Economic volatility stress-tests the global advertising market

The WARC Podcast · Jun 18, 2026 · 25m

The months-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz remains a serious test of global ad market resilience. WARC Media's Alex Brownsell and Kate Scott-Dawkins, Global President for Business Intelligence at WPP Media, join WARC's Anna Hamill to make sense of complicated dynamics for advertisers in 2026.

Guests:

Kate Scott-Dawkins, Global President for Business Intelligence, WPP Media

Alex Brownsell, Head of Content, WARC Media

Anna Hamill, Senior Editor - The WARC Podcast

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro: WARC Global Ad Spend trends

02:43 – Why ad spend is booming while consumers feel pessimistic

06:39 –…