Buyers Share Their Top Priorities in a Permanently Changed Upfronts Season

Marketers prepare to adjust their media mix following shifting consumer views

As the world finally starts to return to normal, so does upfronts week.

Following last year’s upheaval, the annual May event for marketers has returned in virtual form as the biggest media companies make their pitches ahead of upfront negotiations. But last year’s unprecedented marketplace has permanently shifted the landscape, and buyers are approaching negotiations with a new set of priorities based on learnings from last year.

The biggest priority for buyers is flexibility. After a 2020 season that included increased flexibility in the form of options and order dates, there’s no putting that genie back in the bottle.

“In this world of fragmented media, [with] business needs changing on a constant basis, going backward in that space to 2019 and prior is something no buyer is interested in doing and no client is interested in doing,” said Geoffrey Calabrese, Omnicom Media Group’s chief investment officer.

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This story first appeared in the May 17, 2021, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.