More than once during Upfront Week, as I was preparing to leave an event, a network sales chief turned to me and said, “Now the real work begins.”  It was a simple statement that reminded me yet again of something more and more people in the industry realize with each passing year:  There seems to be no point to these deluxe presentations.

The number of in-house agencies has grown substantially over recent years across all marketing services from creative strategy and content to programmatic and social media.  In their most recent study, the ANA found that 78% of its members reported having in-house capabilities at the end of 2018 -- most being established within the last five years.

Audio might feel new in the world of branding and marketing, but it has been an essential part of the way humans have developed a shared history.  Cave paintings and early written languages of hieroglyphics get the lion's share of our attention when it comes to understanding communication in the ancient world.  However, our earliest method to transfer information was spoken word, such as the renowned oral tradition African griots used to pass on customs, histories and procedures.  The verbal or spoken word is linked to the aural or listening capability and establishes that the exchange and retention of shared history is a virtual loop.  Today's obsession with storytelling permeating the worlds of marketing, design and content is a homage to the tradition of those griots.

The final week of the Upfront/NewFronts event cycle included an appeal on Wednesday from the cinema advertising specialists at Screenvision Media.

At the stroke of 10 a.m. last Wednesday morning, the annual, always entertaining Upfront event featuring Time Warner's Turner channels became the opening public display for WarnerMedia's gallery of TV and digital initiatives, now on parent AT&T;'s watch.  Moreover, if any of the thousands of attendees present were expecting clues over how WarnerMedia will shape its forthcoming direct-to-consumer venture -- to be distributed early 2020 via multichannel operators and smart TV sets/TV-connected products -- they were rewarded with a tidbit or two.

Univision Communications Inc. during Upfront Week once again proved how much it focuses on all audience experiences with an interactive Upfront event (see video below), inventively immersing guests in activities and displays tied to its programming and inviting everyone to “Eat. Drink. Explore.”  “Last year we decided to shake things up with the Upfront format” said Steve Mandala (pictured above), President of Advertising Sales and Marketing for UCI.  “We got such a positive response, we decided to take the same approach this year.”