"Marketers are still grappling with understanding the implications of artificial intelligence on media platforms"
Sarah Mansfield, former vice president of global media at Unilever, has embarked on a new venture with the establishment of her consultancy, Barcarolle, at the end of 2024. During her time at Unilever, Mansfield was responsible for the company's global media operations, including agency relationships, trading, tech stack, full-funnel planning, retail media, and the global ice cream team's media operations.
Now, with over two decades of marketing experience under her belt, Mansfield is employing her expertise to assist agency and platform clients in shaping their businesses to appeal to advertisers and help brands with their global media planning. Mansfield clarified that the name of her consultancy is not a reference to Unilever's "Just One Cornetto" jingle, but rather a traditional Venetian folk song, or barcarolle, traditionally sung by gondoliers.
Mansfield spoke to our website about the biggest media challenges facing brands in 2025. One of the main issues, she suggests, is planning a full-funnel strategy in a fragmented world, with varying fragmented data signals due to "walled gardens," leading to effective data targeting and minimizing waste. AI is a hot topic in the industry, but Mansfield questions how advertisers can deliver on the opportunity of using AI to improve efficiency.
According to Mansfield, brands will increasingly look to connect AI with the media ecosystem for better, more hardworking content. AI can help in the targeting aspects of media as well as the content creation process. Although advertisers are still working through the implications of AI, Mansfield believes it's an exciting time for the industry.
Regarding the issue of reaching mass audiences in a fragmented media landscape, Mansfield notes that while it may be more challenging, brands can still achieve big reach through sporting events and live opportunities. Moreover, advertisers can build relevance with audiences by combining broadcast media, digital, and retail media platforms. However, this requires careful management to minimize wastage and effective cross-media measurement.
When asked if there is any practical difference in reaching a mass audience through social media or a live sporting event, Mansfield responses that brands primarily want to build reach quickly. She suggests that social media can help build reach over four to six weeks with tailored content, whereas big live events offer highly relevant passion-based content that delivers strong emotional connection with audiences.
Mansfield discusses the impact of advertising within big sporting events compared to social media, suggesting that trying to build brand fame through social media is difficult due to issues with viewability and attention spans. Finally, Mansfield briefly comments on the state of media agencies, stating that they are working to deliver value back to clients in a changing environment and must invest in AI systems and platforms ahead of creating demand. Advertisers, she says, may view these services as a hygiene factor, making it harder for agencies to determine what they can charge for and what constitutes incremental value.
Main Image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Relevant Enrichment Data:
- In 2025, media agencies face a complex and evolving set of challenges driven by technological change, shifting consumer behaviors, and economic pressures.
- Brands are shifting from traditional to digital media due to decreasing revenue in traditional channels and the intensified competition for ad spend in the digital landscape.
- Additionally, data and measurement challenges, such as calculating return on investment (ROI) for cross-media campaigns, and a fragmented vendor landscape, pose a significant threat to agency success.
- Media agencies must navigate these challenges by leveraging data-driven strategies, adopting advanced technologies like AI, and staying agile in a rapidly changing environment.
Sarah Mansfield, armed with over two decades of marketing experience, is now employing her expertise to help agencies and platforms in shaping their businesses to target advertisers and aid brands with their global media planning, utilizing both traditional and digital media. In the media landscape of 2025, Mansfield believes that brands will increasingly connect AI with the media ecosystem to create more efficient and effective content, making data-driven targeting possible while minimizing waste.
