Media Magnified

From June 1–4 in vibrant New Orleans, the 2025 Performance Marketing Insider Summit delivered more than just another transformative industry conference — it offered a front-row seat to the future of digital marketing. Through insightful panels, thought-provoking presentations, and energizing conversations with marketing leaders from top global brands, I left with a clearer vision of where our industry is headed. And the future? Innovation is accelerating — and it’s being driven by cutting-edge technology and the bold marketers ready to embrace change.

Big Brands, Big Affirmation

One of the most exciting parts of the summit was connecting with brand leaders from powerhouses like Coca-Cola and Nike. These conversations affirmed what we at Harmelin have believed for some time: we’re on the right track. With our proprietary platform, Harmonee, we’re not just keeping up — we’re innovating. We’re carving out a place as true leaders in client solutions and reporting, and this summit only reinforced that belief.

Search Isn’t Linear Anymore

Unsurprisingly, AI was a hot topic throughout the event. But while the buzz around artificial intelligence is real, the deeper, more lasting takeaway was about Search — and how much it’s changed. The traditional view of clean-cut funnel stages is quickly becoming obsolete. Today, search behavior is more like a pinball machine: unpredictable, multidirectional, and happening across every channel you can imagine. Conversions don’t follow a straight line anymore, and that shift demands a new kind of strategy.

Omnichannel Is the New Must

The word on everyone’s lips? Omnichannel.

The omnichannel approach is no longer optional — it’s essential. In a world of fragmented platforms and fluid customer journeys, the days of Paid Search dominating the bottom of the funnel are behind us. Acquisition isn’t about one moment or one tactic anymore. The leaders we heard from made one thing abundantly clear: attribution must be applied at every stage. The first touchpoint might be on TikTok, and the last might be via voice search. If your messaging is unified, your strategy needs to be, too.

Off-Google Discovery and the Rise of AI Tools

During the panel I hosted, What Do We Do Now That Search Is No Longer Just Google?, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ryan Jones, Senior Vice President of SEO at Razorfish; Brooke Hess, Vice President of Paid Media at NP Digital; and Sam Clarke, Managing Director and Head of Search at Crossmedia. Together, we explored the nuances of marketing in a space that’s increasingly moving off Google during the initial discovery. We learned that current trends are pulling people toward platforms like TikTok and YouTube at the beginning of their journey, and tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are only becoming more prominent. Ryan Jones expounded on the need to optimize toward these channels however we can with effective copy, as well as stay on our toes and be ready for shifts in the industry. The big takeaway from these experts? Stay flexible and stay open to how you can use AI to drive your agency forward.

Be Ready for What’s Next

Yes, the future of Search is still being written. It’s an uncertain and sometimes messy space — but it’s also a frontier full of opportunity. And as marketers, we get to be the ones to write the next chapter. After attending the Insider Summit, I’m more confident than ever that Harmelin is ready, not just to face the future, but to lead it.

For more information, visit harmelin.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn or Facebook. 

The 2025 Upfront presentations from the industry’s biggest media players — Disney, NBCUniversal, Amazon, Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, Paramount, and Fox — underscored how TV and streaming continue to transform in response to evolving consumer habits, advancing technology, and advertiser expectations.

Of note, the 2025 Upfronts highlighted AI’s transition from a standalone solution to a core element of a comprehensive advertising strategy. Its integration into various facets of advertising operations reflects a broader industry trend towards leveraging AI to enhance targeting precision, improve campaign effectiveness, and navigate the complexities of the modern advertising landscape.

Below is a breakdown of the most prominent themes that shaped this year’s events.

Live Sports Power Cross-Platform Strategies

Live sports remain the undisputed driver of audience engagement and advertising investment. Media companies leaned heavily on their sports portfolios to demonstrate reach, reliability, and brand-safe environments.

• NBCUniversal spotlighted major tentpoles like the 2026 Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LX.
• Warner Bros. Discovery promoted its expanded coverage of NCAA programming.
• Netflix made waves with its first NFL Christmas Day games, signaling a deeper commitment to live content.

More than just a ratings guarantee, sports content now sits at the center of cross-platform strategies that blend live broadcasts, streaming, and interactive features.

• Shoppable & Interactive Ad Experiences Take Center Stage

The convergence of content, commerce, and engagement was another clear theme, with several companies introducing interactive, performance-driven ad formats.

• NBCU’s Must Shop TV and Disney’s Gateway Shop allow viewers to shop products in real time.
• Amazon rolled out interactive carousels, pause ads, and trivia ads designed to blur the line between viewing and buying.

Advertisers are no longer satisfied with impressions alone — they want measurable performance and immersive engagement.

• Data-Driven, Cross-Platform Advertising Becomes Standard

Advanced targeting and measurement capabilities were front and center, as platforms emphasized the importance of addressability and accountability.

• Disney’s Clean Room and NBCU’s One Platform enable secure, multi-channel audience targeting.
• Real-time analytics now span across linear, streaming, and digital channels, allowing brands to make smarter decisions mid-campaign.

Unified audience buying is becoming the industry norm, offering advertisers scale without sacrificing precision.

• Premium Content Anchors Platform Value

From legacy franchises to buzzy originals, premium programming remains a key draw for both viewers and advertisers.

• Amazon showcased its commitment to scripted series and game shows, supported by star power and global expansion.
• NBCUniversal leaned into big cultural moments with previews from BravoCon, Wicked, and major sports events.
• Netflix continued focusing on flagship IP like Bridgerton, Stranger Things, and Wednesday while scaling back on live presentations.

Even amid economic pressures, premium content remains the industry’s most valuable currency.

AI Becomes Advertising Infrastructure: Takeaway for Marketers

The 2025 Upfronts clearly signaled that the future of TV advertising is measurable, immersive, and performance focused. Winning strategies will belong to those who embrace new formats, leverage first-party data, and evolve alongside shifting viewer behaviors.

Network Highlights

Disney

Disney’s Upfront was anchored by star power and strategic messaging. CEO Bob Iger opened the presentation, emphasizing Disney’s scale, creative breadth, and global footprint. The unveiling of the new standalone ESPN streaming service, launching in fall 2025 with a $29.99 per month price point, was a centerpiece, offering live sports, original programming, and interactive features like fantasy tools, betting integration, and real-time shopping.

Advertising chief Rita Ferro showcased Disney’s strength in live sports, particularly its growing female viewership, and introduced Vibe Check, a women-led ESPN studio show. Ferro emphasized innovations in automation and data-rich, brand-safe ad environments.

The event featured trailers for major upcoming titles, including Daredevil: Born Again, Alien: Earth, and new Ryan Murphy projects. Disney also plans to bundle the new ESPN platform with Hulu and Disney+, expanding its reach across sports, lifestyle, and entertainment audiences.

Amazon

Amazon highlighted rapid growth for its ad-supported Prime Video tier, now reaching over 130 million U.S. viewers. Monthly viewership is up 37%, with global expansion planned in Brazil, India, Japan, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

The company spotlighted premium content — including Fallout, Road House, and The Summer I Turned Pretty — and revealed expanded NBA and NASCAR coverage. New ad innovations include shoppable carousels, interactive video ads, and pause ads, all tied to Amazon’s powerful retail ecosystem. The launch of Complete TV, an AI-powered media planning tool, aims to help buyers optimize spend across Amazon’s full media footprint.

Netflix

Netflix’s Upfront emphasized the fast-growing ad-supported tier, which now counts 94 million global users. The platform introduced AI-powered contextual and interactive ad formats, such as mid-content ads and branded pause screens, that integrate seamlessly with viewing.

Netflix also recently launched an in-house ad tech platform and expanding partnerships with Nielsen, DoubleVerify, and IAS for measurement. Its content slate remains a core strength, headlined by Bridgerton, Stranger Things, and the NFL Christmas Day games. The company is positioning itself as a top-tier ad partner offering reach, innovation, and exclusivity.

Fox

Fox announced FOX One, a new streaming platform launching in fall 2025 that will aggregate live and on-demand content across sports, news, and entertainment. It complements Tubi, which continues to serve cord-cutters.

Fox leaned into franchise programming — The Simpsons, The Masked Singer, Family Guy — and teased new series like Memory of a Killer and The Faithful. The network also touted its deep live sports portfolio, including NFL, MLB, and FIFA World Cup 2026, along with new AI tools for ad planning and measurement.

NBCUniversal

NBCU’s Upfront showcased its all-platform strategy, from NBC and Peacock to Bravo and Telemundo. The company previewed upcoming programming and legacy events like BravoCon, Live from the Red Carpet, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Legendary February is set to dominate live viewership with Super Bowl LX, the Winter Olympics, and the NBA All-Star Weekend airing within a two-week span. NBCU also introduced cutting-edge ad tech like Universal Ads and Emotional Metadata Alignment, reaffirming its commitment to full-funnel, data-driven marketing.

Paramount

Paramount unveiled a refreshed ad strategy under the theme “Premium Re-defined.” The centerpiece was Paramount Connect, a new ad platform designed to streamline targeting across its ecosystem.

Programming highlights included new and returning shows across broadcast, cable, and streaming, reinforcing Paramount’s multi-platform strength. Live sports, including NFL and NCAA coverage, remained central to its pitch.

Warner Bros. Discovery

WBD brought back the HBOMax brand to signal a return to prestige storytelling, with a focus on cinematic quality and high-profile IP. Live content was also a focus, from Shark Week to a new women’s basketball league, Unrivaled.

The company introduced WBD Storyverse, allowing brands to build campaigns using beloved franchises like DC Comics and Food Network personalities. DemoDirect, a new ad-buying platform, simplifies planning across linear and digital properties.

Notably absent was the NBA, but WBD countered with expanded coverage of NASCAR, NHL, NCAA, tennis, and more, signaling that its sports slate remains robust despite the lack of NBA presence on their networks next season

Final Thoughts

Across all presentations, the message was clear: the media landscape is converging, and platforms are competing on their ability to offer premium content, scalable reach, and measurable outcomes. For marketers, success will hinge on adapting to this new world, where performance, personalization, and platform synergy reign supreme.

For more information, visit harmelin.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn or Facebook. 

At the beginning of May, we immersed ourselves in vibrant discussions at the 2025 OOH MediaCon. Industry leaders gathered to explore the current landscape and future trajectory of Out-of-Home advertising. The atmosphere was charged with bold ideas and refreshingly candid conversations, all unified by this year’s compelling theme: “The Power of Presence.” 

While the conference covered a broad spectrum of topics, two key themes resonated most strongly with us: 

1. Measurement continues to be the industry’s most significant challenge. 

2. “Presence” in OOH extends beyond impactful ad placements to include active industry engagement for client success. 

Asking the Right Questions, Together 

One of our biggest takeaways from MediaCon was a reassuring validation: Harmelin Media’s approach to OOH strategy, tools, and technology is precisely where it needs to be. The critical questions we’re asking about impression delivery, attribution, and measurement methodology are, it turns out, the very same questions top of mind for industry leaders across the board. 

A resounding theme echoing through every corner of MediaCon was the persistent challenge of measurement in Out-of-Home. This topic consistently surfaced in lively panel discussions and informal hallway chats alike, highlighted as a crucial area needing immediate attention. There’s a clear disconnect between various data sources and inconsistent methodologies, meaning a “one-size-fits-all” solution for cross-channel reporting isn’t quite here yet. 

The good news? This isn’t an ignored issue. Vendors, tech partners, agencies like ours, and advertisers are all actively rolling up their sleeves to find solutions collaboratively. This strong spirit of cooperation signals a genuine turning point — a collective commitment to bring greater clarity and accountability to the OOH space. 

While the exact path forward isn’t perfectly clear, the collective dedication and brainpower focused on measurement offer immense optimism. We’re proud to say that Harmelin isn’t just observing; we’re actively engaged in these crucial discussions with our partners, ensuring our clients’ needs are front and center, and playing a vital role in shaping the future of OOH measurement. 

The Power of Presence: More Than Just a Billboard 

This year’s conference theme, “The Power of Presence,” resonated deeply with our philosophy. While it certainly refers to strategically placing billboards and other OOH formats for maximum impact, for us, it also underscored something more profound: being present as an agency within the OOH ecosystem. It’s about cultivating genuine relationships, collaborating with leading partners, and actively participating in conversations that truly shape the industry. 

Let’s be honest, strong relationships have always been a cornerstone of the OOH world. And while technology and automation have significantly transformed how we plan and buy media, those personal connections still make a tangible difference. Attending MediaCon provided invaluable opportunities to reconnect with key vendors, forge relationships with innovative new tech partners, and engage directly with the individuals driving advancements in this space. 

Showing up truly matters. It ensures we remain plugged into current trends, gives us a voice in the industry direction, and helps us uncover new opportunities for our clients well before they become mainstream. Being present doesn’t just keep us ahead of industry trends; it ensures we’re in the room where decisions are made and solutions are built, directly benefiting the campaigns we execute. 

Why This Matters to You, Our Clients and Partners 

At Harmelin Media, everything we do is built upon three core pillars: Strategy, Solutions, and Success. MediaCon 2025 vividly brought these pillars to life, especially when considering the rapidly evolving world of OOH. 

• Strategy: Staying Ahead of the Curve (So Our Clients Are Too!) We’re continually leveraging the smartest tools, technology, and tactics available. By actively participating in these crucial industry conversations, we ensure our clients’ campaigns are not only current, but also future-ready and optimized for emerging opportunities. 

• Solutions: Tackling Challenges and Finding New Wins Together. Whether it’s diving headfirst into the complex OOH measurement puzzle or uncovering exciting new media opportunities through our extensive industry connections, we’re not just discussing problems — we’re actively building solutions. We collaborate with the best in the business, always with our clients’ goals at the forefront. We’re in the trenches, finding innovative ways to make OOH work even harder for your business. 

• Success: Better Campaigns, Measurable Results You Can Trust! Ultimately, all of this dedication translates directly into smarter, more effective, and more measurable campaigns for our clients. By staying connected, showing up, and remaining deeply involved, we ensure you gain access to the latest insights, cutting edge tools, and proven strategies that drive tangible, real-world results. 

MediaCon 2025 was a powerful reminder: no matter how much technology and media strategies evolve, presence — both within your campaigns and within the industry — is still one of our most potent assets. Harmelin Media is proud to be at the forefront of these conversations, to advocate fiercely for our clients, and to help shape what’s next for Out-of-Home advertising. 

For more information, visit harmelin.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn or Facebook. 

Executive Summary

Mirren Live 2025 in New York underscored that the traditional agency model is undergoing a profound evolution, driven predominantly by artificial intelligence (AI) now woven into both internal workflows and client-facing services. Attendees heard how generative AI, autonomous agents, and real-time analytics are liberating teams from repetitive, process-oriented work, enabling agencies to concentrate on high-value strategy and creativity. As AI moves from pilot projects to mission-critical systems, agencies that stay current with these technological advances will unlock deeper client partnerships, new revenue streams, and demonstrable ROI.

Evolving the Agency Model

For decades, the agency playbook revolved around hierarchies of specialists tackling discrete tasks, from research to media buying to creative execution.  Throughout the conference, speakers highlighted that this siloed approach is giving way to a more fluid, AI-augmented model, where technology orchestrates routine operations. Sessions like “Agency Superpowers: Put AI to Work Where It Counts” demonstrated how tailored AI agents can autonomously draft first-cut proposals, scan data for trend signals, and even generate initial creative concepts — functions that previously consumed substantial human hours. By embedding AI into the core of agency infrastructure, firms can streamline processes, reduce costs, and pivot more quickly in response to client demands and market shifts.

AI at the Heart of Agency Operations

Across multiple panels, industry leaders shared real-world case studies where AI reduced time spent on reporting and media optimization by up to 30%, effectively reallocating talent toward strategic planning and ideation. In “The Hidden Revenue in Your Digital Ad Spend,” experts illustrated how AI-driven analytics continuously surface under-leveraged channels, enabling agencies to reallocate budgets in real time for maximum performance. Meanwhile, discussions on the “Five Key AI Trends” webinar emphasized that mastering prompt design and model training is no longer optional — it’s the new baseline skill set for agency professionals aiming to deliver breakthrough insights and higher margins.

Empowering Talent and Delivering Client Value

By automating process-heavy tasks, AI liberates teams to deepen client collaboration, facilitating co-creation workshops, bespoke strategy sprints, and immersive brand experiences. Agencies are packaging AI-powered services — such as dynamic creative personalization engines and predictive media planning models — that clients now expect as table stakes. This shift not only elevates client satisfaction, but also opens new consulting revenue lines, as agencies advise on AI governance, data ethics, and internal upskilling programs.

Conclusion: A Call to Stay Ahead

Mirren Live 2025 delivered a clear mandate: agencies that proactively adapt their models by embedding AI across operations and offerings will secure competitive advantage and drive unparalleled client value. Those that lag risk being outpaced by more agile, tech-savvy competitors. To thrive, we must foster an AI-first culture — investing in talent development, robust data infrastructure, and continuous experimentation — so that technology serves as the engine for innovation rather than an afterthought. The evolution is underway; staying abreast of AI’s rapid advances is no longer a choice but an imperative for agencies committed to future-proofing their business.

For more information, visit harmelin.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn or Facebook. 

In April, we had the privilege of representing Harmelin Media at the 2025 Tableau Conference in San Diego. As a media agency built on data-driven insights, leveraging technology to enhance the work we do on behalf of our clients, it was incredible to join the 8,000+ data professionals, BI analysts, and industry experts — all united by a shared passion for working with data to inform, innovate, and inspire across industries. 

Learning from the Best: Industry Use Cases 

Across the conference floor and in numerous breakout sessions, speakers demonstrated how advanced Tableau users are addressing real-world business challenges. From leading brands to independent consultants and academic researchers, each presenter illustrated bespoke solutions tailored to their organization’s needs, all powered by Tableau. Below are a few of the standout use cases we encountered: 

• Retail footprint optimization: A regional retailer shared how they used spatial analytics and Tableau’s new geospatial functions to identify “white space” markets. 

• Integrated coding functionality: Biztory demonstrated how they bring Python code into Tableau calculations to supercharge their analysis and workflows. 

• Dynamic visualization: Toyota walked through how they monitor and optimize their warehouse operations, leveraging CAD data, with Tableau’s visualization logic to identify waste in routing processes. 

These success stories provided concrete inspiration for how our own team can enhance the reporting and analysis capabilities of what we build with Tableau. 

---

A Glimpse of What’s Ahead: New Features on the Horizon 

In the heart of the conference hall, often surrounded by autonomous robots (like Boston Dynamic’s Spot Robo Dog or the chess-playing SenseRobot, to which we suffered numerous defeats), Tableau’s product team showcased the platform’s roadmap for the next 6–12 months with a clear emphasis on tighter Salesforce and Data Pro integrations. Attendees celebrated these demonstrations, excited by the potential for stronger collaboration between data and business teams, empowering frontline users with real-time, actionable intelligence, and driving broader trust in the insights generated. Here are a few of the capabilities showcased: 

• Augmented data prep: A more intuitive interface for cleaning and blending disparate data sources, powered by machine learning suggestions that accelerate “pre-flight” checks. 

• Native Salesforce data connectors: Streamlined sync with Sales Cloud and Service Cloud objects, reducing ETL complexity and ensuring real-time visibility into leads, opportunities, and customer cases. 

• Tableau CRM (Data Pro) unification: A single interface for blending Tableau dashboards with Salesforce Einstein Analytics lenses, so sales and marketing teams can explore CRM KPIs without switching platforms. 

• Embedded Tableau in Salesforce: New Lightning components and pre-built templates make it trivial to drop interactive visualizations directly into Salesforce pages, boosting adoption among frontline users. 

These enhancements reinforce Tableau’s commitment to bridging analytics and CRM — continuously expanding the ways Salesforce and Tableau work together to deliver seamless, end-to-end insights. Seeing these improvements reassured us that Tableau continues to prioritize both depth (for power users) and ease of use (for less technical stakeholders) — a consistent theme throughout the conference. 

---

The Keynote Controversy: AI for All (But at What Cost?) 

The highly anticipated keynote for the conference started in classic Tableau fashion. Ryan Aytay, President & CEO of Tableau, strolled onto the circular stage, welcoming the thousands of “Data Fam” faithful who packed the auditorium with anticipation. Many attendees had seen this presentation numerous times, but this year’s keynote took on a different tone. After applauding the achievements of the platform and the large community that supports it, excitement was mixed with apprehension as Aytay pivoted the conversation to Tableau’s impending AI future. 

He acknowledged the feeling of uncertainty many practitioners have about the dramatic acceleration of AI capabilities and its insertion into nearly every aspect of the work we do each and every day. Aytay shared a positive take on this shifting landscape and felt the need to explicitly address the prime concern on the minds of the majority of attendees in that packed auditorium: Will we be replaced? 

“Your job isn’t going away, it’s transforming.” 

This is a reality that data professionals (and increasingly, everyone in the working sector) wrestle with, but for those witnessing the rapid rise of AI on the frontlines of tech, the future is abundantly clear. Whether it’s appointment scheduling, email drafting, content creation, or coding, it is humbling to think we will need to yield to the inevitable — an undeniable proficiency we simply can’t match, requiring us to rethink how else we might provide value above and beyond our current roles. Many struggle with the thought of the very tasks and skills we’ve honed over the years quietly being handed off to an AI, forcing us to adapt to a new way of working by necessity, but those with a positive outlook on change see this as an opportunity. 

Aytay explained that AI will be what gives the workforce superpowers, pivoting day-to-day responsibilities from manual or tedious processes to roles of much deeper importance, empowering people to focus on strategic analysis, creative problem-solving, and high-impact decision-making rather than data wrangling. Fortunately, the presence of AI is abundant and increasingly making the acclimation process for those willing to experiment more welcoming. Whether you are an early AI adopter or have an all-out rejection stance, there is no denying that every application, tool, and software solution built today has an AI component aimed at streamlining workplace efficiencies. Tableau is no different. 

Aytay then introduced “Tableau Next,” the “world’s first agentic analytics platform.” The crowd was dazzled by the demonstration of autonomous capabilities that may amplify their productivity and truly transform their role as data professionals in their organization and, in turn, the organizations themselves. Such features included: 

• Agentic data orchestration: Logically identifying relationships for more rapid data prep and synthesis. 

• Autonomous research capabilities: Identify trends and key observations within the data to surface relevant insights that may have been hidden from analysts or taken a considerable amount of time for a human to uncover. 

• Automated report generation: Rapidly generating clear data visualizations and explanations to easily interpret the insights found by the agent, with primary implications/considerations highlighted for key stakeholders. 

After a few live demos of these agentic capabilities, Aytay was later joined on stage by Ravi Malick, CIO of Box, who shared his thoughts on Tableau Next, Agentforce, and the “Concierge” chatbot, which provides bespoke data visualizations and insights from your data when prompted with natural language. 

By being able to have a “conversation with your data” and having answers quickly surfaced by an agent at any moment, on any device, Malick and the rest of his team found a ton of value in having direct access to their data along with AI assistance. He raved about no longer needing to wait for his team to determine the appropriate data sources, pull the data, and transform it, all aspects of “foraging for data” that would typically take time and a lot of effort and coordination to produce. Now, everyone — from C-suite executives to marketing assistants — can query and interpret data without an analyst needing to be in the room. 

This was the irony in the grand keynote. On one hand, they celebrated the “Data Fam” and promoted community-centric product enhancements positioned as being for their benefit, then on the other, they immediately transitioned to applauding the superior capabilities of AI in this “era of change” and the displacement of human-centric tasks, directed at an audience of the very professionals now facing displacement. The crowd was conflicted. 

“Seems like they are replacing developers and analysts. Those whose entire job is to work with tools like Tableau for dashboards and analysis didn’t ask for this.” 

“I disagree; it’s expanding the role of the data analyst to create full end-to-end solutions.” 

Like most nuanced topics, the truth often lies somewhere in the middle. It’s natural to feel uneasy about shifting roles and the prospect of relinquishing control to an emerging technology, but AI’s impact is undeniable, and when guided thoughtfully, it can drive efficiency, innovation, and growth at an unprecedented scale. There is truth in Aytay’s perspective that, in a way, the transformation data professionals must undergo in this agentic era is a direct reflection of the transformation our organizations need to embrace. To thrive in an AI-driven world, companies must fundamentally reimagine how they operate, moving from siloed reporting to delivering timely, trustworthy data and insights at every level. Data democratization empowers every team to act with speed and intelligence, yet without the right guardrails, it can introduce serious risks. With that balance in mind, here are the key advantages and potential challenges of opening analytics to the entire organization. 

Pros of Data Democratization 

• Faster decision-making: Teams can surface insights on their own, reducing dependency on centralized requests. 

• Increased innovation: Cross-functional access sparks new hypotheses, prototypes, and data-driven products. 

• Empowered non-technical users: Business stakeholders iterate on analyses and validate ideas without waiting for IT or analytics. 

• Continuous learning culture: As users engage directly with data, organizational data literacy and critical thinking improve. 

Cons & Caveats 

• Risk of misinterpretation: Non-experts may draw flawed conclusions or overlook data quality issues. 

• Metric fragmentation: Inconsistent definitions (e.g. “active user,” “conversion”) lead to conflicting reports. 

• Rogue dataset proliferation: Users may build and share their own data sets at scale without formal review, exposing the organization to potential errors, risks, and compliance issues. 

• Governance burden: Immense organizational overhead of defining, communicating, and enforcing policies around data access, usage, and protection to limit non-compliant behavior. 

• Duplicate effort: Teams reinvent the wheel with redundant dashboards and analyses. 

The promise of democratization empowerment isn’t without its hurdles. Organizations must balance the speed and innovation it delivers against the governance, security, and consistency challenges it can introduce and thoughtfully plan for both sides. 

---

What This Means for Harmelin Media 

With years of data-driven rigor woven into Harmelin’s operational fabric — and having already begun to harness light AI enhancements in our media planning and analytics — we now stand at a pivotal juncture. We must chart a path forward supported by substantive AI understanding, avoiding the twin pitfalls of overconfidence from a superficial knowledge of advanced technologies and the naiveté that dismisses AI’s promise until we fall behind. As we open the floodgates to self-service analytics and intelligent automation, every layer of our company — from culture and skills to structure and infrastructure — must evolve in lockstep to fully realize the promise of this new era. To capitalize on democratization while containing its risks, we need to build new pillars of both governance and enablement in the future: 

• AI governance dedication: Attention and resources will need to be allocated to oversee policy, mitigate bias, and ensure compliance for self-service tools with agentic capabilities being used by every department across the agency. 

• Query-monitoring & streamlining: As widespread adoption rolls out across teams, we will need to develop a monitoring function to track common queries, identify high-value use cases, and build reusable assets so that redundancies are limited. 

• Semantic-layer architects: To ensure all applications operate from our agency’s “source-of-truth” standard operating procedures, we will need to design and maintain the shared business logic layer that powers every AI-driven workflow. 

• Process translators & liaisons: We will need to deploy technical representatives to work directly with SMEs and business units to codify complex decision-making into AI-actionable processes. 

We don’t claim to have all the answers — this is uncharted territory for Harmelin and many of our peers in the industry. However, our proven track record of embracing technological shifts, combined with a highly skilled staff and a culture of continuous curiosity, uniquely positions us to capitalize on these emerging opportunities. 

---

Final Thoughts 

The 2025 Tableau Conference in San Diego — truly the data hub of the universe — underscored just how far the platform has evolved and how invaluable it remains to our global community of analysts, developers, and business users. Alongside that progress, an even more profound wave of AI innovation is cresting, one that will touch every facet of our work. Change is arriving at unprecedented speed, but the conference made clear that organizations and individuals everywhere can tap into a vibrant, passionate, and resilient data community — one designed to unite us all as we navigate and shape the AI-driven future together. 

For more information, visit harmelin.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn or Facebook. 

Philadelphia, PA – Chelsea Fletcher has been promoted to Vice President, Data Services at Harmelin Media, announced Mary Meder, President of the Philadelphia-based media agency.

In her role as Vice President of Data Services, Chelsea will oversee Harmelin’s data infrastructure, including data engineering, data operations, & data science. She will also lead the agency’s reporting and analytics efforts, specifically internal reporting, campaign reporting, and solution engineering.

“Chelsea has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and a deep commitment to our organization’s success,” explained Meder. “She has stewarded numerous data-driven initiatives and has emerged as an expert and thought-leader in this critical space for our business. She has earned the trust and admiration of her peers and team and has been consistently recognized as an authority in tech and data by our staff at large. Chelsea deserves the recognition – as well as the responsibility – of being the leader of our Data Services.”

Over the past seven years, Chelsea has spearheaded numerous high-impact projects, including the development and implementation of SharePoint, Briefcase, Blueprint, Dashboarding, Automated Reporting, and Advanced Analytics solutions like Helix and MMM.

“Chelsea’s expertise and innovative approach have significantly enhanced our data-driven initiatives, positioning us as a leader in the industry”, says Conor Elliot, Executive VP at Harmelin. “Her ability to integrate advanced analytics into our business operations has enabled us to better understand and meet our clients’ needs.”

ABOUT HARMELIN MEDIA

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Harmelin has for over 42 years specialized in the strategic media and data-informed solutions that help our clients navigate a rapidly changing media landscape across performance and brand-focused channels. The firm has grown to more than $800 million in billings and nearly 300 employees with a diverse client roster including Fortune 500 companies, making Harmelin one of the largest independent media service firms in the United States. We are a WBENC certified business, Google Premier Partner, Meta Badged Partner, and proud members of the ANA and IAB. For more information, visit harmelin.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn or Facebook.