David Cohen

Who will the merger between Omnicom and IPG be good for? Not for employees - Expect to see layoffs and for those that remain, a huge amount of busywork adapting to new corporate policies and procedures. Not for the work itself - Consolidating creative agencies and media buying will further water down creativity and disincentivize innovation. Not for clients - See above. It's a survival move with shareholder value being the primary consideration. Could these holding companies have saved themselves by other means? I've worked at big brands and small startups, big holding companies and small agencies -- and I can tell you that the best work, the most creativity and the most innovative solutions are coming from the smaller outfits. If you're a brand of any size looking for an agency partner that will deliver outsized value, consider these smaller guys, to name just a few. nmbl, Public Display of Affection (PDA), Magic Camp, Darkroom, X&O, QRY

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I'm nervous about tomorrow, but it gave me a little extra comfort to weigh in on this year's election. CBS Sunday Morning News was a chance to go mainstream with the perspective I can bring. I got the "walk and talk" shot with David Pogue and I got emails from my family and friends who watch the show. In this business I'm in, we're responsible for help shaping messages and experiences that define what people think about brands. Hopefully based on a truth. Can't say the truth piece feels quite as true anymore for political ads. Although that was probably debatable about marketing as a whole, unfortunately. And It's harder than ever to unify people around a message-- we've moved beyond the broad message to much more niche. In many ways good because there was an assumed bigger perspective that left many out. But we're also losing a shared narrative, which makes truth impossible. And in media today we must navigate the complexity of platforms and subculture to try to align people around a set of values and beliefs, if not a message. We must try and break through peoples' bubbles-- that they aren't even aware they are a part of. Or maybe they are and don't care. Luckily with brands we still have to play the long game. So we haven't gone all negative. We need to build the brand over time. In politics, fear of what could happen can be more unifying than the hope and belief of real change. It's an all or nothing for candidates, so they have to go all in. They don't just have a low sales quarter. The winner of the election controls the next 4 years. The loser gets nothing. However while fear can serve as a unifier or at least a barrier to voting for your opponent, it doesn’t work as well as a motivator for most. I just hope we've given people enough to show up for: pride, hope, optimism, joy--belief that moving forward is a good thing.

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What do healthcare brands stand to lose in a TikTok ban? Casey, Group Director, Social Media Strategy, FCB Health New York | An IPG Health Company breaks it down: https://lnkd.in/e2uH5Bzk

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When a marketing effort strikes a chord with consumers, it's because it resonates with a trend or "microtrend" in culture. That was Stagwell's Mark Penn speaking at the ANA/Association of National Advertisers IQ conference. Today's consumers live in a world driven by two macro trends: infinite personalization and technology. They are older, more health-driven, more diverse, and more divided into microtrends than ever before. Penn defines microtrends as small, counterintuitive, under-the-radar forces that can have a significant impact on society and the economy. He argues that experts and mainstream observers often overlook or dismiss these microtrends, but they have the power to shape the future in unexpected ways. All of this fundamentally impacts what consumers expect and how they learn about it. Social millionaires are a microtrend. Getting views on social media has never been easier. Over 39,000 TikTok accounts have at least 1 million followers, but few break through to the wider culture. There is a countertrend for every microtrend. For example, the information economy has created record misinformation, including, more recently, AI abuse. The microtrend he labels the “footloose and fancy-free” are people marrying 8 years later than they did in 1980, giving people a half-decade more on their own. This microtrend has significant implications for various aspects of society, from the housing market and consumer spending patterns to the development of new products and services catering to single adults. And for every marketplace, there is a counter-marketplace. Think Facebook & Instagram vs. Reddit & Discord. Think Safeway vs. Blue Apron. So, how can businesses and organizations take advantage of these microtrends? Data is, of course, king, and if you don't have a personal profile of all your constituents in your CRM, you will lose out. Penn paints a metaphor: our society is like an impressionist painting. There are hundreds of microtrends shaping society. It is your job to find them, explain them, and make them real. By examining the many microtrends that together form the larger picture of contemporary society, he suggests that we can develop a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the complex, ever-shifting landscape in which we live and work. By focusing on the granular, ground-level details of social change rather than just the broad strokes of macro-level trends, we can position ourselves to anticipate and respond to the challenges and opportunities of the future.

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It’s a fascinating time to be harnessing the many dimensions of influence. (Also, leave it to Natalie Lieblick to share timely pointers on influence and the actual cosmos all in one post :)

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The media measurement landscape is as complicated as it's ever been... but it doesn't have to be. Backbone Media's Data and Analytics team is launching a new series, Measure What Matters. In it, we will break down the challenges and the opportunities for brands. For far too long, we've all relied on clicks and pixels and ROAS... it's time to open up the aperture and look at how media can drive business goals and results.

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In a recent Association of National Advertisers article, Channel Factory's Bill Schild, GM of Americas, explores how inclusion-first advertising practices can enhance brand safety and drive meaningful engagement and growth. Discover why moving beyond restrictive blocklists to embrace diversity and positive content is crucial for the future of digital advertising. Read the full article for insights into building a thriving and inclusive digital ecosystem, https://lnkd.in/gE8HW8yB. #BrandSafety #InclusionLists #ConsciousAdvertising

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More on the AI front: OpenAI has partnered with Hearst in a content agreement, permitting the use of Hearst's newspapers and magazines to train its products, including ChatGPT. Get ready to experience ChatGPT citations and direct links to Hearst content, ensuring transparency and accessibility to original stories. Hearst, a renowned publisher with over 40 newspapers and 20 magazines, will receive compensation as part of the agreement. Specific terms of the deal, however, have not been disclosed. #OpenAI #Hearst #ChatGPT #AI

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Streaming is surpassing cable, and it's likely due to the control that viewers have over what they watch and when (along with other factors). I know I sure do subscribe to quite a few services which gets expensive. IAB CEO David Cohen told Axios, "I think that there's a lot to be said for the power of the bundle. Consumers are not going to subscribe to seven or eight things, they simply can't afford that." We have to start adding layers. Investing in streaming isn't enough — we also need to add bundles that make financial sense to consumers who are now faced with the task of choosing which services they can afford. #IAB #Streaming #Bundles #StreamingServices

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Why should political buyers warm up to CTV this season? Magnite's Head of Political Demand Erik Brydges spoke to AdExchanger about how political buyers are effectively using programmatic and ACR data.

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The inhumanity of the professional world is sometimes too much to bear. Omnicom / Interpublic have noted that their merger will lead to "$750 million in cost synergies." (𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 🙄) While Edelman's recent layoffs clock in at over 5% of their workforce, more than 330 people. Nearly one year ago, I lived through my own "cost synergy" layoff, just two weeks before Christmas. 🎄 There is a special kind of despair, a desperate level of loneliness that comes with being laid off during this most joyous time of year. And no one should have to go through it. And having just lived this terrible experience a year ago, I'm offering a few words of advice and encouragement to the talented PR folks who are hitting the job market: • 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲, 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 LinkedIn, 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗽-𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲. These are your assets and your face to the professional world. Don't get caught off balance here. Having to update these items when you're feeling your lowest makes it really tough to brag about yourself the way you should on these platforms. • 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀. Nurture them now. Nurture them when you don't need them. Nurture them with small gestures like engagement on #LinkedIn and big gestures like donating to causes they're fundraising for or providing them with referrals and recommendations. Your personal network -- NOT your professional job -- is your security net. And you never know when you're going to need it. • Self-employment may not be your long-term aspiration, but 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 are a great way to keep your morale high and earn a few grand a month while you job hunt. This can be a lifeline until the right opportunity comes along. • 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. I'm not saying to accept help just because you feel like you HAVE to, but don't let pride or ego be the reason you say no to an introduction, a resume review, or someone buying you lunch. I made it through my own storm because of generosity of time and spirit not just from people in my day-to-day life, but complete strangers here on LinkedIn. If you're hit by the Edelman layoffs or nervous about the Omnicom / Interpublic Group merger, I'd be happy to lend an ear, offer support, or chat about the world of self-employment. Just send me a note. You can do this. You got this.

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Great post from Grace Carney Union Square Ventures on The Fragmentation Of Search: https://lnkd.in/egwnR95D Are consumers willing to pay for Search? We'll be able to answer that question in a subset of what current search excludes, when we launch our edtech MVP of MakeLoveNotPorn Academy in a few months' time: https://lnkd.in/e3jbrak6 - the aggregator hub for the best of the world's #sexed, searchable by age-appropriateness, cultural sensibility etc. At a time when open healthy #sexed is being censored and deplatformed everywhere (including deliberately in search), parents and teachers have told me for years, we'll pay anything for this service (while VCs/investors have refused to fund anything to do with this topic). We'll see - watch this space 😎

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So quite a potential saving...'The two companies employ over 130,000 people and expect to find $750m (£588.4m) of annual synergies, partly through offshoring and reducing duplication. Cuts are more likely to fall in back-office “overhead”, than “client-facing, client-servicing”... 'That will be achieved through nearshoring and offshoring jobs in cheaper locations, automation and other “platform investments” to drive smarter working... Clearly data and technology with Ai is the north star for any size companies in the sector such as our own much, much, much smaller Salocin Group...still... you have to start somewhere :o) as “a media platform, a CRM platform, a dynamic content generation platform” — and expand in new areas such as generative artificial intelligence... It will be very interesting to see if the vision can become reality and make 1 +1 =3

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The ad tech industry has been making waves with the rise of "digital twins." Brands now use first-party data to create archetypal personas, enabling them to test campaign strategies and product development in a virtual sandbox. AWS's focus on synthetic data highlights the shift towards privacy-conscious testing. Think of it like simulating a football season on Madden—predictive but not perfect. 🏈💡 #AdTech #Advertising #Data #AWS

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"Relative to TV ads, other types of pharmaceutical marketing — like influencing doctors directly — were a bigger business and less regulated [than TV ads aimed at consumers]. Last year, pharmaceutical representatives distributed nearly $31 billion worth of free samples to doctors’ offices, a strategy aimed at getting patients to try their products. Drug makers spent another $8 billion for representatives to meet by phone or in person with health professionals, plus another $2 billion on meetings and events."

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In a highly divisive US election year and with AI being used to generate mis- and disinformation at an unprecedented scale, it's critical that nonpolitical advertisers dial up their placement control to protect brand safety. Check out our latest blog on navigating this environment 👇 #DigitalAdvertising #Adtech

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We’ve heard a lot of speculation this week about the Omnicom-IPG acquisition and Edelman layoffs. I thought it was time to shift the focus to the practical implications for in-house leaders. Not just for the agencies making headlines and their clients, but for all brands navigating this moment of industry disruption. In my op-ed for PRWeek, I explore what brands should be asking themselves about their agency relationships—and share practical advice to ensure those partnerships are built to last.

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#Speaker #Announcement #AdTech #Economic #Forum returns to the fabulous New York Times Center on March 19.  It's the best place to be if you're interested or vested in #adtech. Last April at our inaugural forum we brought 34 of the brightest minds to the stage to deliver #enlightenment 💡  #enlightenment is our primary unit of production. We produce it with four raw materials: #Content at the intersection of adtech, economics, and finance. #Conversation in the raw with zero no trade-press listening in. #Connecting with friends new and old. #Collaboration that turns into #deal making. If there is one thing that makes curating #ATEF worth all the effort it's hearing from so many people about the deals they got done by being there. When we produce #enlightenment, our guests get #deals done. Today we are announcing 12 #returning speakers and one #new speaker with several more speaker announcements happening over the coming weeks: Sir Martin Sorrell Brian Wieser, CFA Sanja Partalo Rishad Tobaccowala Joe Marchese Laura Martin, CFA, CMT Shweta Khajuria, CFA Eric Franchi Reed Rayman Brian O'Kelley Stephen Master Bob Lord and... Daniel Salmon #ATEF #NYC is invite-only or apply to attend. Are you in? https://lnkd.in/ewR6wpV3 If you're interested in #sponsoring ATEF NYC, reach out to me or Rob Beeler. We've curated a handful of creative sponsorships and we go "logo lite" at #ATEF so get involved soon and lock it in.

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