Skip to content
ATDbbeta
K

Kara Manatt

EVP, Intelligence Solutions at Magna Global

Producing Magna Global's influential advertising market forecasts and research reports that set the benchmark for industry understanding of global ad spend trends, streaming economics, and emerging media channels.

AnalystLinkedInNew York, New York, United States15+ years in industry

Last updated May 30, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team

Bio

Kara Manatt is one of the advertising industry's most authoritative voices on media market intelligence, best known for leading Magna Global's proprietary research and forecasting practice. As EVP of Intelligence Solutions at IPG Mediabrands' centralized intelligence unit, she oversees the production of widely referenced quarterly and annual advertising expenditure forecasts, as well as deep-dive research on high-growth sectors including connected TV, retail media, programmatic advertising, and social media. Her analysis is routinely cited by major business and trade publications including The Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, and Adweek, making her a go-to expert for understanding the forces reshaping the ad-supported media ecosystem. Manatt's work sits at the intersection of data, media economics, and strategic counsel, helping global advertisers and media companies navigate rapid shifts in audience behavior, platform dynamics, and advertising effectiveness. Her research outputs directly inform billions of dollars in media investment decisions across IPG's global client portfolio. She has built Magna's intelligence function into a trusted industry resource that commands attention from both buy-side and sell-side stakeholders. With an estimated 15-plus years in the industry, Manatt has developed deep expertise across the full spectrum of media channels and emerging advertising technologies. Her ability to translate complex market data into actionable strategic insights has established her as a leading analyst-practitioner in adtech, bridging the gap between quantitative forecasting and real-world media planning implications.

Previous Roles

SVP, Intelligence Solutions

Magna Global

Research and Intelligence roles

IPG Mediabrands

Expertise
Advertising Market ForecastingConnected TV (CTV) AdvertisingRetail MediaProgrammatic AdvertisingStreaming Media EconomicsDigital Advertising TrendsSocial Media AdvertisingMedia Investment Strategy
Notable Achievements
  • Leads production of Magna Global's quarterly and annual advertising forecasts, among the most cited in the global adtech and media industry
  • Established Magna's Intelligence Solutions practice as a premier source of proprietary research informing media investment across IPG's global client base
  • Frequently quoted by major business and trade press including The Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, and Adweek as an authoritative industry forecaster
Speaking Topics
Global advertising market forecasts and spending trendsThe economics of streaming and ad-supported videoConnected TV and programmatic advertising growthRetail media network evolutionImpact of emerging technologies on the advertising marketplaceAudience behavior shifts and media consumption trends
Publications
  • Magna Global Quarterly Advertising Forecast Reports
  • Magna Global Annual Advertising Expenditure Forecasts
  • Magna research reports on Connected TV, Retail Media, and Social Media Advertising
Connections