Media Matters: Adebayo Adeyemo on the Rise of Authenticity

Adebayo Adeyemo is a marketing director with over nine years of experience and a deep passion for executional excellence via full-funnel marketing planning and implementation, with experience leading and executing global and domestic media campaigns for top-selling brands (ex. Verizon, Chase, Atlassian, AT&T, P&G Grooming, Kimberly-Clark, Foot Locker, etc.).

LBB> What was it about the world of advertising media that pulled you in? What did you do before you got into media?

Adebayo> Media and advertising have been my sole focus since graduating. Prior to that, I had various internships in marketing—communications, SEO, and a project management internship at a small ad agency in Philly. That project management role really sparked my interest in advertising.

I’d known for a while that I wanted to work in marketing, but I wasn’t sure where I fit. Interning at an ad agency opened my eyes to the industry – I saw first-hand the excitement of working with top clients and big budgets. The idea of shaping what brands were putting into the market was inspiring and I loved the collaboration and energy I saw at the agency level.

Ultimately, being able to work on high-impact projects while still enjoying the process became my priority, and media offered the perfect balance of creativity, influence, and dynamic teamwork that has allowed me to do so.

LBB> Over the course of your career, what have been the most significant changes you’ve seen in the media side of the industry?

Adebayo> Definitely measurement and programmatic.

When I first started working, clients were happy with simple metrics like CTRs and video view rates, largely using these metrics as directional signs of successful media campaigns.

Now, with MTA models, brand lift studies and deeper measurement integrations, we can track a customer’s journey across channels and devices, seeing what drives conversions and impacts business goals. Looking at programmatic media, this has brought a significant shift from context-first to data-first planning.

Rather than focusing solely on context, a lot of brands now use precise audience data for targeted, effective campaigns that prioritize reaching your audience no matter where they are vs a sole focus on being in the most contextually relevant environments.

This has allowed advertisers to easily reach their audience at scale at a fraction of the cost of what they used to have to spend.

LBB> What was your first job in the media industry and give us a taste of the path that your career has been on?

Adebayo> My first job in media was at an SEO internship. It was a pretty repetitive job in which I mostly entered different companies' data into a wide variety of business directories to boost search rankings for the small businesses that we worked with. I interned in different roles from there until my final internship at an ad agency as a project management intern, which convinced me to pursue a career in advertising. 

My first real role was in multicultural advertising on the AT&T account at MEC (now Wavemaker). Since then, I’ve worked on accounts like Verizon (shoutout and RIP to go90!), Foot Locker, Chase, Gillette, and most recently, on Atlassian.

Throughout my career I’ve always challenged myself to take on roles that pushed me and expanded my knowledge base. When I worked on Foot Locker, I was in the weeds setting up tags and launching campaigns but also pitching serious work to clients – a drastic change from my previous roles, where I rarely spoke to clients outside of status calls.

When I went to Vayner, I had never been in any platform outside of Google Ads, but very quickly familiarised myself with the activation process across multiple programmatic and social platforms. While there’s always some uncertainty, these moves have given me a lot of insight and perspective into advertising and the many ways we as advertisers can activate on behalf of our clients.

Now, at Noble People, I’m in a position where I’m blending the knowledge I’ve gained throughout the years with a more creative and strategic approach to media planning that has helped create some of the most exciting campaigns I’ve ever been involved in.

LBB> In more recent years, which projects or clients have proven to be the most stimulating and satisfying to work on and why?

Adebayo> I’d say P&G/Gillette and Atlassian have been the most stimulating and satisfying to work on, because both clients pushed us to go beyond the basic banners and social ads.

For example, with P&G, we partnered with Amazon to run the NFL’s first live broadcast mixed-reality commercial, and with Atlassian, we created a custom content hub on United flights and brought in Zach Woods for a Jira spot. These brands understand the impact of bold activations that make audiences see them in a new light while also driving conversions.

Plus, both teams are some of the nicest groups of people I’ve had the pleasure of working with, which can be rare in client service. They encourage ideas to flow, making the work more exciting and fulfilling. Shoutout to those teams. (They know who they are!)

LBB> In media, an understanding of human behaviour is so important - what are some of the most interesting changes you’re seeing in terms of how we behave with and interact with media?

Adebayo> The rise of authenticity in media has been really fun to watch—consumers are hungry for raw, unfiltered content, favouring creators who share real, relatable moments instead of polished content. Just look at the success of livestreams and behind-the-scenes content.

From a brand perspective, companies like Duolingo are actively engaging with their followers, inserting themselves into cultural moments through conversation, embracing humour, self-awareness, and a playful, humanised brand persona that has gotten them a lot of buzz in recent years.

LBB> Brand safety is more important than ever and consumers and campaign groups are increasingly holding brands to account for the media they choose to spend on - what are your thoughts on this phenomenon and how are you and your teams navigating it?

Adebayo> It makes sense. In the age of disinformation and with the current state of the world at large, it’s especially important to make sure we’re being selective with where we’re showing up.

When you think about the buying power we have as advertisers, spending money in the wrong places can inadvertently fund harmful actors, enabling them to continue spreading disinformation and malicious content. This not only undermines the integrity of our clients’ brand but also emboldens those platforms to continue putting out harmful content simply because they are financially supported to do so.

As advertisers, we have a responsibility to ensure that our media dollars are not contributing to the amplification of dangerous or divisive content, and that we are instead supporting environments that align with our values of trust, safety, and societal well-being.

There are many ways to make sure you’re showing up in a way that’s brand safe, but for me it always starts with auditing potential partners. Especially when partnering with publishers directly, it's important to be aware of the type of content they post to know if the juice is even worth the squeeze in terms of the potential to be around content that might not be brand safe.

Obviously whitelists, blacklists, and tools like IAS or DoubleVerify are important and are additional ways to ensure your ads aren’t showing up against unsavoury content, but the classic eye test is always a good place to start.

LBB> What do you think are the most pertinent debates happening in the media field right now?

Adebayo> Content moderation vs. free speech. Especially since Elon Musk bought Twitter, we need to grapple with questions like, when is it OK to censor someone? Personally, I think it’s 100% acceptable to censor users dedicated to spreading misinformation and hate, or who continually harass others, but this has become an increasingly debated subject.

LBB> Decoupling, recoupling, creative agencies trying to build media functions, media agencies creating content studios… what’s your take on the relationship between creative and media and where do you think it’s going?

Adebayo> I’ve always believed creative and media go hand in hand. Creative needs to be shown where it’s well received (media’s role), and media campaigns succeed only when ads are compelling enough to make audiences stop and pay attention (creative’s role).

In general, a lot of the best work I’ve done in my career came from a combination of media and creative minds coming together to think through activations together vs creative trying to fit into a pre-set media plan.

Regardless of how it looks from an agency perspective (i.e. creative agencies taking on media functions, etc.), I do think that we’re trending towards a world where creative and media agencies are beginning to work far more closely than they were even a few years ago. This means creating media and creative strategies in tandem, ensuring that the creative aligns perfectly with the placement and media strategy for maximum impact.

This means allowing data and audience insights to influence creative decisions, leveraging real-time performance data to guide creative adjustments and optimisations. It means a lot more than just these two examples, but even just the implementation of these two approaches have had an outsized impact on the brands/teams that I’ve seen collaborate this way.

LBB> The wider industry has become really obsessed with artificial intelligence, but media has been using variations of AI and algorithmic automation for some time - what’s your take on the longer term influence of AI on media? Are there any aspects of media planning that you think AI could still have a big impact on?

Adebayo> Honestly it’s hard to say. AI is ever evolving and I feel like it can take on so many different roles in media. In my opinion though, I think one of the biggest long-term benefits of AI in media will be its ability to quickly gather and analyse data, providing insights that would normally take hours to uncover.

This means media teams can spend less time on data crunching and more time focusing on the storytelling and strategic elements that truly engage audiences and make for impactful campaigns. AI also holds potential in the creative realm, specifically when it comes to tailoring creative for specific audiences and contexts.

That said, using AI in creative work will need to be approached carefully to maintain authenticity and ensure that technology enhances, rather than replaces, human creativity.

LBB> More attention is being paid to the environmental impact of various media types, particularly in digital - where do you think the industry is in terms of tracking that impact and minimising it?

Adebayo> We are still a long way from accurately tracking media’s environmental impact, but brands are asking the right questions. A lot of my recent clients have actively explored or are exploring partnerships and sponsorships with environmentally-conscious organisations, paying close attention to sustainable sports leagues or eco-focused events to ensure their brand aligns with positive environmental impact.

Some are also choosing ad platforms committed to renewable energy or optimising their digital ad placements to reduce data usage, thereby lessening their carbon footprint. While the industry has a ways to go, there’s a clear shift toward sustainable media choices. 

LBB> As an industry, we’re obsessed with the new - and for good reason, it’s often where the money lies! But are there any more traditional forms of media that you think we’re sleeping on a bit or that you think still make a big impact when it comes to connecting with consumers?

Adebayo> Out of home – 100%. When done right, it still has the potential to be highly disruptive and get users to stop and engage with or think about your brand, even if it's just for a few seconds. Even when done wrong, it can still grab attention…just maybe not the attention you want.

LBB> Who are your media heroes and why? And what sort of media do you enjoy?

Adebayo> I don’t necessarily have media heroes, but I’ve been fortunate to have some incredible mentors in the industry who have shaped my perspective. They’ve taught me the importance of staying curious, being adaptable, an d the value of strong team building—recognising that great media work is the product of collaboration and diverse perspectives.

These mentors helped me see the bigger picture—how media can drive real impact when paired with thoughtful strategy. As for the media I enjoy, I gravitate toward content that blends creativity with storytelling, whether it’s thought-provoking documentaries, innovative ad campaigns, or interactive video games that push boundaries.