The Media Leader

Why Brands Need Less Channel Planning and More Ecosystem Design — with Arena Media's Hamid Habib

In the Media Leader podcast, Havas Village’s Arena Media MD Hamid Habib argues that the era of linear channel planning is over. He proposes a shift toward "ecosystem design," where brands are woven into cultural moments and community touchpoints rather than merely buying media slots. Habib explains that cultural relevance fuels growth – he cites internal IPA research suggesting brands embedded in culture achieve disproportionate revenue gains. He also stresses the need to value "dark signals," such as brand visibility at festivals or in streetwear, which traditional digital metrics miss. Examples include Red Bull’s cross‑platform culture‑clash events and Arena Media’s roster of gaming heavyweights like Sega, Pokémon and Bethesda. Habib notes that while some studies claim a six‑fold growth advantage, the real impact is modest but measurable, and the agency is working with the IPA to quantify it. The takeaway for marketers is to redesign media plans around narrative IP, collaborate across agencies, and tap under‑invested channels such as gaming and AI. Doing so aligns brands with the communities that matter, improves ROI, and future‑proofs media spend.