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Jan 28, 2026
Week 5 - Media Buying in 2026: data-driven decisions, evolving roles, and new training skills
Join Max and Rachel as they interview Stewart Pratt about Media buying in 2026. <p><strong>📣 We Want to Hear from You!</strong></p> <ul> <li>📝 <a href="https://app.heymato.com /qna/the-checkout-point">Submit a question</a></li> <li>📞 <a href="tel:+17472934612">Call us at (747) 293-4612</a></li> </ul>
Show Notes
🎙️ Media buying is being rebuilt in real time, and this episode of The Checkout Point pulls back the curtain on what actually changed in 2025 and what is about to break next in 2026 for performance marketers, growth leaders, and media buyers.
In this episode, host duo HOST1 and HOST2 sit down with media and data veteran Stewart Pratt to unpack the evolution of data-driven decision making, the new media buyer role in an AI-first landscape, and how training, skills, and KPIs must adapt. From real-time optimization and automated dashboards to profit-focused reporting and behavioral economics, this is a practical, no-fluff roadmap for anyone running paid media, digital advertising, or performance marketing at scale. 🧠📈
- 🎯 How data-driven decisions evolved from weekly reports to always-on, real-time optimization that can detect a sinking ROAS in specific markets and auto-correct before humans even log in
- 💡 What the media buyer role looks like in 2026 as bidding, budgeting, and audience targeting become increasingly automated and the value shifts toward strategy, creative input, and business impact
- 📊 Why the most effective media buyers stop reporting on campaign volume and start owning profit growth, incrementality, and performance marketing tied directly to business outcomes
- 🧩 The new media buyer training stack that blends behavioral economics, understanding client P&Ls, customer lifetime value, and margin optimization with platform fluency
- 🚀 How relationship-based placements, unique inventory, and strategic partnerships are coming back into focus even as platforms become more automated and “hands-off”
✨ If you care about the future of media buying, digital advertising strategy, and data-driven growth, this episode is a must-listen. Subscribe to The Checkout Point, share this episode with your team, and leave a review with your biggest insight so more performance marketers and media buyers can future-proof their playbooks. 🎧
Transcript
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