Q1 2021 will remain largely deflationary, partly due to an acceptance that revenue is likely to be backweighted in 2021 to match our exit from lockdown. Inflation in Q2 can be misleading given the low base from 2020, and as such TV costs continue to offer great value and the emerging opportunities for brands are very exciting ones.

Auction prices are expected to rise as advertising budgets are freed up with brands looking to bounce back from lockdown, but you can commit to fixed cost campaigns ahead of time and still find deals outside of business-as-usual trading.

Despite drops in newsstand print circulations, some publishers have seen increases in digital traffic and subscriptions that far outweigh the losses. Demand for quality news and lifestyle content from trusted sources remains high (but not solely through the printed page).

The shape of listening changes in lockdown – this brings opportunities to access significant added value through savvy planning and adapting to the new listening patterns.

Lockdown has affected different OOH environments with varying degrees of severity, with roadside remaining relatively robust throughout the current lockdown. We have price protection guarantees in place with all key media owners to protect against changes in mobility levels (please speak to your client director for more information).

With a significant backlog of Hollywood blockbusters due, 2021 should be a step towards recovery for a channel almost entirely shut down by Covid. Brands looking to align with this content can do so risk free with audiences/value guaranteed.