From Media Commodities to Co-Intelligence: Why 2007’s Warnings Still Define 2026’s Urgency

In 2007 The Association of National Advertisersamp8217 Advertiser Magazine published a profile interview with me conducted by Joe Mandese editor at MediaPost It was flattering at the time to be described as a amp8220visionaryamp8221 but what mattered more was that I was trying to sound an alarm I warned that media and advertising remained trapped in models rooted in mass reach quantification and a commodity mindset and that without transformation the business would stagnateToday and into 2026 those same principles resonate more strongly than ever and that is not a point of pride It is a profound disappointment Because while the world has shifted under our feet artificial intelligence has exploded into what I call technointelligence much of the media industry continues to cling to the structures of yesterdayThis may sound like an exercise in ego I said it then and Iamp8217m saying it again But in truth it is written with humility and with a sense of responsibility The failure of leaders to act has empowered Google Meta Amazon and a handful of other companies to rise and dominate at the expense of legacy organizations The advertising business even today is still entrenched in ageold commoditized models that reward inertia over innovationThe 2007 Principles A SnapshotIn that 2007 interview I argued several points that remain painfully relevant todayThe industry embraces the idea of change but resists real transformationEven then executives spoke about innovation but 90 of budgets flowed into traditional commoditized models Today despite AI streaming and the collapse of attention into fragmented micromoments the imbalance remainsShortterm leadership horizons block progressAs I said then the average CMO tenure was too short to drive meaningful innovation That hasnamp8217t changed Leaders rotate before transformation takes root passing the challenge to their successors Even the title of Chief Marketing Officer is being archived in many corporations as responsibilities expand to nonadvertising categoriesThe media model was already bifurcatingIn 2007 I described two economic worlds colliding the highpriced cluttered network marketplace and the hyperefficient digital model I warned that without new currencies of emotional connection television would become overly commoditized In 2026 we will see exactly that outcome with the vast majority of budgets now invested in programmatic retail media principal trading SEO and social mediaThe need for new currenciesI pressed the case for currencies beyond reach and frequency currencies measuring emotional connection attentiveness and coviewing Nearly two decades later Nielsen still dominates Yes there are new tools but the industry still clings to antiquated ratings as the foundation of billions in spendingWhat strikes me most is not how right these predictions were but how little has changed in response to themThe Context of 2026 TechnointelligenceArtificial intelligence has not merely disrupted it has redefined the foundations of business I call this technointelligence the fusion of machine learning human creativity and collective intelligence It is not a tool it is a partner in thought decision and creationEvery industry is facing this sea change Healthcare finance logistics and education are reshaping themselves in response to the possibilities and the perils of AI Yet advertising which should be at the forefront of communication culture and innovation remains oddly stagnantLegacy organizations still buy and sell on CPMs Still negotiate Upfronts and NewFronts Still sustain systems designed for a time when audiences had three choices of broadcast channel and appointment viewing and managed scheduling dictated cultural rhythmsMeanwhile consumers and younger generations have fully migrated into cointelligent ecosystems where choice voice and agency are table stakesWhy Leaders Have FailedThe failure lies not in technology It lies in leadershipLeaders did not make the shifts when they had the chance They chose to preserve comfortable models rather than confront the future They empowered Google Meta Amazon and TikTok to seize the opportunity They invested in quarterly returns instead of longterm transformation Executives are rewarded for advancing Wall Street vs Madison Ave valueAnd yes they empowered the explosion of digital advertising but largely on terms set by othersThe warning in 2007 was simple If you treat media as a commodity you will be treated as a commodity That is precisely what happenedThe Next Five YearsHere is where humility meets urgency The next five years will determine whether media can reinvent itself as a partner in human and machine cointelligence or collapse further into commoditized irrelevanceThe principles I outlined in 2007 must now be applied with ferocityAdopt new currencies Move beyond reach and ratings to measure human qualities that machines cannot replicate trust empathy attentiveness and emotional connectionEmbrace technointelligence Stop treating AI as a tool for efficiency alone and start treating it as a partner in creativity storytelling and leadershipBreak the upfront cycle Replace impressionsbased transactional programmatic models with transparent accountable and dynamic systems that reflect real consumer behaviorsLead with generational foresight The Alpha and emerging Nexus Generations the first AInative cohort demand authenticity cocreation and purpose Serving them requires more than incremental changeThe Role of The Myers ReportThis is where my work now comes full circle Since 2009 I have shifted from consultingfunded research to building professional development and educational ecosystems MediaVillage the Education Foundation and the Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors Now through The Myers Report on Substack I am reintroducing and reengaging as a CSuite advisor not as a strategist who tells leaders what they want to hear but as one who challenges them to see what must be doneIf youamp8217ve followed my work over the years you know that foresight has always been my business The Myers Report on Substack is where Iamp8217m now focusing that foresight offering actionable intelligence leadership frameworks and guidance at the intersection of human and machine intelligence If you are serious about preparing yourself your team and your organization for the next five years I invite you to subscribe httpssubstackcomthemyersreportAnd if you want a grounding in the leadership principles that harmonize technology and human creativity my book The Tao of Leadership Harmonizing Technological Innovation and Human Creativity in the AI Era is available now at all booksellers worldwide It is both a primer and a compass for leaders navigating this uncertain futureA Final WordNearly 20 years ago I described myself as a visionary That label always made me uncomfortable Today I prefer to think of myself as a mirror My work reflects back to leaders not what they want to see but what they need to confrontThe choices ahead are stark Continue to cling to the past and watch others define the future or embrace technointelligence cointelligence and emotional fluency to create value in ways machines alone cannotThe next five years will be decisive The past proves the point The future still invites us forwardAnd the place where Iamp8217ll be tracking analyzing and sharing those choices with candor conviction and commitment is The Myers Report on Substack Subscribe now read deeply and join a community of leaders who refuse to be left behind

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From Media Commodities to Co-Intelligence: Why 2007’s Warnings Still Define 2026’s Urgency

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From Media Commodities to Co-Intelligence: Why 2007’s Warnings Still Define 2026’s Urgency

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