Carly Sutherland

GenAI is improving rapidly. Yet brands are struggling to use it in a way that’s both intellectually protected and fair use. Most large language models in the market have ambiguous data sources. And as we saw with the NYT-OpenAI lawsuit in late 2023, more content providers and artists will likely start fighting back to be compensated for their loosely volunteered contributions. Here's my breakdown on the latest developments in US copyright law to figure out just how far we are from ubiquitous AI-generated ads.

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I've been thinking about this article written by Ewan Larkin and Brian Bonilla at Ad Age ever since they called me for a quote (thanks to both of them again for including AAR Partners in the article). Why? Because in 23 years as an agency search consultant, I've never seen this trend to be more true. Sure, we've managed reviews this year and have been invited to pitch others (yes, we pitch too). But there's a definite decrease in those led by search consultants. How do I know? 1️⃣ - I've been tracking the number of reviews led by search consultants for at least a decade and the average number of reviews that are marketer-led is 75%. Yes, s e v e n t y f i v e percent! Not the other way around. 2️⃣ - I've asked seven agencies (two media and the rest creative only or full service) over the past three weeks, how many pitches that they're involved in and how many of those are led by search consultants. Collectively, there are 35 reviews in progress (ok, maybe some overlap) and guess how many are being led by search consultants?!?!? Go ahead... I'll wait. Take a guess! T W O!! So... what does this mean? 🎯- Get to know the fractional CMOs (don't just prospect CMOs) - fast! 🎯- Get to know procurement executives - more are managing reviews. 🎯- Budgets are tight so think creatively on how you can do more with less. 🎯- Marketers typically pull a shortlist together via relationships so start working your network (more)! 🎯- We've noticed over the years that the outcome of many marketer-led reviews don't survive for more than a year (hint - start tracking those reviews). 📢 Marketers - taking on an agency search is a huge undertaking while focusing on your day job too. There are many benefits for a search consultant including: ✔ neutrality and unbiased POVs ✔ an art and science approach ✔ hands on consultation ✔ structure but those that are real experts also allow for agencies to show their uniqueness ✔ meaningful and purposeful interactions between client and agency contenders ✔ speed to market ...and the one that stands out the most is what Jessica Rives of Korbel Champagne Cellars said about AAR Partners, "They have superior relationships and an incredible network of agencies that they've brought to the table for consideration." As another past client, Karl Ossentjuk stated, "The agency search process is a skill and the cost for the process and consultant is quickly recouped by selecting the right agency partner with the help of an expert consultancy like AAR Partners." #agencysearch #newbusiness #marketers #brands #agencies

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Maybe measuring last click isn’t the best way. It’s actually archaic and only building growth for Big Tech, and not your company. “Our research across hundreds of brands in dozens of categories shows that it’s possible to rigorously measure and strategically target the feelings that drive customers’ behavior.” If marketing is in the business of selling something… and we know we all buy things based off a myriad of emotions… then maybe it’s time to start measuring something else. It’s not rocket science. It’s emotional science. https://lnkd.in/euwMST4u #brand #marketing #storytelling #video #controlthenarrative #emotionsells

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Now up at Contagious - WARC discusses how they help make the case for making creative impact. We need to ask difficult questions of the c-suite because : 2/3rds of brand assets are perceived as weak. There is a $189B “cost of dull.” WARC and System1 say more than half of ads tested today are meh. weak. (See chart). Instacart acknowledged they needed to put brand and performance in one budget. So they made their creative tied to shopping message. It pays to entertain. (Think: Liquid Death.)

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New podcast with Freddie Blackett, Co-founder of Patch. 🌱 Learn when to build brand 🔥 Crazy creative tactics to win your first customers 🥸 Knowing when you're under pressure as a leader Question for you... What brands are you obsessed with right now? Let me know in the comments! Podcast links below 👇 (Follow Lottie Unwin (she/her) for more like this)

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Why did WPP and Cannes invite Elon Musk to speak at Cannes? Musk has shown nothing but contempt for the advertising industry, expressed racist views, peddled dangerous conspiracy theories, and allowed hate speech and disinformation to run amok on the website formerly known as Twitter. At the beginning of their discussion, Read lamely said that he “didn’t agree with Elon on everything” which is about as hard-hitting as it got. You can watch the whole painful interview, which consists entirely of Read lobbing softball after softball to Musk, on YouTube. Here's the thing. If you’re going to put a malign figure like Musk on a stage—especially if you lead a company that claims to value diversity—you should hold him to account. So these are 10 questions Read should've asked. 1.       You wrote that “DEI is just another word for racism.” I couldn’t disagree more, and at WPP, we are strong proponents of DEI, and have invested heavily in it. Why do you believe it’s racist? 2.       Regarding DEI programs, you also wrote, “It will take an airplane crashing and killing hundreds of people for them to change this crazy policy of DIE [sic].” What evidence do you have that DEI initiatives make airline travel less safe? 3.       Your post about airline safety was a reply to a post that claimed, without evidence, that Black HBCU graduates have low IQs (“borderline intellectual impairment”). Do you think your amplification of racist views like that is responsible? 4.       Since Tesla is currently being sued both by the US Equal Opportunity Commission and by 200 Black employees for racial discrimination, don’t you think your company would benefit from more diverse representation and perspectives? 5.       You accused the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), one of the world’s most well-regarded organizations committed to fighting hatred—and one we have supported at WPP— of being “the biggest generators of anti-Semitism” on X. What is the evidence that this is true? 6.       You agreed with a post that said Jewish people hold a “dialectical hatred” of white people, writing, “You have said the actual truth.” Why did you agree with that? 7.       You posted a video that promoted "the great replacement" theory, writing "This is actually happening!" Can you explain that? 8.       You often claim you are a “free speech absolutist.” But according to Bloomberg, you ordered a team to search Twitter employees’ Slack and social media postings and fired those who made “snarky comments” about you. How do you square that? 9.       Multiple independent studies, including by the EU, the ADL, the Center for Countering Digital Hate, and Montclair State University have shown that hate speech and disinformation on X have increased dramatically since you bought the company. Why has that happened? 10. Why should brands advertise on X when the CEO amplifies content that almost no brands want to be associated with? #CannesLions2024 #WPP #Advertising #X

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This recap from the BrandStorytelling Elevate summit, by Brian Newman is a thing of beauty. But, buckle up… as I have a few thoughts from the marketing side of things. (From the Key Takeaways section. Click there first for context.) The distribution thing & the C-Suite thing are both massive blockers for brands. However, I believe those can bust wide open if brands listen and learn from the younger audiences. These things are all inherently tied from a brand marketing perspective. As soon as brands stop dismissing them as “lazy” and start treating them as the lifeblood of their (near)future business, the distribution channels will come into better view. The problem right now is most every brand is still relying on channels that were popularized 10 to 20 years ago. And we’ve sold our souls to the likes of traditional social media outlets, who don’t truly care about the customer experience. They only care about scraping our data so they can turn around and resell our data back to more brands. It’s a doom loop that needs to be broken. The only saving grace from today’s traditional media outlets is YouTube. That’s the number one outlet for today’s audience. But too many people only think of YouTube as a repository for old content. Very few are leveraging it as a storytelling hub (and one that highly indexes within traditional paid search, which is also starting to wane for younger audiences). In fact, ask your kids where they search and it’s likely to be YouTube or ChatGPT. (See why Google is now pumping a ton into traditional broadcast with their Gemini commercial?) It’s all connected… except for your next generation of customers. They are disconnecting from our Boomer outlets. This statement right here should be eye-opening: “As the leader of Rock the Vote told the audience – younger audiences have given up on established media – meaning news outlets, but also most established media companies. They’re also pretty tired of the established system across the board – our politics, our leadership, and so on. They do care about issues, and they want brands – and the people they follow, creatives, etc. – to stand for something. And to take more risks – which few brands or film companies are really doing. “ It’s only a “risk” if brands DON’T start trying something else. #brand #storytelling #evolve #strategy #thefutureisnow https://lnkd.in/g8Rqa3Yc

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Well this is timely 🤔 Really well written and thought provoking “this needs to change” article from M.T. Fletcher over at Ad Age. Having now sat on every side of this equation, the notion that the #rfp process is broken is certainly not a new one. Leaders like Seth Matlins are working hard to listen and give CMOs both a voice in this but also a more collective voice to be heard in how to nuance the current situation. Major industry events like Mirren Business Development, Association of National Advertisers, Advertising Week, POSSIBLE , and Brand Innovators have dedicated significant portions of programming to it. One of the biggest thigs I hear whispered sometimes is that as soon as they step off the stage - the line is 10 deep with people wanting to pitch them. Again something I understand from both sides. Digiday, MediaPost, ADWEEK and The Drum have written consistently about the challenges all parties face in the process. A reckoning is coming - it simply needs to. Thanks to all of those like Christian Muche and Ruth Mortimer to dedicating so much thought to the reimagining of the process for marketers. Thanks to people like Shannon Pruitt, David Shing, Steven M., Josh Golden, Alyson Griffin, Casey Hurbis, Sri Rajagopalan, John Militello, Dave Currie, Isaac Mizrahi, Matt Wilson, Rick Watson, Eric Dopkins, and Dave Kersey who’ve given their time and opinions to discuss or provide content around how to create better team conversations around the topic. If your marketer and your interested in having a MiO Campfire 🔥 content & conversation session - I’m yours and we’re here to listen. You can book a campfire with me HERE: https://lnkd.in/e-AtBc-c AM I RIGHT HERE? LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW 👇 #media #marketing #mio

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#CauseAndEffect #BurdenOfProof #BetterSafeThanSorry Unsolicited advice for advertisers making claims about net-zero emissions, bamboo products, or recyclability: Until there is clarity on what qualifies as an “internationally recognized methodology,” it’s probably best to stop making environmental claims - not just in the oil and gas sector -, or have a chat with legal.

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As every brand promises to inundate us with personalized and highly optimized content – where will consumers’ preferences shift? When anything becomes commoditized and ubiquitous, humans tend to crave the opposite. Is the ever popular "creator economy" evolving into a "meaning economy”? This intriguing topic is explored in Scott Belsky’s latest edition of Implications.com. It’s a topic that isn’t new. The meaning economy has been spoken about since 2010 – and it's leaders like Scott that remind us not be complacent about it.   From a marketer’s perspective, I'm curious to hear from my colleagues -- what has to change with branding and marketing in order to tell a more meaningful story? If content is free and abundant, how do we stand out to consumers?

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So... with all this growth and billions in billings, the #media #adgame is doing well. Here's a few thoughts: Competencies: Media COEs drive the #creative process more. There's more strategic decision-making for those in media investment or planning. This is a long-earned win for the industry. This is a positive step towards aligning with how people use #advertising to make #brand and #purchase decisions. Agency Model: In 2024, #brand clients want speed, cost efficiency, and strategic insight. Agencies address speed with account management and #creative production, cost efficiency through media planning and ad testing, and strategic insight through a merging of both. Strategic vs. Validation Research: Clients are leaning towards fact-based #strategic #insight and #consultation for their campaigns, instead of simply validating daily #ROI and #incrementality. Anyone else seeing these shifts? https://lnkd.in/e2tmzayg Publicis Media OMD USA Spark Foundry Horizon Media EssenceMediacom Zenith Greg Clausen Greg David Laka Insights by Kantar Becarren Schultz DAIVID 🦩Insights Career Network #mrxjobs #mediajobs #advertisingjobs Adam Rattner Havas Media Network Dave Kissel Ken Zasky

Currently reading Sam Walton’s memoir, "Made in America," and I loved this quote from former Walmart CEO David Glass describing Walton. These qualities have become so important to embrace over the years. Running an agency, growing with the team, and refining how we serve clients is a constant process of trial, error, and adaptation. It means showing up every day with a mindset of improvement, trying new things, and having the courage to pivot when things don’t work out. Like Sam, I’ve learned that failure and being wrong are essential parts of growth. Without that mindset, missteps or feedback could hold you back from progress—and sometimes, you’re on the edge of something great. It’s about asking: What’s the takeaway? How can we do better? This past year has had its challenges, but it’s been full of reflection and refinement. I’ve spent more time in one-on-ones with the team, gathering feedback, and figuring out how we can improve for both clients and each other. We’re experimenting, making educated guesses, and adapting from missteps and surprises. I know not everything will go as planned, but staying flexible is key. It’s equally important to instill this mindset within the team to keep morale and momentum strong. Having a vision and setting goals is important, but loving the process and enjoying the journey is what makes it all worthwhile.

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Some say if it happens on TikTok it's a real thing or if it gets news coverage then perhaps it is more valid or if it goes viral, then it's worth paying attention to. Well, I say if Walmart cares than we all better pay attention. As the leading retail juggernaut, they know a thing or two or three or four about what sells and what motivates consumers to buy. They also realize the value in using creators because of the growing influence creators hold over the advertising landscape. In fact William White mentions in the article below how Walmart believes creators are the lifeblood of social commerce. For those of you in the cheap seats, I repeat. LIFEBLOOD. In new and exciting news, Forbes has partnered with Walmart’s Creator platform for its inaugural Creator Upfronts with the event to be held in Oct. It's a great opportunity to educate and offer a chance to connect creators and marketers. How do I get an invite Allyson Park? I am sure this is the first of many of these kinds of events to come. #creator #influencer #marketing

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New insights from our patient/consumer research show that America is getting sicker, younger. This has a tremendous affect on our healthcare system and how pharma must adapt the way they communicate to patients. To get a copy, you can request it here: https://lnkd.in/euJPTY6z

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Aspiring Strategists..grab these tips! We recently chatted with Will Nichols– Chief Strategy Officer/Growth Marketer on advice to aspiring strategists: 1️⃣ Build your analytical skills. Assess the situation and look at what’s required to develop a plan with structured thinking and logical storytelling. 2️⃣ Have a point of view: It’s ok to be unsure on how to tackle a strategic brief but take look at your first formulated point of view and try and back it up with evidence. That can be a really important first step in the process. 3️⃣ Never think you have all the answers. You might get insight from acquisition marketers or an associated team about how to reach an audience. Don’t be afraid to ask for other opinions or have other cooks in the kitchen because ultimately it’s going to make the work better. Also here are some great courses and follows to expand your knowledge base: ADMA Coursera Udemy AdSchool Australia Marketing Week Mini MBA with Mark Ritson Give these thought-leaders a follow: Julian Cole - Strategy Trainer Mark Ritson - Founder Marketing Week Mini MBA Tom Burrell - Subscription & Retention coach. For great insight on Will Nichols journey and what it takes to be a strategist, listen to our latest podcast in the link below.

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I’m excited to share the findings from a recent collaborative study with YouGov, which delves into the effectiveness of product placement strategies in media. BENlabs & YouGov’s research was aimed at determining whether a "standout" integration strategy—characterized by bigger, fewer moments—is more impactful than a "standard" product placement strategy, involving a scaled campaign with multiple "average" moments. Our findings found the average standout product placement generated a Net Placement Value (NPV) of $412,400, compared to $299,803 for a single standard one, though various combinations (2 standard vs 1 standout, 4 standard vs 2 standout) lead to varying results. So what was the key takeaway? The study reveals that there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to a brand's product placement strategy. While standout and standard placements both show significant benefits, the choice between them should align with a brand's overall marketing strategy, risk tolerance, and capacity to support a standout placement with additional marketing activities. Both scaled campaigns and significant moments in tentpole content hold their unique advantages. Brands are encouraged to consider how these strategies align with their marketing goals to maximize impact. If you need help from BENlabs pushing the boundaries of innovative marketing, I’m happy to help craft your brand’s strategy. #ProductPlacement #MarketingStrategy #BrandImpact #YouGov #ResearchHighlights https://lnkd.in/dDxEMvpZ

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So more and more brands are in-housing their marketing mix modeling operations into a central team, or a Center of Excellence, managing the MMM projects for all the markets they operate in.  And it makes sense. From the global HQ perspective, this setup provides a unified dashboard to compare and optimize media budgets across countries. Within each country, further optimization can be done to determine the best channels and media investments.  So reporting, KPIs, measurement, and optimization are aligned because it is done by a single team. However, where this approach could go wrong is when the local marketing teams are not involved in the decision-making process.  They might see the central team as imposing strategies without considering local conditions & insights, then impose data requirements and deadlines on them.  This just leads to friction, delays and resistance in data sharing and implementation of recommendations. The focus needs to be on the ADOPTION of MMM results. That is the end in mind.  This is why I recommend an iterative approach to MMM implementation.  In the iterative approach, we make sure the local teams’ perspectives are taken into account as part of the MMM model iterations.  We listen to what they say and take into consideration their hypotheses when it comes to finalizing the results. They are part of the process, and the results are shaped with their perspectives in mind.  So when it comes to adopting these results, you get something that is already adopted by the local teams because they have been part of the journey.  Adoption is key. You need to win that battle first. Otherwise, you'll be spending millions of dollars on MMM and nobody in the local marketing teams will be applying them because they don't feel that it represents their reality.  

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Read this piece on our own James Brownstein of Poster Child and Brownstein Group.

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