The media market is entering a phase in which old models no longer collapse suddenly, but quietly lose meaning. Budgets are planned more cautiously, audiences are scattered across platforms, algorithms change faster than strategies can be formalized, and clients are increasingly seeking security rather than spectacle. In such a context, the key question is no longer which channel to buy, but how to make decisions that carry long-term value.
Reach does not view itself through the lens of traditional media agencies and clearly separated functions that no longer correspond to contemporary market needs. Instead, the agency focuses on an integrated approach, grounding its work in creating solutions that connect clients’ business objectives with relevant communication channels. For this reason, the interview is framed from a consultancy perspective, emphasizing the agency’s role as a development partner rather than merely an executor of operational tasks.
In a conversation with the Reach team, Ahmed Hadžić – Chief Vision & Partnership Officer, Mario Grgurević – Strategy & Innovation Consultant Director, and Amina Dervišević – Client Engagement Consultant, we focus on what a media agency looks like when it does not operate in silos, does not react to change with panic, and does not build strategies on assumptions, but on analytics and true partnerships with clients. Through themes of stability, measuring real effectiveness, adaptive planning, and redefining the role of media in business results, this interview opens a broader view of a transformation that is already happening in the industry, even when it is still rarely spoken about openly.
1. If you had to describe 2025 as a year in which media budgets behaved like air conditioners – sometimes “cooling,” sometimes “heating” – what was your biggest win in stabilizing the temperature?
For us, 2025 was marked by stability and predictability. There were no unexpected oscillations in media budgets because we work with clients based on precise planning and long-term alignment of objectives. This kind of partnership discipline enabled budgets to move within projected and expected frameworks. By the end of the year, both for us and for the market as a whole, volumes concluded in line with plans.
It is important to emphasize that stability for us is not a state, but a skill that we continuously develop and take pride in. That is why we would not compare media budgets to air conditioners, our approach is not based on improvisation or sudden changes, but on strategic consistency, trust, and partnership-driven work that ensures security and sustainability.
2. What new type of client panic appeared this year, and how did you turn it into a calm, rational plan for 2026?
We do not allow our partners to fall into any kind of panic, this simply is not an option in our business model. Of course, we discussed challenges such as market fragmentation and the sense that audiences are “scattering” across an ever-growing number of platforms, which requires additional control over campaign performance. Through precise data analysis and clear mapping of touchpoints, we demonstrated that fragmentation, for example, is not a drama but an opportunity, it allows us to be more precise, more relevant, and more creative.
Instead of counting channels, we focused on the quality of audience touchpoints and the synergy between platforms. The result is a 2026 plan that provides clients with security, clearly defined priorities, measurable objectives, and a strategy that turns uncertainty into trust.
3. Which data point in 2025 shocked you the most—not because it was unusual, but because it shattered a belief the media industry had treated as sacred?
We would not say that any data point in 2025 surprised or shocked us, because that would imply we were unprepared for change and lacked predictions and expectations. On the contrary, we continuously track all key trends and plan together with clients, so even the data that challenged some of the industry’s “sacred beliefs” actually confirmed our anticipations.
For instance, sheer reach size is no longer decisive; instead, the quality of audience touchpoints and message relevance generate real value. This fully aligns with our approach, rather than relying on industry postulates, we rely on data, analytics, and partnership-based trust. That is precisely why we closed 2025 within expected volumes and are building strategies for 2026 that turn change into an advantage.
4. What was the smartest “small optimization” you made this year that had a greater impact than three major, expensive plans?
The optimization we implemented this year was in the way we monitor and interpret data in real time. Instead of waiting for monthly or quarterly reports, we introduced a system of micro-analyses and rapid campaign adjustments on a daily or weekly level. This seemingly small change, accelerating the evaluation rhythm, enabled more efficient budget use, more relevant messaging, and gave clients a sense of security because decisions are made based on fresh data. We proved that sometimes a revolution is not needed, a small, smart evolution is enough.
5. If you had to choose one channel that is the region’s “quiet winner” in 2026, which would it be, and what are others still not seeing?
In 2026, the region’s “quiet winner” is audio, primarily streaming formats, but also podcasts. Its strength lies not in noise or mass reach, but in the quality of connection it builds with audiences. People consume it on the move, at moments when other media cannot reach them, and the trust built through voice and content is far stronger than a brief visual touch.
Why is it a winner? Because it delivers a more intimate, focused, and lasting connection with audiences, which directly translates into relevance and loyalty. While much of the industry still measures impressions and clicks, many fail to see that real value is also measured through trust and the quality of audience touchpoints.
Our advantage is that we recognized this early and integrated such channels into our plans for 2025, audio channels are not merely supplementary, but a strategic space where long-term consumer relationships are built. That is why we consider it a quiet winner, because it delivers stable results, turns fragmentation into opportunity, and shows that the future of communication is not only about visibility, but about relevance.
6. Which algorithm in 2025 behaved like an “unpredictable teenager,” and how did you make it work for you anyway?
The greatest unpredictability in 2025 came from social media recommendation algorithms. Their frequent shifts in priorities, from content formats to interaction measurement methods, created a sense of instability for many brands. Our approach was not to react to every behavioral change, but to establish discipline through continuous testing, micro-optimizations, and a focus on relevant content that audiences recognize as valuable. This ensured that, regardless of fluctuations, the algorithm worked in our favor, because when audiences respond authentically, the data confirms value, and the algorithm has no choice but to follow.
This combination of analytics and content quality turned unpredictability into an advantage and gave clients confidence that results can be planned and controlled even in changing conditions.
7. If you had to keep only one campaign effectiveness measurement method in 2026, which one would survive, and why?
Not only would we retain this effectiveness measurement method in 2026, we already rely on it to the greatest extent today, alongside classic metrics that still have their role. It is attribution based on interaction quality with the audience, or measuring how relevant a contact was and how much it truly contributed to business objectives.
The reason is simple, impressions and reach alone no longer guarantee value. What provides clients with security and result predictability is understanding who reacted, how they reacted, and how much that interaction helped achieve campaign goals. That is why we build strategies on data and analytics, because the quality of the relationship between brand and audience remains the only metric that survives all algorithmic and format changes.
8. Which media planning rule did you have to abandon this year because reality completely defeated it?
We do not really operate by abandoning rules only when circumstances force us to do so. Our approach is to stay one step ahead and adapt the system to upcoming trends. That is precisely why we already stopped planning in a linear rhythm, defined phases and predictable cycles, during 2024. Reality quickly confirmed we were right: such an approach no longer works because algorithms, audience behavior, and market dynamics change, and continue to change, too rapidly to rely on “fixed” plans.
Instead of linear planning, we adopted an iterative model, continuous testing, micro-optimizations, and real-time adaptation. This means we long ago abandoned the idea of launching a campaign through media channels at the start and then passively monitoring it, because reality clearly showed that flexibility delivers better results than a rigid plan. Ultimately, this shift, from linear to adaptive planning, gave clients confidence that results can not only be tracked, but actively managed and reliably predicted, even in highly dynamic market conditions.
9. Which media combination did you discover completely by accident, only to find it unexpectedly brilliant?
In our work, there is no accidental discovery of media combinations, everything we do is the result of precise planning and analysis. Combinations that later prove successful are not accidental, but part of a systematic approach in which we track trends, test scenarios, and anticipate audience behavior in advance. One example is the combination of classic outdoor formats with digital interactive channels: already in the planning phase, we knew this synergy would bring added value by connecting physical-space visibility with measurable online interaction. The result was unexpectedly strong, but not accidental, precisely because it emerged from careful planning and strategic preparation.
10. Which negotiating phrase in 2025 delivered the most value for your clients, and why will you never stop using it?
Our negotiations and media partnerships do not rely on a single phrase, but on real, complex relationships built over years. At the core is long-term trust, it allows us to discuss not only prices, but the effects a campaign delivers. We do not seek discounts alone, but flexibility and added value that ensure campaign success. This combination of trust, long-term partnership, and openness to adaptation ensures clients gain more than simple savings, confidence that behind every campaign stands a network of partners ready to work together toward results. We will never stop building genuine partnerships with the media, continuously investing in trust and relationships, because only in that way can we ensure sustainable value.
11. What is the strangest but true signal of audience behavior you observed in a campaign, a signal no one outside the buying team would even notice?
As we already emphasized, we do not operate with classic team divisions, we work through client-focused consultancy teams in which all members are involved in every campaign phase. This approach enabled us to detect, in one campaign, that engagement rates increased when ads were placed in “unpopular” time slots, late at night or early in the morning, which was completely contrary to previous behavioral patterns of the specific target group. At first glance, these are hours most teams would skip, but our integrated team noticed that precisely then the audience showed unexpected attention and willingness to interact.
These are micro-patterns in data that may appear as statistical anomalies, but such details reveal real audience habits and enable campaigns to gain additional value, value that can only be recognized when everyone looks at the bigger picture together.
