Insights
Practical thinking from the desk.
Notes on what’s working in media right now — late space opportunities, sector trends, channel reviews and the occasional opinion. Written by people who plan and buy media every day, not by content marketers.

Industry Insights
Programmatic, Native and Digital Display: What They Actually Are — and How to Use Each One to Win Business
Programmatic advertising is the automated buying and selling of digital ad inventory in real time. Native advertising matches the look and feel…

Industry Insights
Why Print Still Pulls: The Enduring Power of Newspapers and Magazines for Advertisers
Why newspapers and magazines still beat digital on response quality — across national, regional and consumer titles — and why VCM buys…

Industry Insights
ChatGPT Ads: Where Consumer Decisions Are Being Made
ChatGPT began serving sponsored results within its AI responses in 2025. With over 900 million weekly active users, the platform now represents…

Industry Insights
The Future of Media in the UK: What Brands Need to Know for 2026
UK advertising expenditure is forecast to pass £50 billion in 2026, with digital accounting for around 70% of total spend. The most…

Sector Insights
How UK and European Fine Art Auction Houses Embraced Digital — Without Abandoning Tradition
UK and European fine art auction houses now receive around 80% of bids via online platforms, yet print catalogues and specialist art…

Blog
Welcome to VCM — and a word on what we actually do
VCM (Virtual Campaign Management) is an independent direct response media agency founded in 2014 by James Ferrin. We plan, negotiate and buy…
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