Over the course of 14 sessions, speakers at DIGIDAY: ON MEDIA held forth on the pressing issues facing agencies. The long and the short of it is: the future is bright but awfully messy. Sean Finnegan, CEO of Geomentum, started off the day by sketching out the industry of the future. Instead of a nostalgic return to the days of Mad Men, this agency is fueled more by data rather than scotch. It’s smaller but more expert; it works well with others; and it looks for creativity from all corners. Subsequent speakers picked up on Finnegan’s theme of reinvention, from reasserting the role of creativity in digital advertising to ditching the click as a measurement standard to automating the cumbersome ad-buying process. Here are some soundbites from the day’s action:
More in Media

How creators are using generative AI in podcasts, videos and newsletters — and what advertisers think about it
Here’s a look at how some creators are leveraging generative AI to create video, audio and written content — and whether or not that’s a turn-off for advertisers.

Buzzfeed, News Corp and New York Times push back on tariff fears in earnings calls
Publishing execs pushed back on tariff and macroeconomic climate fears in Q1 2025 earnings calls, expressing confidence that their businesses would grow this year.

Digiday+ Research: Publishers’ subscription revenue is up this year, and they’ll focus on growing it even further
Subscriptions is one area where publishers are seeing more revenue, and, in turn, ramping up their plans to strengthen that part of their business in the coming months.