Helping INMA members navigate and find paths forward through the threats of the post-traffic era for news media advertising.
What We Aim to Achieve in 2026
AI and traffic evolution (and their impact on consumer and ad buyer behaviour) guide our overarching approach for 2026. Five key focus areas will guide our programming:
- Video strategy: Video — and its potential to offset display declines — may be the most important opportunity of 2026. We'll explore formats, channels, video/audio strategy, direct & programmatic approaches, and successful case studies.
- AI and the agentic marketplace: We'll review operational AI case studies and assess viability/profitability. We'll also monitor emerging agentic protocols, their potential to disrupt adtech by enabling direct buyer-seller relationships, and help publishers prepare for this shift.
- Revenue diversification and product innovation: Events, branded content, premium formats, audio, creators and more remain key to future-proofing offerings and building partnerships.
- Data and signal strategies: Without actionable audience signals and advanced measurement data, publishers risk commoditised inventory and declining value. We’ll focus on measurement and continue to review audience data strategies.
- How you sell and what you sell: We'll explore partnerships, deal structures, packaging, and sales structures — along with how to package and sell publisher audiences and the value of super users in an era of declining scale.
Video strategy
AI and the agentic marketplace
Revenue diversification and product innovation
Data and signal strategies
How you sell and what you sell
2025 year-end Town Hall of the Advertising Initiative
Ways to connect
Newsletter
Get bi-weekly Advertising Initiative newsletters in your inbox. Sign up here
Slack channel
A place to share news media advertising experiences and happenings both privately and publicly. Sign up here.
Live and on-demand Webinars
Join advertising peers for practical members-only upcoming Webinars and on-demand webinars.
First-Party Data for Advertising Revenue Master Class
How news media companies can transform first-party data into sustainable premium CPM advertising revenue growth is the focus of this September 2025 master class. See schedule here
Ask me anything
For corporate members of INMA, connect your advertising teams with Gabriel Dorosz for private mentoring. Contact INMA
Reports
See our latest reports regarding advertising. Click here to view all. Click here to view.
Mission
The Advertising Initiative, launched in May 2025, helps INMA members navigate and find paths forward through the threats of the post-traffic era for news media digital advertising.
Advertising Initiative Lead
Gabriel (Gabe) Dorosz is a strategist, researcher, and media industry leader with a career that’s spanned the intersections of digital media, advertising, brands, data, technology, experiences, and ideas. With nearly 30 years of experience in digital media and advertising — including seven years leading strategy & insights for advertising at The New York Times — he’s witnessed firsthand the challenges of news media advertising.
