#MediaSnack

In this episode of #MediaSnack MEETS, Tom Denford and Mark Ritson discuss: 

#MediaSnack is presented by ID Comms, the global media consultancy helping brands achieve better media results.

Mark Ritson Mini MBA: https://mba.marketingweek.com/?cmpid=... 

Want to stay ahead in media? Visit https://www.idcomms.com/ 

Follow ID Comms on LinkedIn:   / id-comms  

#MediaSnack Ep. 75: The FESTIVAL Of Media by ID Comms

On this week’s #MediaSnack we report on a little feisty exchange of words between the CEO of GroupM UK, Nick Theakstone and Mark Finney the head of media at ISBA, the UK’s leading marketer trade association. It all stems back to March 2016 when ISBA’s head of consultancy practice Debbie Morrison launched they excellent media agency contract template with some comments to the FT which angered agencies. In her FT interview, Debbie had suggested that media agencies don’t have the best interests of their clients at heart anymore. The fight back from agencies at the time was quite aggressive but months have passed, the media transparency debate has gathered momentum in different areas, not least thanks to the ANA’s Media Transparency initiative and we probably felt it was water under the bridge. Not so. Last week Nick Theakstone thought that the recent success of one of ‘his' agencies MediaCom (the UK’s largest media buyer) at a media awards event entirely defended the agency community from the transparency concerns raised by ISBA. We discuss how this simply doesn’t make sense, the two things are entirely separate - and we doubt whether Nick would have been making the same point the morning after a successful awards sweep by Zenith. Whatever his intentions, Nick has managed to get headlines for himself and the agency for entirely the wrong reasons, of course everyone is talking about the sniping against ISBA rather than appreciating MediaCom's excellent work. Mark Finney, ISBA’s head of media responded in Campaign, reminding everyone that we need to revert to a more constructive dialogue - at the same time calling Nick’s words “baffling and disappointing” - they won't be exchanging Christmas cards this year one supposes. Next up, we share details of the excellent ID Comms CMO panel which we hosted at LinkedIn’s lovely London HQ. The event was an invitation-only networking and panel discussion, attended by 40 marketers from brands including Unilever, Mars, Lego, Universal Pictures, Disney, British Gas and Royal Mail. The panel discussion featured Martin Moll, Head of Marketing at Nissan Europe, Lindsay Pattison, Global CEO of media agency Maxus and Steve Hyde CEO of 360xec. Finally, we report on news that Adobe has acquired TubeMogul for $540m - a strong indication of the much-expected consolidation in the ad tech space is actually happening.

Welcome to #MediaSnack Meets where we meet the individuals and organizations doing great work to inspire success and drive change within the global media and marketing industry.

My guest for this #MediaSnackMeets episode is Brian O'Kelley, CEO and Co-Founder of Scope3

Find out:
- What is Brian's experience in the industry?
- What he sees are the industry's biggest challenges and how we might address them?
- What does he do to unwind and recharge?
- Plus best industry leadership tips and more!

You can find Brian here: linkedin.com/in/brianokelley

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#MediaSnack​ Meets is a regular interview with the curious media professionals who are reshaping the global industry.

Thanks for watching, if you enjoy #MediaSnack​ Meets please give us a thumbs up (it really helps) and do share links and tell others. Subscribe to our channel to stay updated.  

Marketer? 
For tips, guides & other amazing free resources for marketers, get started at: www.idcomms.com

If I was CEO of Facebook, "I'd lose billions of dollars for my shareholders" says Bob Hoffman, The Ad Contrarian
But for a good reason. "I have an immodest goal to save freedom and democracy" he says. 

You may know Bob as his alter ego The Ad Contrarian, which is a regularly updated blog which Bob founded over a decade ago. It is devoted to presenting the counter argument to the marketing industry’s obsessive narrative with technology, automation and the new shiny things. 

The increasingly popular blog has evolved into speaking engagements and a series of books, most notably Bad Men which came out in 2017. 

In this episode we find out:

You can check the show notes for this episode at mediasnackpodcast.com including a full transcript of the interview

So. Without further delay. Please enjoy this lively (and mildly sweary) interview with The Ad Contrarian, Mr Bob Hoffman

An ID Comms Podcast

Episode Links:

The Ad Contrarian Twitter
The Ad Contrarian Blog - First Comes The Sale. Then Comes The Social.

Bob Hoffman - Bad Men
Bob Hoffman - Laughing At Advertising
Bob Hoffman - Marketers Are From Mars, Consumers Are From New Jersey

#MediaSnack - Bob Hoffman named ‘The Copernicus of Media’

John Mortimer - Rumpole of the Bailey
Bill Bryson - A Short History of Nearly Everything
Richard Fineman - Physics Lectures
Eaon Pritchard - Where Did  It All Go Wrong?
Richard Shotton - The Choice Factory
Dave Trott - One Plus One Equals Three
Dave Trott - Predatory Thinking
Michael Lewis - The Big Short
Michael Lewis - Moneyball
Michael Lewis - Liar’s Poker

Join us this Friday for a special MS before we take our summer break. 
A look at what we’ve learned in the last 18 months, trends for advertisers & agencies
Reflect on the accelerated changes
Where we are heading for the rest of 2021 and beyond
What implications for advertisers, agencies and everyone else.

On this episode of #MediaSnack WINNERS, Tom Denford speaks with Nick Wells, Senior Director of Global Media at VELUX, about what it really takes to win in modern media leadership. Nick shares why constant learning, a holistic view of media, and a deep understanding of audiences matter more than chasing trends, and explains how proving real business impact—not vanity metrics—is the industry’s biggest challenge. He also discusses navigating AI with healthy skepticism, why authenticity builds credibility faster than expertise alone, and how media teams can “punch above their weight” through smarter strategy, attention measurement, and disciplined decision-making.

Nick leads VELUX’s global media organization across multiple markets, overseeing strategy, governance, and operations while partnering closely with regional teams. His career spans financial trading during the Great Recession, procurement, and marketing, giving him a uniquely commercial perspective on performance, risk, and accountability. Known for his thoughtful leadership style and industry credibility, Nick brings a grounded, human approach to media—one built on curiosity, trust, and a reputation earned through results.

Want to stay ahead in media? Visit https://www.idcomms.com
Follow ID Comms on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/id-comms/

Never miss your #MediaSnack - subscribe for updates every FridayOn this week's #MediaSnack we review the major media events of 2017 in our annual rooftop review (this year from our fancy new roof terrace)Watch to find out what makes out #MediaSnack Top 10 for 2017The #MediaSnack Media Person of the Year 2017:Marc Pritchard from P&G The #MediaSnack Word of the Year for 2018: ACTION2017: CHANGE2016: CONTROL

#MediaSnack Ep. 136: Let's Talk About Agency Marketing by ID Comms

On this week’s #MediaSnack we bring you rather sad news that the media transparency concerns are not going away anytime soon. Stories have been emerging this week from Japan where Dentsu, the dominant advertising services group has admitted that its digital media buying operation has overcharged some clients, they suggest there could be over 600 cases of over-charging across the last 5 years. It is believed that the victim on this occasion was long-standing Dentsu client Toyota, one of Japan’s biggest corporations and famous for the 60+ year longevity its Dentsu relationship in an era of increasingly short-lived client and agency tenures. The story has made big news around the world and unsurprisingly spilt into the finance pages beyond the marketing trade press. The Financial Times, Bloomberg and others have been reporting the details and the impact of the news has brought Dentsu stock down 5% at the time of writing.What does it mean for the industry? This is a very big deal. It calls into question a few things, not least Dentsu’s dominance of the Japan market and the potential for conflicts of interest that could exist in a company which not only buys media on behalf of its clients but also has an interest on the other side of the table, owning some of the media it is buying for its clients. This ‘complexity’ of Dentsu’s influence has been well-known for many years, but has been accepted as a cultural norm because Japanese business relationships have been built on gentleman’s agreement and deep trust. These revelations, which have now caused Dentsu CEO to issue a public apology and admit the wrongdoing, will surely have a lasting impact on the reputation of Dentsu and perhaps even change the way advertisers engage with agencies in Japan, now demanding greater transparency and accountability from their media buying contracts. http://www.moreaboutadvertising.com/2... Earlier this week, Tom spoke to Asian trade press AdNews and highlighted that these kinds of leaks coming out of advertising agencies may increase as more light is shone on the non-transparent practices of media agencies around the world. http://www.adnews.com.au/news/dentsu-...On #MediaSnack we consider the implications and what, as a global marketer, you should make of this latest scandal over agency financial management? Is it a concern, how should you react and what should you be demanding from your media agencies to avoid this stuff? Sadly, there’s not room on the show to detail all the transparency stories as fast as they are appearing, should you be interested to read further try some of these links: Why are the 4A’s failing to engage in the rebates discussion in the US? http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article...In South Africa, media companies have been judged to have been price fixing media inventory http://themediaonline.co.za/2016/09/m...The head of media at Deutsch Telekom has publicly encouraged brands to heed the advice of the ANA’s Media Transparency report http://digiday.com/agencies/deutsche-...ISBA have issued new guidelines to improve transparency in programmatic media buyinghttp://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article...JP Morgan Chase suspends media buying in the US whilst it conducts audits into its media agencieshttp://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article...Links: Dentsu apology - Campaignhttp://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article...AdNews:http://www.adnews.com.au/news/dentsu-...http://www.adnews.com.au/news/dentsu-...AdAge: http://adage.com/article/agency-news/...FT http://on.ft.com/2cMpVskBloomberg http://www.bloomberg.com/news/article...