This week’s TV upfronts are proof that media and the technology behind it are rapidly changing, removing siloed strategies from media choices – forcing marketers to get back to that core question.
It’s fascinating how technology has merged nearly all (or just all?) the media categories. While the marketing question has always centered on “What do you want to accomplish?” it’s also been closely aligned with “Where do you want to advertise?” The media choices were very distinct: TV, print, OOH, radio, mail and, very early in the digital era, web banners.
But technology’s evolution makes the platform less important since most platforms are not tied to just one strategy.
TV, with the growing capability of connected TV, is not just for awareness, it also can be for performance and commerce marketing, says analyst Andrew Lipsman in The Current.
Social media is no longer just top-of-funnel, as it also can be for short-term performance marketing, such as via affiliate marketing with creators and influencers.
And even media relations is no longer *just* about awareness and thought leadership. Targeted and smart earned media play into answer engine optimization.
But let’s get back to TV. This week’s TV upfronts are proof that technology is changing what “TV” is. While the WSJ has a story about streaming platforms overtaking traditional TV in ad spend, broadcasters have had streaming platforms for quite a while.
The broadcast TV giants of ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox now have to share center stage with not only Amazon and Netflix but also with the likes of Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast.
And, don’t even get me started talking about how TV has become a subset of video marketing (looking at you short-form video, microdramas, branded video content and even video games).
What this all boils down to is: As technology mashes up the capabilities and identities of online and offline media, marketers need to remain steadfast to that core question: What do you want to accomplish?
Feature image credit: 2026 NBCUniversal Upfront, with (L-R) Jennifer Garner, D’Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Chloe Sevigny, “The Five Star Weekend” on Peacock. (Credit: NBCUniversal/Getty Images)
By Mike Driehorst
Mike Driehorst is a SmartBrief senior editor, working on newsletters covering social media, advertising, agencies, interactive and multicultural marketing, as well as the mobility industry. After an early career in newspaper journalism, Mike worked in public relations, social media and digital marketing on both the agency and client side for 20 years before joining SmartBrief in early 2019.
