Ben Bilboul

Lets QUALIFY quality media! This is def worth a read. An excellent and timely piece by Omar Oakes Editor in Chief of The Media Leader UK. Omar references Cal Newport's ‘quality pyramid’ in which minimally processed media — which he terms as “linguistic media” (books) — as placed at the bottom, TV and other mass/broadcast media are in the middle, and social media (the most ‘processed’ of all media types) is at the top to signify lowest quality. He uses two main criteria for what is ‘high quality’ versus ‘low quality’: >> The curation of media: How much skill and craft has been deployed to create content? >> The delivery of media: How much work a human has to do to consume media versus how much work is done for them by a machine to serve it to them? #BrandsDeserveBetterMedia #MediaForGrowth https://lnkd.in/g6WMYufW

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'Proprietary Media' (or 'Principal) is a hot potato in our industry right now. A new report from the Association of National Advertisers is a great, in-depth guide to the pros and cons, with very good recommendations for advertisers. Here I go into the cons and cons and argue that it is bad for everyone and ultimately the Media Agencies themselves. I call it 'unprincipled' media. As the WFA meets in Toronto for Global Marketer Week the health of the advertising industry should be on the agenda. Advertisers may not be able to solve issues such as climate change, but they can take actions with a more immediate impact on the well-being of the people who service their needs through how they spend their money. The news piece contains the ANA report can be found here https://lnkd.in/geKeFjBX All comments welcome, as ever.

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Media Marketing Compliance helped the Association of National Advertisers study the market for 'Principal' (or 'Proprietary') Media, and the results have landed. The report is incredibly thorough and provides great guidance for advertisers. While not a new phenomenon, PM is increasing dramatically and becoming a much more controversial way for Media Agencies to make extra profit at the expense of transparency into their true revenues. Advertisers should take a firm view on whether this is in their best interests.

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Want to know where the jobs are going to be? This new report from Accenture brilliantly outlines where the industry will need to head in order to thrive. If you are repositioning your agency or are personally looking for the next opportunity, this is a mandatory read. It’s literally a roadmap for the next 3 years. YOUR goal now is to position yourself appropriately in these doorways of opportunity. Here’s my take on what I think these industry trends mean for entertainment marketers and creatives; Time to Upgrade (again) Content personalization, consumer engagement platforms, and similar will not just be advantages, they will be essential to stay relevant. Find the courses, learn the tools, and use knowledge. No complaining. Remember when you had to learn Final Cut for the first time? Reactive Proactivity While everyone is reacting to new workflows and roles that didn’t exist even a few years ago, how can you proactively bring forth innovative processes? For instance, a writer/producer might need to shift towards roles that combine content curation with analytics to gauge viewer engagement and content effectiveness. We’ve always been experts at innovative workflows, blended roles & responsibilities, and new technologies. While the tool are different, our maverick spirit is stronger than ever. Pop-Up Business Models Obviously, there will be a growing need for varied content and thus specialized skills on a project-by-project basis, which opens up substantial opportunities for unique working arrangements and flexible business models. How could short-term collectives, shared service models, or flexible partnerships look? Clearly, none of this will be easy and I don’t want it to see like I’m trivializing the road ahead. The title of the report is “Only the radical will survive and thrive.” However, isn’t that who we’ve been all along? C’mon. We got this. #GetRad https://lnkd.in/gAqAYxcX

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This is a very well-informed and detailed examination of the complex and murky area of 'principal-based' media buying with particularly insightful comments from Ruben Schreurs It shows just how difficult it is for Advertisers to truly know what is going on in their name and with their money, so seeking independent advice, the tightest contractual terms and the most thorough audit rights are all vital to avoid the many elephant traps. But why has the world of media reached a point where the advertiser has to count their fingers after they've shaken hands with their media agency? Radical new approaches to accountability and transparency are needed, but these have to include a grown-up discussion about terms of business. We can't get to a point where fees are zero and all the margin is made on media trading, surely?

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On a recent episode of the fantastic On Strategy Showcase with Fergus O'Carroll, guest Adam Morgan spoke about the hidden cost of dull advertising. With so many of our friends and colleagues in Cannes this week celebrating creativity and innovation in our business, it got me thinking about the one attribute that makes some work stand out from the rest ... Courage. Courage isn't dull. Courage commands attention. Courage is effective. The role of courage in creativity isn't a new idea, but it's often forgotten when we're talking about the work. Liquid Death, Nike, Red Bull, Hoka, Apple, Old Spice (and the list of usual suspects from the last 25 years) -- any brand in the great pantheon of creativity are more likely indications of the most courageous cultures between clients, strategists, and creative teams. Innovation and creativity are brilliant whispers without the courage to bring them to the masses with an Uncle Walt-like barbaric YAWP. ------- Check out the episode of On Strategy Showcase here: https://lnkd.in/expifZbs

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Want to know how Pinterest has evolved and Why are they appealing to Gen Z Shoppers? Have a read of the article below👇🏼 Thanks to Melissa Ryan & the Agency Team at Pinterest! #dentsu #pinterest #performancemarketing #socialmedia

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Great interview on Jon Evans' Uncensored CMO, with David Boscawen, Group MD of VCCP London, and Gui Ferreira Global Brand VP at Cadbury, as they talk about the thinking behind the great Cadbury's Dairy Milk 'Generosity' campaign. There's much to unpack there and some great insights including: - Drawing on the heritage of the brand (Glass and a half in every bar) - A genuine agency/client working relationship - Investing in the brand, not just short term solutions - How to write a good brief It's an intelligent story, well worth a listen on the way to work. https://lnkd.in/gS7BtCyd

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In the latest episode of the IAB UK podcast, Dave S. sits down with Sophia Haynes and James Chandler to talk about the IAB's newly launched Environmental Sustainability FAQs, it's rationale, and how we at GroupM UK are using them day-to-day. Listen here 🎧 https://lnkd.in/eTDyKXGD #GroupMUK #Sustainability

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NO MORE AD LAND SUGARCOATING PLEASE!! Ah, 2022. Post-pandemic, the industry was buzzing like never before. We were all as busy as we could have possibly been. It was a glorious time…budgets high, scripts up to my eyeballs, and the industry seemed to have found a renewed vigour. So what has happened since? Many have been struggling, and I hear lots of peers hoping to ‘just get to 2025’ with the hope of a shift in gears from advertisers. Just yesterday, I was reading an article in The Guardian about the film industry facing the same existential struggle. It was a relief to see someone spell it out so plainly, no classic ad land sugar-coating, just a frank reflection of the challenges we're all grappling with. So, what exactly has happened, and more importantly, how do we move forward from here? Creativity seems to still be there. The boards I read on a daily basis are bursting with great ideas, but the resources to support it aren't. This hasn’t stopped us from making some amazing work this year, and no doubt the industry will bounce back soon... right? RIGHT?? The key to surviving (and thriving) in this moment is adaptability, and that’s why we launched Made By Humans. It’s why Imagine This Creative Studio was set up in a different way to most, not another copy and paste business in our overly saturated industry. We're trying new things. We're not just waiting for the next script to drop... we’re actively experimenting. Of course, at some point, the scripts do need to start coming in again. The industry does need a fresh influx of energy from advertisers. But when that happens, and it will, we’ll be ready, with tools and ideas that have been honed in the lean times. Until then, we’ll keep growing, keep experimenting, and keep proving that innovation doesn’t need to break the bank. I'd love to see some statistics about the advertising and production space with the same level of detail as the Guardian article shares. Has anyone seen anything interesting? https://lnkd.in/dwrvPuSy

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Google searches related to the topic of Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) have gained momentum over the past two years, and we’ve felt this increased focus reflected in the briefs we receive at Tonic. We're asked to weave DE&I considerations throughout our work (and rightly so!) rather than as a standalone theme. In response, we recommend our clients take an explorative approach to DE&I, crafting cultures and spaces where employees can safely explore their identity, or identities. It's a contemporary approach that encourages intersectionality to flourish, and does away with crude tokenism. You can read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/e7rTYMhQ

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Well done Instinct Digital and Cassian Scott Stephen Maynard Great traction for the ambitious growth plans at Instinct Digital - “We are delighted to partner with AlbionVC on the next stage of our journey,” said Cassian Scott, CEO.  “Our prestigious clients are fundamental to our success, along with our partners and team who have enabled Instinct to build a product that has the potential to become the benchmark in investment communications and reporting for investors." see Morningstar Synpulse Marouane Bakhtar #fintech #assetmanagement #assetmanagers #investmentmanagers #wealthmanagement #reporting #investors

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Today's all-new Cog Blog on how a simple example based on newspaper audiences illustrates many of the issues faced within today's media planning and buying business. Or should that be media buying and planning business?

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Insightful, spot on piece about how the role of the media agency (its’ talent, capabilities and strategic services) needs to evolve by Ailsa Buckley at my old stomping ground Havas Media UK. Ailsa’s POV about the changing strategic support that a CMO needs is spot on. That said to be trusted advisors, media (in fact all) agencies do need to re build trust and shake off their reputation as transactional and margin obsessed. They also need to think far broader than media & advertising and really understand how the overall marketing department and strategy operates… This is as good a roadmap as any for those leading media agencies. I’d love to see more succeed as CvE - Marketing Consultancy in our consulting with global brands we hear CMO’s say every week that they: 1) feel like they have to take back control of technology, data and audience planning 2) want strategic partners that truly understand their business and how they generate more revenue and profit 3) have to move faster to embrace automation/AI to improve both the quality and efficiency of the work. Great read Ailsa. https://lnkd.in/gPRwgsG7

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Welcome to “In My Humble Opinion”, a podcast collaboration between The Marketing Society and Publicis Groupe UK agencies that creates a space for marketing leaders to discuss their opinions on topics affecting our industry which they think about but may not always say out loud. You will hear industry leaders and experts talk about their views and opinions on deliberately provocative subjects such as the impact of technology on brands and consumers, the future of our industry, the generational divides, diversity and inclusion and more. This is Episode 1 - ‘In My Humble Opinion...nobody ever got fired for buying the safest brands.’, a deep dive into the often-overlooked importance of brand in B2B marketing and purchasing decisions. We're joined by Billy Hamilton-Stent, Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Pro, and special guests Mimi Turner and Jann Martin Schwarz from Marketplace Innovation at LinkedIn Marketing Services. What do we cover? 💡The challenges of measuring brand impact in B2B marketing 💡The need for a more holistic approach to B2B marketing strategies Whether you're a B2B marketer, sales professional, or business leader, this episode offers valuable insights into the power of brand in driving B2B growth and success. Enjoy! https://lnkd.in/eZGG_Rxc #B2BMarketing #IMHOPodcast

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I spent 15 years working publisher side at companies like Bauer Media Group, The Telegraph, Immediate and The Guardian, journalism and quality editorial is in my blood having grown up with parents in publishing. I am so proud that today Good-Loop announced that we're making it simple for publishers to measure their carbon emissions. For free. Forever. At a time when monetising quality and more importantly independent journalism is crucial for our society, it’s imperative that our industry doesn’t make the same mistakes it made with “brand safety” and that publishers aren’t further defunded with punitive carbon levies. https://lnkd.in/eQC9-NfG #certifiedgood #goodmedia #goodforsociety #goodforplanet #goodforbusiness

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Adland's progressive orthodoxy - and how it's killed creativity and free thinking Earlier this month, Adam & Eve/DDB's CCO, Richard Brim told Campaign that the industry is "at a low point" creatively and must raise the bar. He said "people are afraid of everything" and accused brands and agencies of “creative washing” awards shows in order to give the false impression that great work is the norm. He is right when he says that creativity is at a low point - and the awards shows are implicated. But this has nothing to do with "creative washing" to divert attention from the general low standards. On the evidence of the past 12 years, the agencies aren't really that bothered about creative standards. Nope. Since 2012 the award shows have, instead, been used by those agencies to demonstrate, primarily to each other, their shared moral superiority and commitment to each year's trending “culture-changing” progressive cause. The people who run the shows have encouraged such thinking with, for example, the Chairman of D&AD famously saying that "greenwashing and wokewashing (bogus entries about societal/environmental issues) is actually a step in the right direction". It is, indeed, only a couple of years since 85% of Cannes Grands Prix and a similar proportion of D&AD Pencils went to Social Purpose and cause-related work. Clearly, for over ten years, the judging criteria had little to do with rewarding originality and encouraging brilliance, and much to do with reinforcing adland’s groupthink and enshrining its desired self-image. Adherence to this suffocating orthodoxy has done much to kill creativity.  Just as ominously, it explains why, as Richard says, “people are afraid of everything”. For the progressive orthodoxy also comes with a strict definition of what can and cannot be said. And this, I'd suggest, is the real source of our creative malaise. For when you're sitting opposite your creative partner with just a blank piece of paper between you, nothing should be off limits. You need to blurt out thoughts fearlessly, sometimes the more outrageous the better. Self-censorship, at the gestation stage of this mysterious process, is deadly. And, until freethinking is championed in adland, there's little chance of delivering on Richard Brim's hope about "creative agencies giving clients creative business solutions that really cut through and stick their head above the parapet.” Usually "the parapet" is there to protect you from threats on the outside. In adland's case, for the past 12 years, the enemy of creativity has been inside the walls.

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We have partnered with Mi3 to survey Australia's top marketers, gaining valuable insights into drivers and obstacles to growth. Follow the link to download the report. Let us know what you think. Jen Davidson Anthony Gregorio Paul McIntyre

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Love him or hate him - Sir Martin is always relevant - his point on Group M being acquired makes absolute sense as it a huge part of the valuation of the WPP business. Premier League vs Second Division, again calling it like he sees it - mind you does that put S4 in the lower divisions? #marketingsservices #digitalservices #independentagencies

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