One of the UK media industry’s most senior agency leaders will write a fortnightly column for Mediatel News and promises to be fair but not hold back
So, why write an anonymous column? “Surely it’s cop out”, I can hear you cry.
When you’re young in our industry, your opinions are strong and fresh, albeit sometimes not that well informed. You want to change the world and you don’t care who you upset, but you don’t really get the chance to air those views on an industry-wide basis.
Then, as you get a little more experienced and more senior, your views become clearer and your voice gets louder.
The problem is, for most people in my position, the objectives change.
As well as your own job, you have a company to worry about. Peoples’ livelihoods can depend on your actions and your performance.
So it becomes far less about fundamental issues faced by the media business and far more about profile, positioning, corporate visions and hierarchies. It’s all about the next pitch, the last award, restructuring, the latest research, the market projections…
The truth is, a leader’s role becomes about the treadmill of agency life in an over supplied, under-valued and largely undifferentiated agency marketplace.
Far from this being a cowardly thing to do, anonymity releases me from those shackles. I have the freedom to write candidly about how I and people in my position feel about the real issues facing our industry.
It means this column will have no company line, no PR treatment, and no selling.
This is all about sparking debate, sharing ideas and helping to bring about real change. This is a great industry but we know there are huge challenges, such as hiring and retaining talent, the way we pitch for client accounts, and becoming more inclusive.
As I write this column, I would also welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions on topics to discuss.
I will be direct and sometimes punchy, and maybe not always right, but I promise I won’t make it personal. We are all in this together.
Thanks for reading
SAB
