In our very first mailbag special, ExchangeWire’s head of marketing Grainne Reid is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and John Still, head of content, to answer our listeners’ biggest questions about ad tech and media.

The team put on their media planning hats, debating where they would allocate spend across retail & commerce media, CTV, and out-of-home. They also discuss the strengths of independent agencies versus holdcos, and unpack the legal and regulatory battles shaping the industry, from antitrust trials to social media bans.

Kerry asks: “You’ve talked a lot about AI search, walled gardens, and retail/commerce media reshaping where budgets flow. If you were running a global media plan today, where would you over-index — and where would you deliberately deprioritise spend over the next 2–3 years?”

Steve asks: "Are agencies in trouble?"

Paul asks: “Which current investigations or policy moves do you think have the highest chance of really changing how media is bought and sold in the next few years?”

Got a burning question for the ExchangeWire team? Drop your questions over to us and we'll answer in our next monthly mailbag special...