Silverpush Partner Spotlight: Vaughn Ericson, SVP Activation Strategy |   21 May, 2025

This week, Silverpush is excited to feature Vaughn Ericson, the SVP of Activation Strategy for True Media. We caught up with Vaughn about what makes True Media special and discussed the biggest trends in the ad market this year.

Here’s what Vaughn said.

1. Tell us about your agency. What makes True Media special?

True Media is an independent media agency helping leading and emerging brands across North America rise above the noise and make relevant connections with their customers. We work closely with our clients to apply deep media expertise and a genuine human perspective to enable them to find what’s true and elevate their brands.

2. What made you choose Silverpush as a contextual partner?

At True Media, we’re always on the lookout for innovative media partners. Silverpush brings smart processes and tech to the table to help us get the most out of our clients’ media dollars. Some might call them vendors, but to us, they’re true partners. They’re part of our team, working right alongside us with one shared goal: delivering industry-leading solutions and top-notch results.

3. How has the ad market changed over the past five years? Are there trends in your region that you’ve noticed specifically?

1. The growth of video options, primarily CTV/streaming, has had a big impact on the market.
2. Short-form video and the influencer economy have opened a new channel for marketers and consumers.
3. The proliferation of AI technology across several areas (machine learning, content generation, contextual identification) has changed the way we do marketing.
4. A new focus on Performance Media and measurable results.
5. Growth of retail media networks and advertising opportunities within and outside of their walls.

I don’t think any of these are specific to our region. These trends have had an impact regionally, nationally, and globally.

4. What ad channels are driving the best results for clients right now?

There’s not a single channel that is driving the best results on its own.

At True Media, we’re focused on overall campaign goals and making sure that our integrated media plans are helping our clients rise above the noise and clutter to make relevant connections with their customers/target audiences. Although every channel and tactic must be tracked, optimized, and measured individually, we’re focused most on how each is contributing to the holistic campaign goals.

5. Are you noticing any specific trends in how brands are leveraging data or AI-driven tools to connect with local audiences?

While programmatic advertising and RTB have been driven by AI for years, advances in AI technologies let brands connect with customers in more hyper-targeted, hyper-personalized ways based on a variety of behavior, contextual, and/or location data.

6. What are the biggest advertising challenges for brands today? What are the biggest opportunities?

That’s a great question. The biggest challenges ARE the biggest opportunities.

Wrangling data. Using data effectively to reach the right target with the right message at the right time. It’s not a new concept, but a more complicated reality. Being data-driven while being efficient and effective with the data is critical. As stewards of our clients’ media dollars, reaching our target audiences with minimal waste and maximum results is our goal.

Want to learn more about True Media? Visit the agency website here.