Media owners are finding their advertising clients these days are far more demanding, expecting to be able to measure the real business value of their campaigns, rather than relying on the simple reach of any advertising activity.  Mere banners, links and MPUs are just not enough when the online ad market is awash with low-cost inventory.  So how can specialist media owners develop long-term, successful commercial partnerships in this tough environment?  I met yesterday with Duncan Tickell, MD of Magicalia, and Paul Hood, Head of Digital at Mirror Group, who are both taking part in a session at the Specialist Media Show Conference on 25 May on this topic, and picked up some insights, based on their campaigns for bike manufacturers, parenting clients and music publishers, that I believe can be used by large and small media businesses alike. (more…)