On Thanksgiving, we’re pausing to reflect on the people and communities who make responsible media possible from independent publishers to challenger brands daring to show up with humanity. Here’s what we’re grateful for this year, and how it shapes the work we’re committed to in the months ahead.

Thanksgiving as we know it was crafted through decades of media influence creating shared rituals while erasing Indigenous truths. This reflection unpacks how the holiday’s story was built, what was left out, and what today’s challenger brands can learn about using media to shape culture responsibly.

Campfire recertified as a B Corp with a score of 133 — a milestone that reflects our commitment to serving challenger brands with transparency, stewardship, and smarter media. Here’s what this certification means for your business and how it strengthens the way we plan, buy, and measure media.

Most brands invest in paid media before they’re ready. This piece breaks down the clarity, resonance, and channel-fit tests that reveal whether your strategy can truly scale and shows how to build the foundation that makes every media dollar work harder.

Most brands blame their ads when growth stalls, but the real issue usually lives upstream. This piece breaks down why more budget won’t solve unclear positioning, weak demand, or a story that doesn’t resonate, and shows how strategy, not spend, is what actually unlocks momentum for challenger brands.

Big cultural moments change how people pay attention and this week’s Wicked premiere is one of them. Cinema and out-of-home aren’t just high-visibility channels; they’re high-receptivity environments where challenger brands build familiarity faster than anywhere else. When audiences gather in shared spaces, attention deepens, emotion rises, and brand signals get clearer. In a fragmented digital landscape, these channels help brands be recognized, remembered, and chosen. Here’s what this moment reveals and why it matters for every challenger brand looking to grow.

As the world gathers for Climate Week, it’s time to recognize media as part of your supply chain. Every ad campaign carries a carbon cost—and chasing bargain CPMs only fuels waste, fraud, and emissions. By buying direct and investing in quality journalism, brands can cut carbon, reduce wasted spend, and strengthen the truth at a moment when it’s under attack.

Outsourcing media is common but without a strategic layer, campaigns risk hitting KPIs without moving the business forward. At Campfire, we align digital, linear, and sponsorship buying with real brand and business goals, combining strategy with in-house execution to make media investments matter.

Inside the store isn’t a free pass. Make RMNs accountable with clear tests, brand-safe contexts, and carbon-aware choices. We also cover the magic that can happen when you pair the right direct-to-publisher opportunities with your retail marketing.

Every dollar matters when your media budget is small. Here are practical strategies to help you target smarter, choose the right channels, and get the most out of your spend—so your message reaches the right people without wasting resources.

The latest ANA 2025 Programmatic Transparency Benchmark shows billions of ad dollars still lost to waste and low‑quality sites. Learn how an integrated, community‑driven strategy delivers real value and trust.

Media ownership is shifting again, with David Ellison taking control of Paramount and reports of Bari Weiss stepping into CBS News leadership. What does this mean for trust in journalism, and why should brands and communities care?

When one company controls nearly 200 local TV stations, who really benefits — shareholders, advertisers, or communities? Nexstar’s $6.2B acquisition of TEGNA is being sold as scale, but in practice it may mean fewer local stories, fewer authentic ad opportunities, and fewer voices shaping the conversation.

MSNBC is spinning off into MS Now—but is this a bold step forward for television, or just financial engineering dressed up as strategy?
For viewers, the stakes are trust. For advertisers, it’s clarity versus more fragmentation. Our latest POV unpacks what this shift really signals for the future of TV and why the next gold rush might not be where you expect.

Streaming may be the buzz, but the future of TV isn’t just about what people watch—it’s about how it’s sold. Explore why brands that balance linear and streaming buys will win on reach, efficiency, and impact.

The best messages don’t just persuade — they get repeated. In this conversation with political communications strategist Anat Shenker-Osorio, we explore how shared values, simple language, and a clear vision can turn your audience into your amplifiers. Perfect inspiration as you plan your 2026 campaigns.

Attribution isn't a one-click answer. In this Fireside conversation, Campfire's Chris Marine and M Squared's Madan Bharadwaj unpack why true marketing insight comes from triangulation, not dashboards, and how brands can make smarter, more honest decisions about media ROI.

Too many brands trust platform dashboards as gospel. In this piece, we explore why attribution deserves the same rigor as any smart investment and why we believe real media strategy means using multiple sources of truth to guide what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next.

The Senate is debating a bill that could gut funding for NPR, PBS, and global aid programs. For businesses, media buyers, and impact-driven brands, this moment isn’t just political, it’s personal. Here's why it matters, and what you can do to protect the signals that connect and inform us all.

What does it really mean to serve a community through journalism? In this Fireside episode, NewsCenter Maine anchor Brian Yocono joins Campfire founder Chris Marine to explore the evolving media landscape, the emotional weight of storytelling, and why trust in local news is more vital than ever. A must-read (and listen) for anyone who cares about truth, media, and the power of connection.