Why Alicia Wittig Loves Media Strategy at “Eye Level” with Clients

Alicia Wittig leads media strategy for DEPT® in Hamburg, consulting clients on media excellence and driving new business development. Throughout her career, she’s worked with brands including Amazon, Miele, Hugo Boss, and Vodafone, and previously served as group head of media strategy at Initiative Media.

At DEPT®, Alicia works with clients like Zalando and OutSystems as part of a strategy team of over 20 specialists across the EMEA region. Her approach combines insights from campaign operations, media planning, and research to deliver strategies that balance vision with execution.

Alicia sat down with LBB to discuss how brands have slowly embraced a fully digital-first media mix as she looks back on her own career as well as evolving consumer journeys.

LBB> What was it about the world of advertising media that pulled you in? What did you do before you got into media?

Alicia> When I finished my A-levels, I was only 17 and not ready to leave my hometown yet. So I decided to stay close and start a dual study program with a company just around the corner. Unfortunately, it was a gambling company, definitely something I’m not proud of. So as soon as I finished my studies, I left, because it really didn’t align with my values or spark any passion.

After that, I moved to Hamburg and found a digital agency that offered me a traineeship. Looking back, I think I was always meant to end up in the media world. My mom loves to tell the story that even as a little girl, I'd always switch the TV to whatever channel was playing commercials.

LBB> Over the course of your career, what have been the most significant changes you’ve seen in the media side of the industry?

Alicia> Oh boy, where do I even start? And that’s not even mentioning the AI capabilities that are transforming the media industry right now.

When I first started, social media was just a trendy thing that companies were experimenting with. Facebook had way more reach than Instagram, and TikTok and Netflix didn’t even exist. Today, social media is a core part of so many people’s daily lives, and therefore a key part of many companies’ media mix.

Back then, we were constantly trying to convince clients to adopt a digital-first mindset: advertising on social media, streaming services, and other digital platforms. Now, they're slowly embracing a fully digital-first media mix.

LBB> What was your first job in the media industry and give us a taste of the path that your career has been on?

Alicia> I started as a trainee in programmatic advertising and have always wanted to expand my expertise. I added social media campaign management to my skill set, moved into more consulting-focused roles, and then into media planning for a more holistic view. From there, I took on account management to build best-in-class media strategies, and afterwards joined the strategy department for an even broader perspective.

This background helps me understand all the perspectives that come together when teams execute media from strategy to implementation. What I love about being a media strategist is that it’s not just about media but also the bigger picture: how a client’s business goals, industry trends, competitor activity, and other factors should shape the media mix.

LBB> In more recent years, which projects or clients have proven to be the most stimulating and satisfying to work on and why?

Alicia> In the earlier days, I was interested in working with big brands with big budgets. But after some time, I realised that for me, it’s most inspiring to work at eye level with clients – when you feel their trust and the desire to try something new.

LBB> In media, an understanding of human behaviour is so important - what are some of the most interesting changes you’re seeing in terms of how we behave with and interact with media?

Alicia> For me, it’s kind of fascinating how so many trends seem to be followed by their opposite. First, digital connections became everything, and now people are craving authentic, human connections again. Short-form videos dominated for a while, and now long-form storytelling is making a comeback in brands’ strategies. It’s these constant shifts that keep our work as agencies so exciting, as you always have to stay on top of what’s evolving.

LBB> Brand safety is more important than ever and consumers and campaign groups are increasingly holding brands to account for the media they choose to spend on - what are your thoughts on this phenomenon and how are you and your teams navigating it?

Alicia> Personally, this isn’t really new to me. We’ve always tried to raise awareness of the importance of a solid, bulletproof brand safety setup. Still, it’s sometimes surprising to see how some brands neglect this area in digital, probably because it feels less tangible than in traditional media, where it’s easy to talk about which magazine or TV spot your ad appears in. Our job as agencies is to keep pushing this topic and make sure it stays a priority, even if that sometimes means investing in extra tools to ensure proper measurement.

LBB> What do you think are the most pertinent debates happening in the media field right now?

Alicia> The easy answer is the debate over how agencies can use AI to create real value.

But beyond that, the ongoing discussion about how consumer media behavior is changing is even more interesting. Suddenly, everyone’s talking about customer journeys not being linear anymore, when the truth is, they probably never were. It’s just becoming more complex to create relevant advertising touchpoints across the entire journey. That’s why it’s even more important not to think in brand or performance silos, but to put the customer at the center and focus on creating valuable touchpoints at every stage of the purchase process.

LBB> Decoupling, recoupling, creative agencies trying to build media functions, media agencies creating content studios… what’s your take on the relationship between creative and media and where do you think it’s going?

Alicia> For me, the most important thing is having absolute experts on both sides – people who really know their craft and can speak the same language. At DEPT®, that connection between creative and media is part of who we are. I honestly believe that thinking about those two areas together from the very beginning is the right approach. Too often, media agencies make things easy for themselves by saying a campaign didn’t perform because the creative wasn’t strong enough. What I love about our setup is that we don’t have to do that. We can work directly with our own creative teams to make it better together.

LBB> The wider industry has become really obsessed with artificial intelligence, but media has been using variations of AI and algorithmic automation for some time - what’s your take on the longer term influence of AI on media? Are there any aspects of media planning that you think AI could still have a big impact on?

Alicia> We still spend a lot of time trying to convince clients that it’s not all about short-term, performance-driven campaigns and that long-term brand-building media investments matter just as much. Maybe one day they'll finally believe us – when AI tells them the exact same thing we've been saying all along.

LBB> More attention is being paid to the environmental impact of various media types, particularly in digital - where do you think the industry is in terms of tracking that impact and minimising it?

Alicia> A lot of companies talk about this, but when it comes to actual execution, the ambition often fades. Advertisers are usually under immense pressure to maximise media efficiency and get the most out of the budget they have, and extra tracking solutions are frequently the first things to be cut. There’s still work to be done to make tracking easier to access, scalable across different channels, and more affordable.

LBB> As an industry, we’re obsessed with the new - and for good reason, it’s often where the money lies! But are there any more traditional forms of media that you think we’re sleeping on a bit or that you believe still make a significant impact when it comes to connecting with consumers?

Alicia> I often see in briefings that companies want to target younger audiences and focus almost exclusively on them. But we shouldn’t forget that a large part of the population is 50+, and these are often the groups with significant purchasing power. They’re also the ones we can still reach effectively through traditional media. Of course, digital is growing in importance, but it’s not the correct answer for every audience. So it’s not about a specific format, but about valuing the traditional media segment itself. Personally, I still love magazines – what’s not to love about glossy full-page ads in a brand-safe, ideally suited environment?

LBB> Who are your media heroes and why? And what sort of media do you enjoy?

Alicia> From a professional perspective, it’s definitely the Byron Sharps, Les Binets, and Peter Fields of the world. There’s nothing better than building media strategies on a solid foundation of research and data. On a personal note, I love watching football – although it’s a bit of a pain having to subscribe to five different streaming services just to catch every game.