The Summary: Ad marketplace uncertainty as the new normal
In Digiday’s ad marketplace uncertainty briefing, Michael Burgi reports how advertisers and agencies are staying calm despite war in the Middle East, rising oil prices, tariffs and fragile consumer confidence. Published on March 17, 2026, the piece shows budgets largely holding as brands lean on today’s more flexible media trading.
Executives from holding companies, independents and consultancies describe an industry that has become immune to constant shocks. Scenario planning, shorter commitments and more agile buying are allowing CMOs to avoid knee‑jerk cuts while still preparing for rapid pullback if demand softens.
The article also highlights specific pressure points, from travel and CPG to supply chains and fuel costs, underlining how second‑order effects could hit marketing later. For now, though, ad spend forecasts remain slightly up, with a cautious 'walk, don’t sprint' mindset.
The ID Comms angle on upfront flexibility and pitches
Towards the end of the briefing, Tom Denford, CEO of ID Comms, sets out how this uncertainty will reshape the U.S. TV upfronts and NewFronts. His comments come from the weekly #MediaSnack LIVE streaming show on LinkedIn, which the article references directly.
Here’s the key passage: "With economic visibility dropping, marketers will likely balk at locking in massive, long-term, inflexible commitments. Expect a heavy shift toward the scatter market and more liquid, flexible formats," said Denford, who predicted there could also be a side effect that may inhibit marketers from thinking about changing agencies at this point.
The article continues: "We anticipate this uncertainty will dampen the appetite for massive, disruptive agency pitches in the first half of the year. Some brands will likely play it conservative, delaying major agency reviews and holding back investment heavily for H2 once the economic picture clears." For CMOs and procurement leaders, that’s a clear signal that flexibility and optionality now trump volume for its own sake.
What CMOs and procurement leaders should do now
For senior marketers and procurement teams, the piece reinforces the need for dynamic investment governance rather than one‑off budget decisions. Daily and weekly monitoring of demand, media performance and supply‑chain risks is becoming standard practice, not a crisis measure.
In this environment, locking into long, inflexible commitments can constrain your ability to respond as conditions change. A balanced portfolio of upfront and scatter, with clear playbooks for pullback or acceleration, will support both resilience and growth.
The article also hints at a quieter pitch market in the first half of the year. That pause is an opportunity for brands to strengthen agency relationships, sharpen commercial frameworks and stress‑test media governance, so they are ready to move decisively when the economic picture improves.
Where to read the full Digiday article
This post is a short, structured summary for busy CMOs, procurement directors and global heads of media. It captures the key themes and the ID Comms perspective highlighted in Digiday’s coverage.
You can read this full article on Digiday here: https://digiday.com/media-buying/media-buying-briefing-is-ad-marketplace-uncertainty-the-new-normal/
If you’d like to explore what this uncertainty means for your own media investments, this is exactly the type of scenario planning and pitch strategy conversation ID Comms supports every day.
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