MEDIA COUNCIL
“They all say
they want editorial to be sacrosanct, but then they ask if we can just put that Coke glass on the desk”
CA: We do similar deals in Asia as we do over here, where we can. Maybe there’s more opportunity and more sophistication in Europe. JS: In Asia, our clients have fewer pan- regional budgets, fewer still have global budgets, so it tends to be more of an inventory business. But then you look at India, which is very advanced, and I’m blown away by how sophisticated clients are in their approach to partnerships. MR: Creative solutions mean diff erent things to diff erent parts of the world, depending on the maturity of the market. Five years ago in the UK a sponsored TV programme on CNN was really creative; now you’ve got to have an event, a social media element, a blog seeding campaign. Elsewhere, they are still at the stage of thinking programming sponsorship is good. JS: Because a lot of our creative solutions are content-based, there are defi nitely regional diff erences in attitude to trying to infl uence content. PB: Good point. I’ve seen some
campaigns that have made me wince in the way they have infl uenced editorial. Where is the line drawn? MR: Agencies and clients are schizophrenic on that issue. They all say they absolutely want editorial to be sacrosanct, and that’s what they are buying into, but then they ask if we can just put that Coca-Cola glass on the desk like in American Idol.
PB: Is this something that is easier for entertainment brands?
LN: Content still has to be relevant. CA: We can’t even advertise in the features. The brick wall is still there, but from a creative standpoint we’ve got a lot of talent we have access to. LN: Product placement is a tough one and everyone expects us to be able to do what we can’t. Where was the agency in the initial discussions? Why don’t they tell their clients what’s not possible? JS: As much as you say that it is not possible, they feel like you’re saying it with a nudge and a wink. LN: Again, it comes back to who you are talking to. On mainland Europe, they seem to be more open. In the UK, agencies always feel that we’re out to get
12 M&M Q1 2010
them, that we’re doing something better with someone else.
PB: Where has the lack of trust come from?
LN: It’s historic. JS: Turnover of staff . LN: The account handlers are too junior to understand business dynamics, as Sital Banerjee [Philips] pointed out at the Festival of Media two years ago. JS: It’s very depressing, and certainly from the FT point of view we’re asking them to understand our readership but they don’t read it, and they are half the age of our average reader.
PB: And do you still feel agencies are taking the credit for your ideas?
MR: It’s fi ne if the agencies end up buying them back off us. CA: How do you measure it, how do you know it’s come from somewhere else? Unless the idea is totally outrageous it can be hard to tell whose it is. MR: A series on entrepreneurs – anyone around the table could do it. JS: Can I just write that down?! MR: Ultimately, it comes down to client relationships again. While we’re talking to the agency we’ll be making sure the client knows what we are saying. I don’t think it’s too much of an issue.
PB: Do you see yourselves taking over from the agencies?
JS: From the client view you have to say no. You always need someone who can take the pan-media approach. LN: More pan-regional deals are certainly done directly with media owners than 10 years ago. I think clients are holding on to their central money, and they are tapping us at that level. But that still leaves the media agencies with a network coordination role, and that is massively important. MR: I don’t think you’ll be able to see the shift by looking at the numbers. We have many deals now that are client direct but it’s still booked by the agency. I think in 10 years’ time what will be diff erent is trading versus strategy. The agencies are going down the trading route, so you talk to clients and ask them how much they rely on agencies for strategy and it’s less every day. JS: They are not demonstrating value on strategy and so we’re fi lling the void. ○
Conversation opener...
Charlie Attenborough
MD,
international advertising, National Geographic Global Media
The big break ...
As with all of the greats, Charlie started out his career in the mid-Western US state of Wisconsin... selling aerial photography door-to-door.
Email
Charlie.Attenborough@
ngm-intl.com
Liz Nunn
VP,
international ad sales,
Hidden secrets ...
Liz is the proud owner of an overweight, gay cat called Goon (short for Pingu). A little known fact is that Liz knows all of the names of the characters in Star Wars.
Email
MTV Networks
Liz.Nunn@mtvne.com
Max Raven
Senior VP, advertising sales, CNN International North
America, UK, Scandinavia
The big break ...
Max started in media young, working the lights and sound at the local theatre when he was 15 years old. A self-described career low was once working back stage at the Chippendales.
Email
Max.Raven@turner.com
Jon Slade
Global online and strategic advertising sales director, Financial Times
A Jon-of-all trades ...
Jon’s early career path included being a window cleaner, landscape gardner, student journalist, and an advertising manager
at The Gas Installer
magazine.
Email
Jon.Slade@FT.com
www.mandmglobal.com
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