WPP’s Sorrell: Agencies are obsessed with winning business just for the trade press headlines
Agencies are too focused on winning accounts for the trade press headlines, the boss of the world’s biggest marketing group WPP has said.
Sorrell: The ‘noise’ around account wins determines the standing of agency bosses
Speaking at Advertising Week in New York, WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell said that around the world, agencies are still obsessed with getting coverage in the likes of US advertising title AdAge or UK and Hong Kong title Campaign.
During the on-stage interview with New Yorker writer Ken Auletta, Sorrell said: “Our industry is too competitive. We are more keen to have the headline in AdAge or Campaign than reality.”
Sorrell said the issue was the same in Asia, citing examples from WPP agencies in India, Taiwan and Australia in recent days. He said: “Whenever we win a piece of business, to this day, somebody sends an email… I mean last week, there were three pieces of business – one in Taiwan, one in Australia, one in India. All three cases somebody says ‘fantastic news’.
“Nobody ever puts the scale of what has been won. They never say the revenues are X – forget about profitability – they never give value or scale.
“So, winning is really important. The headline in the trade magazine is really important. That determines, in a way, your standing in the organisation. It’s the noise rather than the content.”
Tim Burrowes is the founder and content director of Mumbrella. He's written about media and marketing in Australia, Singapore, the Middle East and the UK.
Funny Guy….I guess next he will say that Neymar, Messi and Ronaldo are obsessed with scoring goals.
How about he say how obsessed his own global network CCOs are on winning awards by A N Y means possible…..usually on made up/pro bono/initiative business that not only have 0 revenue but negative profitability because his agencies spend their own money to produce the work….a la the iSea app.
That is lost profitability that could benefit his employees…not that he cares with his 60 million a year.
ReplyMaking a PR mountain out of molehills when winning worthless business, winning junk awards and making hollow title hires.
ReplyWhy do agency leaders do it?
To posture momentum? Desperate need to see their name in print? Generate ‘conversation’? Create content for their social media? Get one up on their peers so they look more poachable or impress their holding company boss?
Take your pick.
But it’s the height of hypocracy when Marty complains that leaders of agencies lack business acumen when that trait has never been a criteria for hiring or promotion.
Do the global talent officers vet hires for their track record ? Or just creative awards, number of business wins or from their ‘old boys club’ ?
Man that loves limelight in trade press tells leaders in his business to stop using the trade press via the trade press. If you create a global network system in which weasels can flourish, then of course noise will mean more than content.
ReplyWhat seems to be a more serious problem facing the ad industry (apart from being obsessed with winning awards with scam ads) is the fact that all agencies look, think and do the same. There is no differentiated offering or even a perceived differentiated offering. Whether it’s ogilvy, jwt, grey or y&r they all profess to do the same.
ReplyStep up, Martin, and ban WPP agencies from PR-ing new business wins just as Sadoun did with award entries.
ReplyHave your say