Recorded live at Cannes Lions 2026, Justin Cooke sits down with Lisa Morgan, Managing Director of Generation Media, one of the UK’s leading independent media agencies specialising in children, young people and family audiences.
Children and young people are often the earliest adopters of new platforms, technologies and behaviours, but understanding what captures their attention, earns their trust and builds lasting affinity is becoming increasingly complex.
Lisa explains why Generation Media built its business around deep audience specialism, how children now influence major household purchasing decisions, and why marketers need to move beyond simply measuring reach and attention towards understanding fandom, affinity and long-term engagement.
They discuss the changing role of linear TV, the growth of experiential marketing, social media regulation, brand safety, the importance of insight in spotting emerging trends, and why global strategies still need local understanding.
Lisa also shares how Generation Media’s employee ownership model has shaped its culture, how coaching changed her own leadership style, and why AI and automation will make human qualities such as curiosity, judgement, passion and strategic thinking increasingly important.
In this episode:
• Why children and young people cannot be treated as one audience
• How brands can spot emerging trends before they become mainstream
• Why marketing is shifting from attention to affinity and fandom
• How AI is changing the skills agencies need
• What employee ownership can teach businesses about culture and leadership
• Why the future of media still includes lessons from the past
This is a conversation about understanding the next generation of consumers while building the next generation of agencies.
