like the Chinese whispers. The creative lead, the strategy lead – they should all be at the table.” The team needs to understand the client directly, not through layers of briefing.

Özgüc invites other stakeholders to agency meetings, even if they’re not directly involved. She worries that some people are “quite protective with that relationship. It’s so important to bring people along the journey with you. And that’s actually important for the agency side and the media partner side as well – knowing the client.”

When it comes to sign-off, Özgüc says agencies often fail to grasp the internal approval processes their clients navigate. “You deliver something on time to your client, and then the client goes completely silent,” Ebru acknowledges. “But sometimes you need to manage the internal dynamics.”

At CMO level, for example, “You need to sell something, and that takes time.” When pitching a major partnership to a former CEO, a media partner created a high-quality video about the partnership, before the contract was signed to help with the internal presentation.

It helped Özgüc sell it in: “The CEO was: ’Wow!’ That video, without them knowing, really got me the open door.”  The best partnerships extend beyond deliverables to helping navigate internal complexities.

Lead with ideas, not budget constraints

“I’ve never been restrained by budget,” Özgüc reveals. “I want great ideas, great initiatives.” Often, she encounters the team saying ‘Oh, we’ll never do that, because we never have the budget.’ She says “The only way to break that is to not think about budget but run after great ideas. And to be honest, everything I believed in, I got the resources to run.”

She wants agencies to think like that as well. “That’s why that whole wildcard idea is the best.”

Her advice is to lead with ambition. The budget conversation becomes easier when a brilliant idea is on the table.

The three-year work rule

Meaningful achievements take time. Özgüc recommends three years minimum in a role.

“I hate to see people jumping – one or two years and they change. It takes so long to be able to have something you’re proud of. At least three years. Don’t kid yourself – you can’t really talk about an achievement that you’ve done in one or two years.”

But there’s a balance. After 12 years at Vodafone, she moved to Babcock. “Learning keeps you young. You have to build new skills.”

When it comes to job interviews, Ebru’s approach reveals how she thinks about all partnerships: “In an interview, you have to ask as many questions as the interviewer. You have to be on the front foot. You are investing your time, your fabulous self. You have to show up and deliver. You want to make sure that it’s a win-win.”

Before joining Babcock, Özgüc asked: “It’s clear what needs to be done. It’s not that clear if you will let me get on with it”. It’s important to clarify that you are hired for the right reasons and get reassurance that you will be supported.

You earn trust by demonstrating confidence and being clear about what you need, to succeed.

Trust is built through clear communication, mutual challenge and shared ambition to do meaningful work together. Choose your partners wisely. Demand clear briefs. Challenge each other to dream bigger.

Because when things go wrong – and they will – trust determines whether you work through it together or start the exhausting process of finding a new partner.

For more insights from the Agency Future Leaders event, read our companion pieces on Harnessing the Potential of AI and Turning Imposter Syndrome Into Your Secret Weapon.