STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARKETERS FROM THE MYERS REPORT

A NEW REALITY FOR MEDIA STRATEGY: The Re-Emergence of Legacy Media

Marketers today are navigating an advertising ecosystem that looks more efficient than ever—automated, data-optimized, AI-assisted, and cost-effective. But beneath this seemingly streamlined surface lies a structural challenge that is eroding the competitive advantage of brands: media buying has become commoditized.

Over the past decade, the rise of procurement-led investment strategies and performance-driven media models has fundamentally altered how advertising is valued and executed. With media budgets increasingly managed by procurement officers rather than marketers, and decisions based more on cost per impression than cultural context, the core strategic function of media as a differentiator has been sidelined. In its place, parity pricing and platform ubiquity have created an environment where reach is abundant—but resonance is rare.

A new white paper from The Myers Report presents a contrarian yet evidence-based perspective: in this commoditized marketplace, legacy media is not only relevant—it is essential. Not because it offers nostalgia or familiarity, but because it represents the last—and perhaps the next—great frontier for competitive advantage. Legacy media platforms, long viewed as “traditional,” have quietly transformed into dynamic, omnichannel content ecosystems. And in doing so, they have preserved something that automation cannot replicate: human relationships, cultural credibility, and the capacity for strategic, brand-building partnerships.

Marketers are approaching a new inflection point. With programmatic saturation nearing its limit and performance metrics plateauing, brands must look to reassert distinction through media—not in the form of more data, but through richer collaboration. This is the moment to re-evaluate the role of legacy media—not as a relic of the past, but as a premium strategic asset for the future.

Strategic Imperatives for Marketers

• Reassess Media Mix Beyond Efficiency: Evaluate whether current procurement- and automation-led buys are delivering real brand equity and long-term value.

• Invest in Partnership-Ready Media Brands: Prioritize relationships with media companies that offer organizational readiness for innovation in media allocation and design, sponsorships, branded partnerships, and strategic ideation.

• Future-Proof Through Collaboration: Begin building the internal and external partnerships needed to operate in a marketplace where differentiation, not efficiency alone, drives performance.

Subscribers to The Myers Report Substack can scroll down for exclusive content from the 40-page Myers Report white paper, which outlines the historical context that brought us here, the current challenges facing both media companies and marketers, and the path forward toward a revitalized model of media collaboration—one that reasserts the value of legacy media not as a relic of the past, but as a catalyst for future competitive success. It is a call to action for brand marketers to lead this reinvention and to partner with legacy media in building the next era of strategic differentiation.

The full 40-page white paper is available to annual subscribers of The Myers Report custom research program. The 2025 Myers Report series of 24 white papers is available for subscription and individually at www.myersreports.com. The Myers Report is supported exclusively through subscription to The Myers Report at Substack (paid subscription - $95); The Myers Report White Paper Series at www.MyersReports.com; and the full portfolio of Myers Report research, custom advisory, business growth reports, and speaking engagements (mediavillage.com/myers-prices/)