This year, Media Words turns 10. I can’t quite believe it.
You blink, you miss it.
There have been ups and downs. Trials, tribulations, tears, and plenty of happiness. But through it all, it’s been the people behind me – the ones who’ve encouraged, supported, pushed, and challenged me – that made the difference.
2026? There’s a lot of chatter about uncertainty. An uncomfortable feeling in the room. AI, redundancies, interest rates, mergers…
But you know what? I can’t wait.
The Market Reality
The advertising market ended 2025 cautiously – October saw a 14.7% drop as brands held back. Forecasters described it as “extremely cautious.”
But here’s what the data is actually saying: the turmoil will be short-lived. Australian consumers haven’t fundamentally changed. They’re cautious, yes, but confidence and spending should build through 2026.
WPP Media forecasts the Australian ad market will grow 6.5% in 2026 to $30.7 billion – outpacing GDP growth of just 1.8%. That’s resilience.
And the channel shifts are accelerating:
Digital dominance continues:
- Pure-play internet now accounts for 75.9% of total ad revenue, climbing to 83.5% by 2030
- Search will grow 9.1% in 2026, driven by AI-powered optimisation and new formats
Retail media is exploding:
- Forecast to grow 24.4% in 2026
- Will surpass total TV ad revenue by 2027 – a major industry milestone
- Intimate customer data at the cash register is fueling performance planning
Traditional channels under pressure:
- TV and streaming will fall another 5.1% in 2026
- Print continues to decline: newspapers down 9.1%, magazines down 2.3%
- Audio (including podcasts) up just 0.7%, with digital offsetting radio declines
But opportunity exists:
- OOH will grow 6.2% in 2026
- Cinema remains a niche, premium environment
The message is clear: soft markets create opportunity. When everyone’s pulling back, that’s when the smart players move. And they’re moving to where audiences actually are – across interconnected channels, not siloed ones.
Why I Can’t Wait
Because with uncertainty comes opportunity. A chance to re-look at things. To move forward with a different stride.
Media Words isn’t a conventional agency. I don’t even call myself an agency. I built it differently. I took all the things that frustrated me and turned them into something that works – for me, for my clients.
I’ve lost count of how many website iterations there have been. The positioning statements. The logos. The structural pivots. When I started, I didn’t even know how to run a business. I’ve learned so much.
But all these things and more make Media Words different. It’s founder-led. Senior hands on the tools, and commercially minded – every thought, cent, conversation matters. Always evolving. Never still.
Why This Matters Now
If you’re navigating 2026 and feeling that uncomfortable uncertainty everyone’s talking about, here’s what you get with Media Words:
No layers. No handoffs to juniors. No theatre. Just senior strategic thinking, commercially minded, with 30 years of experience across FMCG, retail, and brand-building media. I treat media as an interconnected ecosystem, not siloed channels – because that’s where the real opportunities are.
Soft markets separate the smart players from everyone else. If you’re ready to move while others pull back, let’s talk.
