Today started off with a taped message from Sir Martin
Sorrell of WPP in response to key questions we were asking re the WPP group as
well as the potential impact of the Publicis Omnicom Group merger. Sir
Martin refers to it as POG – which of course is funny and interesting at the
same time.
WPP sees the need for more scientific skills within the
group in order to manage the future and the needs of data and technology.
He also commented that business in general is much better than in 2009 but is
still tough and will continue to be so for some time to come. Regarding
POG, Sir Martin believes that it is a “fatally flawed” merger, badly handled
from a PR and client perspective with little consultation with staff and
clients alike. It spells great opportunity for WPP.
We then moved onto Group M – the media trading group which
contains the four WPP media agencies. An excellent overview of the market in
general from the CEO, discussion about “ horizontality” ie harnessing group
structures for the benefit of clients across countries and disciplines eg Team
Detroit within WPP. Lots of discussion and questions around media and
where the future lies.
Y&R was next and it has transformed itself in the past
three years under the leadership of David Sable and his team – including a move
to new premises – the first move in more than 90 years of being in
business. A whole new energy, great traditions and experience at the top,
lots of new young people. We were shown some of the newest – and very
impressive - work and some interesting new thinking about the duality of
brands.
One of the trends observed is that more people have access
to mobile phones than to toothbrushes or toilets – makes you think!
Y&R in South Africa and Africa is of course very strong
and the conclusion of the transaction with Native was a feature of the growth
in the VML (digital ) Y&R network. A delicious lunch on the rooftop
of the agency premises with a magnificent view of Central Park rounded off that
visit.
Good discussion then among the consultants only around
agency compensation and why agencies need to articulate their thoughts on what
makes marketing spend different from any other spend pool for a marketer.
More on that at our next Subscriber master class – 10 key messages.
We then moved on to MRY – which is a merger between Mr Youth
and LBi and now owned by Publicis. Brave and creative social media work on a
big scale and competing with R/GA and Razorfish, this full service digital
agency believes in creating connected ideas make people’s lives better.
They use data to predict consumer behaviour and then supply the products and
campaigns which will meet those new needs.
Finally our last destination for the day was Wunderman –
where we learned about Emotional Data along with how Wunderman views the
future. An excellent dinner with a very stimulating group of Wunderman
people rounded off what was certainly a most stimulating second day of the
Summit.
Day 3 looks like this:
Wednesday 9 October
9.00 - 10.30
am
Dianne Wilkins, CEO, Critical Mass (Breakfast)
8.30 – 10.00 am Meet at the Apartment, 101 Crosby St.
(bet. Prince & Spring Sts.)
11.00 - 2.00
pm
Diamond Harris, CEO, McCann Worldgroup (Lunch)
10.30 – 1.30 622 Third Ave., bet. 40th
& 41st Sts.
2.00 – 2.30 Miles
Nadal on MDC Update
745 5th Ave, (58th St)
2.00 - 5.30
pm
Open Afternoon
6.00 pm
Gaston Legorburu, Executive Director, SapientNitro
40 Fulton Street (Pearl
St.)
Dinner hosted by SapientNitro, same location
We might even have time for a short rest in the afternoon!!
More tomorrow.
#adforumsummit – follow us on Twitter.
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