Three years ago, PASHN was born out of a simple but urgent need: to build a media agency that cut the crap, binned the buzzwords, and put passion back at the heart of media thinking. We believed clients deserved better—more transparency, sharper thinking, and a team who actually gave a damn.

Since then, the media world has changed—again and again. But three years in, here’s what we’ve learned about where it’s going, what it needs, and why independent agencies like ours are better placed than ever to deliver.

 

1. Data got smarter, but not always better

 

Post-pandemic, brands understandably doubled down on performance, and data became gospel. But the industry quickly learned that more data didn’t always mean better outcomes. We’ve seen advertisers drowning in dashboards, buried under click-through rates, and chasing short-term wins while missing long-term growth. What’s changed in the last three years is the recognition that data needs context. Brands aren’t just asking “what worked?”—they’re asking why.

 

At PASHN, we’ve built our approach around better questions, not just better spreadsheets. That means planning grounded in insight, not vanity metrics. More outcome-based measurement. And crucially, the confidence to say no to lazy logic dressed up in a pie chart.

 

2. Retail media boomed—and isn’t slowing down

 

In the last 36 months, retail media has exploded. What started with Amazon has cascaded through Tesco, Boots, Asda, and even niche DTC platforms. The promise? Massive first-party data, transactional insight, and deeper attribution. The reality? A wild west of formats, inconsistent metrics, inconsistent definitions of retail and a landgrab for budgets.

 

But here’s the kicker: retail media’s rise reflects a bigger shift. Advertisers want media that’s closer to the point of sale or media that is planned and bought on actual sales data. They want proof.  Which is a good thing—but it needs proper planning, not a blind transfer of budget from brand to basket.

 

We’ve spent the last year helping clients navigate this complexity. And the most successful campaigns? They treat retail media as part of the funnel, not a shortcut around it.

 

3. AI’s here. Independents aren’t scared

 

ChatGPT’s public launch in late 2022 set the tone for what came next: a wave of AI experimentation across media, creative, and analytics. While network agencies scrambled to set up “innovation units,” independents just got on with it.

 

We’ve cautiously but excitedly embraced AI tools across planning, audience modelling, finding patterns in data, and forecasting. But we’ve also learned this: AI is only as good as the humans guiding it. Creativity still matters. Strategic instinct still matters. And the relationships we build—with clients, with media owners, with each other—matter more than ever.

 

4. More clients are choosing freedom over frameworks

 

Perhaps the biggest lesson of the last three years? Independence is a feature. As network models buckle under complexity and cost, more brands are turning to agencies like PASHN for faster thinking, clearer strategy, and people who care about the work—not just the P&L.

 

We’ve grown with brands who value trust, accountability, and genuine partnership. We’ve said no to work that didn’t feel right (and kissed a few frogs!) . And we’ve proven that scale isn’t everything—clarity, agility and heart count just as much.

 

So what’s next?

 

More rigour. More bravery. More belief in the craft of media. We didn’t start PASHN to play the same old game with new jargon. We started it because we believe media still matters. Three years in, we believe it more than ever.

 

Here's to the next chapter albeit with a sligtly greyer beard than in the Campaign article announcing our arrival on 6th June 2022.  Happy birthday PASHN!

 

See you in the Nellie Dean soon! RSVP if you haven't already!