Ben Phillips

Today's coverage of Omnicom/IPG will dwarf all else, as it should, but the comment below from the FT sums up the situation well. It's a defensive move in a market where the Holding Companies are losing relevance. "It comes as traditional advertising agencies face mounting pressures, with most of the money in the industry now being siphoned off by large tech companies such as Google and Amazon that offer advertising tools as well as the marketplace to buy and sell digital ads".

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"Brand Patience" It's hard to understand the importance of patience and consistency when there are short-term pressures on brands and their marketers because of this there's often an urgency to find an idea that can break through the clutter and land the brand on the cultural map. However, there's another way. Create a powerful platform for the brand and consistently execute against this over time. It requires discipline and patience, but it's a little like compound interest- the consistency pays off and reinforces the brand's position. Take VCCP and its work for Cadbury built on a platform of generosity- which, of course. \allows them to do great advertising, but also. supplement it with smart ideas like this one. Creating a breakthrough cultural hit isn't easy. However, having the discipline and patience to stick to a strategy and platform for years is a different kind of challenge.

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Here's an extract of a thing I wrote in response to Omar Oakes The Media Leader column today: https://lnkd.in/e4xpFDZi "Advertisers, via their trade body, played little part in what is now BARB and was JICTAR. There were exceptions, like P&G and Mars, but the rest rarely showed up to any discussion. The agencies (I was an IPA representative on both the Technical Sub-Committee and the Management Committee) were also bit players. TV audience measurement was a matter for the broadcasters (including the BBC) who after all paid for the bulk of it. Advertisers' and agencies' needs were not the same as broadcasters' and yet when push came to shove the ones doing the shoving were the guys paying the bill. How times change. Having argued for decades that advertisers should play a more active part in audience research, and pay for the privilege, we now have Origin where they do just that. Unlike some, I'm a big fan of Origin, and more specifically its vision. Its ambition is huge - a system that lets agencies and their clients combine media forms; and apply judgements informed by and appropriate to the circumstances. Eventually I hope it will allow for combinations not just of video forms but of advertising and non-advertising forms too. Want to play around with what an influencer campaign will add to your social-media plan? Or what impact PR will have in extending your TV activity? Want to plan in a campaign specific level of attention as opposed to using averages and norms? Can Origin do any of this now? No. But as the old adage goes the best way to eat an elephant is one small bite at a time. I was on stage several years ago at the asi event when Phil Smith announced Origin. I was there again this month when he was asked about progress by a room of audience researchers frustrated at how long this is taking. To them, it's worth remembering that Origin isn't creating a project, of the sort they're familiar with but a product designed to help advertisers make smarter investment decisions - across video channels certainly but ultimately across multiple communication channels, both advertising and non-advertising. Further it's a planners' tool, not a currency. And planners consider a lot more than audience size. As to the attitude to date of broadcasters, I think they're misguided. Their world has always been the world of the buyer and the seller, not the planner and the strategist. Their medium is the most powerful and effective ad medium yet invented. Still. Far better to be on the inside making the point and ensuring aspects like the quality of the message are baked into the system, than sitting outside lobbing rocks. I hope that those in possession of a planning mindset - of which the broadcasters have many - win over their trading colleagues and join in making Origin the best aid to planning it can possibly be.”

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✅ Transforming Events into Positive Impact Stories Ever wondered how an event can change the world? At MUT Agency we’re not just organising events; we're crafting experiences that leave a lasting positive impact on both people and the planet. 💡 The last 2 years I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how our creative endeavours are reshaping the landscape of brand experiences. Based in the vibrant city of Barcelona, our team specialises in #CorporateEvents such as #MICE and conventions. Also experiential events like brand experiences, product launches and celebrations. But what truly sets us apart is our commitment to Positive Creativity®. Our methodology is a #DATAcentric unique blend of strategic analysis, emotional ideas, and scientific rigor. This approach ensures that every project we undertake maximises business and #socialimpact while minimising #environmentalfootprint. And with our #MUTImpactDashboard, we measure both generated and saved impact, aligning with international standards. 🌍 Being a certified #BCorp we’re proud to stand as a beacon of #sustainability in the #marketing and #advertising sector. Yet, like any journey, ours is not without its challenges. From acquiring new partners to increasing our pull of #ESG metrics, very day is a learning curve. But with a dedicated team focused on such an innovative offering we’re poised for growth. Our ideal partners are those who share our vision. Together, we can create events that not only captivate but also contribute positively to society. In the ever-evolving world of events, staying ahead means being modern, cutting-edge, and always inspired by sustainability. Whether you find us on LinkedIn or TikTok, our story is one of innovation and impact. Looking to create an event that matters? Let’s make it happen. Connect with us, and let’s craft a narrative of change together. 🌟 #PositiveImpact #Sustainability #CreativeEvents #MUTAgency #Barcelona

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I'm a marketing/media/advertising podcast super-fan! No offence to all of the other incredible genres, which I also lend my ear to intermittently - but I am a committed and daily listener to anything in the rabbit hole of marketing and it's making me smarter and more curious. With that in mind, I want to discuss a recent episode of Mi3Australia. Its about TV and whether it's up or down, good or bad - and its timely bc the one thing the world had in common over the last two weeks was our TV viewership #BestOlympicsEver! The well placed experts on this podcast Melissa Hopkins & Liana Dubois cleared up any market mis-conceptions about where TV audiences currently are and gave honest context around how that has changed overtime. It is/was refreshing! The one thing that was left sitting on my mind is why we continue to talk about media measurement with reach being the grand champion of metrics? Viewership has changed drastically over the last decade and will continue to, but even in its earliest form, TV advertising wasn't just about reach - it was also about brands fast tracking their relevance by association in a safe and controlled way) - and the programs or talent that an advertiser brand sat amongst (or literally in between) has a huge part to play in that. Take a listen to this episode because it's a great chat and you'll learn something, and if you agree with my lingering thoughts, perhaps we can petition for part 2?! https://lnkd.in/gSea2M4C

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Today's all-new Cog Blog is unusual. First it comes from two of us, myself and Nick Manning (ex Manning Gottlieb, OMD and Ebiquity). Second it's got a point to it. We are seriously worried about the threat from various quarters to the craft of advertising (creative and media) and the failure of our industry's biggest players to face up to the challenges we all face. Indeed, we suggest many are part of the problem. We've decided to do something about it and we would like as many who share our concern to join us. At the moment we are at a planning stage (as we explain in the post); how far we take this does depend on the level of support our ideas generate. We urge you to read the post; and if what we're suggesting resonates with you then let us know. Talk about it, comment, share as widely as you can. We hope this will be the start of something.

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Brian Jacobs and I tend to write and talk about the same themes, so we thought it might be good to convene like-minded people to share ideas about how we Make Advertising Great Again (without the red baseball caps). We all know what the issues are so we don't need to elaborate, but we would like to discuss practical solutions. Read Brian's blog and if you're interested in being part of the discussion, our contact details are therein.

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Impact is our output. We talk about modern marketing being able to deliver two types of impact - cultural and commercial. How do we move beyond the brand purpose debate and into a more grown up and nuanced conversation about the different types of impact we all create as marketers every day? Come and join us to find out.

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‘Advertising: Who Cares?’ enters its next phase. We’re going to compile the best thinking out there on every aspect of advertising and how to make it better, more effective, more engaging and better for the world. And how to make the ad industry a better place for both today’s practitioners and tomorrow’s. But in the context of today’s business structures and models. We’re going to speak to the widest possible range of people who are doing great things and group their ideas together. If you want to contribute to this, join us on the link in the post below from Brian Jacobs

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In my column for The Media Leader yesterday, I asked 'Who cares?' About advertising, about the advertising industry, the future for our people and so on. And it turns out that lots of people do. Since the blog from Brian Jacobs last week appeared and after yesterday's piece we've had nearly 100 people volunteer to get involved. So we are going ahead and will host a half-day seminar in September in London for people who care to discuss how we can fix some of the things that are wrong. We don't know what will emerge but we feel confident because the people who have raised their hands are ones who feel strongly about the issues we face and they represent different aspects of our industry. Also interesting to note is the people who haven't responded. You can guess who they are but perhaps a little surprising is that none of the independent consultants have shown interest, except for a few in a personal capacity. We can only speculate about why this might be but it's all entirely voluntary and everyone is welcome. If you're on our list we are issuing regular updates, including the date and venue. We didn't know what would happen when we started to talk about this but we now know there are enough people who care for us to press ahead, so we wlll. For the uninitiated here is the link to my article and it contains a link to Brian's blog. If you want to join our centurion, you're welcome. https://lnkd.in/eBkEiR-W.

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🎮 How does a small city like Dundee go from industrial roots to being a global gaming hotspot…? Find out in our latest #PlayableFutures article - in partnership with Ukie GamesIndustry.Biz and Amazon Web Services (AWS)

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Are loyalty programmes killing brands? Too often the answer is yes. But they don't have to. In fact the best loyalty programmes are brand builders. Not killers. They tend to look a bit different. Less like an old fashioned, transactional loyalty scheme that you grudgingly join for a better deal. More like a membership programme you want to be a part of. Read our manifesto for modern membership here: https://lnkd.in/eDcdKxwr TL;DR 1. Beyond Promos and Points 2. Differentiating Experiences 3. From Personalised to Personal

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Nothing new hear apart from the complications presented with more and more channels of communication plus the walled gardens issue. What is interesting is that the higher frequencies required for a conversion which then points straight to the variety of content needed. Strategic brand dilemma requiring insights to result in a measurable ROI.... #marketing #communicationstrategy #digitalmarketing #digitalstrategy #ROImarketing #brandstrategy #creative

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Simple (& culturally relevant) insight, great line. And unlike loads of flash-in-the-pan campaigns I've seen lately, they could do loads with this 'anti' positioning, both silly (short-term) and serious (long term).

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"The cost of dullness" brilliantly summarized in two bullets: 1) Dull ads need 7% more ESOV to deliver results. That is serious $$$ down the drain. 2) Half of the ads tested are less interesting/engaging than watching a cow eat grass (literally). Now, I happen to like cows, but even so, beating "cows munching grass" must be the minimum benchmark for any ad from now on.

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We don't learn from exceptions: so speculating on Jaguar's strategy won't generate insight for us. We do learn from repeated data patterns. And Jaguar's brand metrics shows a pattern we have seen regularly before: an initial loss of difference, followed by other perceptions. This pattern is consistently predictive of one of two outcomes: commodification, or death. #KantarBrandZ

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This week the full Cannes Lions UK agency rankings were released. Some people might have raised their eyebrows at the UK agency in the No2 position, Edelman. Who they? Our agency is, perhaps, an ‘Unusual Suspect’ ranking ahead of those well-known creative powerhouses Adam & Eve, Mother, Uncommon and Ogilvy. For decades we have been the world’s leading independent PR and Communications firm but while those in Creative Agencies might not be familiar with our name, they will be familiar with our work over the years; IKEA Buy Back Friday, ASICS Eternal Run and Hellmann’s Mayo McHack to name just a few of the big award winners in past years. This year’s phenomenal achievement makes us all particularly proud because it was not just down to one lucky piece of work winning big. Instead, our winning work was from a very diverse range of our clients; Dove’s ‘Code my Crown’, Sanofi’s ‘Allegra Airways’, Heineken’s ‘Social Swap’ and DP World’s ‘The Move to -15’ (the latter bagging the first ever Titanium Lion for a PR agency) One of the special things about Edelman, as our teams will tell you, is that the briefs we get are different from your usual creative brief, digital or otherwise. We use the power of creativity not just to execute a solution, but much further upstream to create the solution. Put simply, we use creativity to solve problems. That’s key when you are creating ‘earned’ ideas, ideas that have to capture the public’s imagination without a paid media budget behind them. If you are a forward thinking creative (or anyone from any part of the industry for that matter) who understands that earned creativity is the future of creativity, and would like the opportunity to do the best work of your life, Edelman is a name you should get more familiar with.

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In The Times today, from a study of 800,000 patients in the US - this has been supported by other research studies over the years. I cited this fact five years ago in my 3PercentConference talk, 'The Future For White Men In Advertising', where I presented seven ways white men's lives will be vastly improved when they welcome in gender equality, diversity and inclusion, that are true for white men in every industry (re this particular finding, see No 4: "You'll be safer.") Watch my 30-minute talk here: https://lnkd.in/ezTekEuz

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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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