The latest AA/Warc report brings welcome news for the advertising industry with an upgraded forecast for 2025. Yet beneath the surface optimism lies a troubling trend that has industry leaders calling the numbers "frustrating."

Whilst search and social platforms continue their upward trajectory, news brands and magazines are losing ground in the investment race.

Companies like Ozone are leading the charge by positioning themselves as "platforms" and "alternatives to the big social giants"— moves that demonstrate how media owners are seeking to adapt to retain and capture new revenues.

We’re in a time when brands and agencies are regularly calling out the importance of investment into premium content channels for both societal and marketing effectiveness impact. But are the revenues following?

Do media companies need to evolve into platform-like destinations where audiences search and discover, or risk becoming content suppliers in someone else's ecosystem?

How can media companies successfully compete by building their own ecosystems?

Will media owners find themselves locked out of the very gardens they helped cultivate?