nextMedia Festival shows "AI search is new reality"

During her opening address, Nina Klaß, Head of nextMedia.Hamburg, underlined the importance of a forward-looking approach: "Media companies must be highly innovative today to survive long-term change." Plans are now being laid for a "House of the Digital World" in central Hamburg, which will make the digital future accessible to all. A network for media representatives, known as Artificial Intelligence Leaders (AIM Leaders) and initiated by nextMedia, is gearing up for its first AIM Leaders Conference  in November.

Media companies are embracing AI instead of working against the technology, according to Paul Elvers, Head of AI at Funke Mediengruppe. Thanks to AI search engines, users no longer have to click on a link to find the information required. However, this has led to a drop in traffic. The solution lies in cautious adjustment, said Elvers. On the one hand, organic top quality content remains important. However, the onus is now on developers to improve their systems rather than simply referencing themselves. Content may have to be adapted so that AI can use it. SEO is therefore likely to become AI-optimised, incorporating explanatory subheadings and precise blocks of information. New business models are needed that reward AI search engines for using their own content as a source. Systems such as Toll Bit and Gist.ai are already taking this approach. “AI searching is the new reality. There is no reason for it to disappear," Elvers pointed out.

The advertising industry is also undergoing radical change, according to WPP Media's 2025 Global Midyear Forecast. More advertising revenue is likely to be generated through collaborations with social creators rather than traditional media for the first time in 2025. In such a dynamic market, finding the right creators for your own brand is paramount, said Magnus Folten, Head of the 9:16 by We create agency. During his presentation entitled "Buzz Without Burnout: The Power of Creator Marketing", Folten urged those behind brands not to invest too much energy in their own content production, but rather find the right creators. A growing trend towards AI-supported matching platforms connects brands with suitable creators similar to a dating platform. This would allow companies to leverage the creators' expertise and allocate more resources their core activities.

Given the increasing emphasis on "more, more, more", Marina Schakarian, digital strategist and coach, urged: "It's time to stop" and recommended the strategic termination of projects. Companies should learn to let certain things go to remain successful and to free up resources for other projects. Yet, an abrupt stop often feels like failure. Thus, it is important to determine the end date of a project at the outset and to help employees prepare for that deadline. Identifying projects that are proving a headache can help start their abandonment. Think about: "What would happen if we let it go?" Projects that require a lot of effort, strategic highlights and internal energy are good candidates for termination, according to Schakarian. Termination allows the media industry to withstand the pressure to change and new projects to be undertaken.

The media industry is considering its future and is already initiating change in different areas. "This is where cooperation is needed," Klaß noted, both in Hamburg and across Europe. Shared infrastructures, training data and open-to-innovation regulations would pave the way to a digitally competent future.
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