A new INMA advertising initiative will focus on how to rejuvenate data and research-backed media advertising sales for a resurgent post-pandemic market.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the association’s What's New With Advertising Sales masterclass from Mark Challinor (pictured) who will lead the new Advertising Initiative.

Specifically, it aims to look at:

-The rise of ad formats: Best-in-class case studies on contextual advertising, content studios, branded content, self-serve advertising, and programmatic.

-The revised sales team: Getting the right talent, motivating sales teams, emerging team structures, selling first-party fueled advertising, franchise sell, and where e-commerce fits.

-The new role of print: How to leverage print’s advantages in an increasingly digital world and where print fits in the emerging marketing mix.

“We believe national and local economies are coming back to life, and advertising will be vital to the success of companies rebuilding brands, sparking foot traffic, and selling goods and services,” said executive director and chief executive Earl Wilkinson. “What we aim to do with the Advertising Initiative is focus INMA efforts to surface best practices and trends – and make certain media companies aren’t leaving money on the table for the reboot ahead.

“With our focus on ad formats, sales teams, and the role of print, INMA has its finger on the pulse of the big trends happening next.”

The new Advertising Initiative joins INMA’s topic-based suite, which include the Readers First Initiative on digital subscriptions, Digital Platform Initiative on big tech developments, Product Initiative eyeing methods, strategies, KPIs and prototyping, and Smart Data Initiative with its focus on audience and content metrics, analytics, and workflows.

It will include a biweekly newsletter, bimonthly video meet-up, masterclasses, reports, conference presentations, and ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions.

Challinor is a London-based media executive with extensive commercial experience in marketing and mobile spaces. His more than three-decade career includes senior roles at Associated Newspapers, Telegraph Media Group, and Trinity Mirror (now Reach), while today he consults with media companies, is a panel member with the UK Committee of Advertising Practice at the Advertising Standards Authority, and co-hosts the UK Brand Show on business radio.

In addition he is INMA’s executive producer in charge of webinar programming and a former INMA president.