<ul><li><keyword id="168456" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WPP">WPP</keyword> reported revenue 9.8% growth in H1, LFL revenue up by 16.1% (Q2 26.4%)</li><li>Shifting business mix: growth areas of experience, commerce and technology represented 26% of revenue less pass-through costs in H1.</li><li>Q2 LFL revenue less pass-through costs on 2019 1.3%: US 1.8%, UK 1.1%, Germany 6.3%, Greater China -1.7%, Australia -13.6%, India -2.6%.</li></ul>WPP released its H1 2021 performance today. It said that it has returned to 2019 levels a year ahead of plan. On the other hand, after registering a 16.3% fall in LFL revenue less pass-through costs in India Q3, WPP's India market is now at -2.6%. H1 and Q2 financial highlights <ul><li>H1 reported revenue 9.8%, LFL revenue 16.1% (Q2 26.4%)</li><li>H1 revenue less pass-through costs 5.0%, LFL revenue less pass-through costs 11.0% (up 0.5% on H1 2019)</li><li>Q2 LFL revenue less pass-through costs 19.3%: US 12.6%, UK 31.8%, Germany 20.3%, Greater China 1.4%, Australia 8.4%, India 30.0%</li><li>Q2 LFL revenue less pass-through costs on 2019 1.3%: US 1.8%, UK 1.1%, Germany 6.3%, Greater China -1.7%, Australia -13.6%, India -2.6%</li><li>Strong new business performance: $2.9 billion net new billings in H1</li><li>H1 headline operating margin 12.1%, up 3.9 pt on prior year with strong top-line growth supporting significant reinvestment in incentives</li><li>H1 headline operating margin pre incentives up 7.8 pt to 17.0%</li><li>Net debt at 30 June 2021 £1.5 billion, down £1.2 billion year-on-year reflecting good working capital management</li></ul>Strategic progress, shareholder returns and outlook <ul><li>Shifting business mix: growth areas of experience, commerce and technology represented 26% of revenue less pass-through costs in H1</li><li>Launch of Choreograph, future-ready data and analytics company</li><li>M&amp;A to simplify and grow: buy-in of WPP AUNZ minorities; technology acquisitions in Brazil and UK; Kantar agreed to acquire Numerator</li><li>Continued recognition of creativity and effectiveness: most creative company at Cannes, collecting 190 Lions including 12 Grand Prix, 1 Titanium, 28 Gold, 57 Silver and 92 Bronze</li><li>Industry-leading commitment to net zero carbon emissions across entire supply chain by 2030</li><li>£248m share buyback in H1, £350m planned for H2; 12.5p 2021 interim dividend declared, +25%</li><li>Full year 2021 LFL revenue less pass-through costs growth now expected to be 9-10%; headline operating margin towards the upper end of the 13.5-14.0% range</li></ul>Mark Read, Chief Executive Officer, WPP: “I’m delighted with our performance in the first six months of the year, at a time when COVID continues to take a toll on many countries. The like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs growth rate of 19.3% in the second quarter is our highest on record, as clients reinvest in marketing, particularly in digital media, ecommerce and marketing technology. We have returned to 2019 levels in 2021, a year ahead of our plan, with good momentum into 2022. We’ve also made very good strategic progress. Our recognition as the most awarded company at the 2021 Cannes Lions Festival reflects our investment in creative talent and the strength of our creative work over the past two years. Our focus on data, commerce and technology, through strategic acquisitions, organic investments and the launch of Choreograph, has supported a strong new business performance. Key assignment wins include AstraZeneca, Bumble, JP Morgan Chase and Pernod Ricard. In procurement, property and shared services, we are making strong progress as part of our overall transformation programme. We have significantly increased our incentive pools in the first half, to reflect the tremendous contribution of our people in these challenging times, and in line with our intention to reinvest in talent announced at our Capital Markets Day in December 2020. We expect our strategy to translate into benefits for all of our stakeholders: a powerful, modern offer to support our clients’ growth; a great place for our people to work; a positive contribution to communities and the environment; and good financial returns for shareholders, with the interim dividend raised 25% and £600 million of share buybacks planned in 2021.”

With 9.8% growth in H1 2021 revenues, WPP says it has returned to 2019 levels a year ahead of plan

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5899d0bf6e09a824008b5abc-1200/undefined" alt="michael kassan" data-mce-source="MediaLink" />MediaLinkMediaLink founder and CEO Michael Kassan.</div></div></div><keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">Media</keyword>Link - the US-based media consultancy perhaps best known for setting up high-level meetings and throwing the best celebrity-filled parties at events like CES and Cannes Lions - <a href="http://www.investegate.co.uk/ascential-plc--ascl-/rns/acquisition-of-medialink/201702071158362212W/">announced Tuesday it had sold the company to Ascential</a>, the UK business-to-business media and events company, which also happens to run Cannes Lions.Ascential will purchase MediaLink for an initial cash consideration of $69 million, but the total consideration, including earnouts, could reach up to $207 million if the company meets its performance targets.The Cannes Lions <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> festival, which takes place on the French Riviera each summer, serves as the picturesque backdrop to the deal and was how the CEOs of the two companies first met.Speaking to Business Insider on Tuesday, MediaLink CEO Michael Kassan said: "I think it's fair to say I was one of the first media people to ever go to the Cannes Lions, which was a celebration for creatives. I snuck in one year, accidentally. I was in the south of France about 20 years ago, sometime in the late '90s, and ran into some friends [from the advertising industry] at a pool ... [they explained they were at the Cannes Lions]. It was a creative playground and I was blown away. I grabbed my friend Irwin Gotlieb [now the chairman at the world's biggest media agency GroupM and we started going."MediaLink formalized a partnership with the Cannes Lions festival about six years ago. The company takes up a space at the famous Ritz Carlton hotel for its clients to meet, network, and thrash out business deals.Last year, the company threw an invite-only party with iHeartRadio at the exclusive Hotel du Cap Eden Roc which featured music from <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/6/25/12030818/cannes-lions-explained">Coldplay's Chris Martin and an impromptu duet with Will Smith, </a>where they performed the "Men in Black" theme to an audience of celebrities and top executives including Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell. The MediaLink and Condé Nast party at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2016 saw Lady Gaga perform.<h2>Why Ascential bought MediaLink and what happens now</h2>But MediaLink isn't just about big names and fancy parties - although tentpole events on the advertising calendar give the company a chance to charge its clients to get themselves in front of the most important people in attendance. MediaLink will join Ascential's information services unit, alongside the likes of fashion trend forecasting service WGSN and environmental risk data business Groundsure.Kassan describes MediaLink as sitting at the "intersection of <keyword id="6354839" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="marketing">marketing</keyword>, media, advertising, entertainment, and tech." The management consultancy advises clients - which includes consumer brands and media companies - on business transformation, organization design, due diligence and strategy for acquisitions, executive search, and advertisers' media and creative reviews.MediaLink sat in on "somewhere like 60% of the most important advertising reviews in the world," last year, according to Kassan.He says the company sets itself apart from its competitors in the marketing and media consultancy space by acting out a "three-legged stool" approach."We advise the client, we help create a strategy, then we figure out the implementation. The third leg is the execution which I think is a step that - and I have respect for traditional management consultancy firms - but it's a step many of them don't get involved in," Kassan said.But one of MediaLink's disadvantages versus its rivals is that it is very US-focused. The 13-year-old company has four offices, all based in the US. The US is the world's biggest ad market, so this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but Ascential offers MediaLink bridge into Europe and beyond into Asia.Whether MediaLink's US-style approach will work in the European market remains to be seen. Sources told Business Insider that over the past few months, MediaLink had been speaking with a number of Europe-based consultancy and marketing information firms about potential acquisitions in order to help the company grow its footprint beyond the US. Some of those sources suggested MediaLink had been looking to sell itself for a while - and any international offices opened as a result of those acquisitions would likely help boost its valuation.Kassan says it wasn't quite like that, although he said that as a "people person," he's always talking to people about potential opportunities. He added: "I've always advised clients, and I would tell you in my own perspective, that we have never been for sale. There have been people who have knocked on our door and wanted to advance conversations, and we are always open to a conversation, but it's a Goldielocks approach: one may have been too hot, one too cold, and this one was just right."MediaLink's $69 million sale price was a multiple of earnings, based on current earnings. The final valuation will become known in 2021, based on MediaLink's adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization). The total aggregate consideration, including earn-out payments, is capped at $207 million "in the event that stretching profit targets are reached," according to the press release announcing the deal. But Ascential said it expects to pay earn-outs between $42 million and $62 million.MediaLink reported a 29% increase in unaudited revenue to $54 million in 2016, while profit before tax rose 24% to $14 million. The company had core assets of $11 million in December 2016, the release states.<h2>Kassan: 'I am never going to carry another business card that says anything other than "MediaLink" on it'</h2>Kassan has signed a four-year contract to stay on as MediaLink CEO. The 66-year-old suggests he will either stay on longer than that - or retire once the earnouts is complete:Kassan said: "The handshake I had with Duncan [Painter, Ascential CEO], not legally, but the spiritual condition precedent to signing the document was a promise we made that I am never going to carry another business card that says anything other than 'MediaLink' on it. Contractually I signed a four-year contract, but spiritually I will be here as long as they will have me."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5763fde152bcd066018c9e85-2400" alt="cannes" data-mce-source="Neilson Barnard/Getty Images" />Neilson Barnard/Getty ImagesThe advertising industry descends on Cannes each summer.</div></div></div>Painter confirmed that MediaLink's president and COO Wenda Millard, who alongside Kassan is considered as the well-connected driving force behind the company, is also "signed up for the long-term" and that the rest of the senior team is "very committed."Painter said: "We ... have been excellent in the last few years of making acquisitions and doing them in the same style - an earn-out. Many of the founders that are part of the business remain long beyond the earn-out ... Michael has a great business that is predominantly US-focused. We have operations in 16 countries and we want to enable Michael and his operation to execute brilliantly across all major economies."One of the first big events the two will work on together is Cannes Lions 2017 - but Kassan explained that being under the Ascential banner does not mean it will have to dial down its attendance at other events like CES in Las Vegas or Dmexco in Germany as MediaLink will still continue to operate fairly independently.In fact, he jokes, MediaLink just signed its partnership for Cannes Lions 2017 just yesterday - and had to pay an increase in the price from last year. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/budweiser-super-bowl-commercial-anheuser-busch-statement-immigrants-2017-1">Watch Budweiser's Super Bowl ad - it makes a strong statement on immigration</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="84cjViOTE66uf5D6w7RMRpuK04n2M-1G" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '84cjViOTE66uf5D6w7RMRpuK04n2M-1G',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

Why the well-connected media consultancy MediaLink just sold to the Cannes Lions advertising festival organizer

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk isn't interested in living forever.</li><li>In a recent interview, Musk said if people live too long they inhibit new ideas.</li></ul>Unlike some of his contemporaries, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> isn't interested in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rich-investing-longevity-biotech-vc-billionaires-2024-1">living forever</a>.During an interview at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on Wednesday, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-ceo-elon-musk">Tesla CEO</a> said he hadn't made any investments in the longevity industry."I think it is important that we die at least at some point," he told Mark Read, CEO of advertising giant WPP. "If we live for too long, I think it does ossify society. There's no changing of the leadership because leadership never dies."He added that this could inhibit new ideas as people won't change their minds."Think of some of the worst individuals in the world. How long do you want them to live?" he joked.Musk has made similar comments in the past. In <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-believes-it-is-important-for-us-to-die-2021-12">2021</a>, he called death "important," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-on-demographics-population-ageing-2021-12">adding</a> he didn't think anyone should "try to live for a super long time."Several of Musk's Silicon Valley contemporaries have been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/richest-wealthiest-entrepreneurs-ceo-billionaires-tech-searching-hacking-longevity">dabbling in longevity</a>, leveraging their wealth to fight the effects of aging.<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-life-career-education">Jeff Bezos</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-peter-thiel-svb-facebook-trump-biography-2023-3">Peter Thiel</a>, and OpenAI's <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-chatgpt-openai-ceo-career-net-worth-ycombinator-prepper-2023-1">Sam Altman</a> have all invested in companies trying to reverse aging at the cellular level. Others, including Google's Sergey Brin, are using their money to combat age-related conditions, such as cancer and Parkinson's disease.Some entrepreneurs, like Kernel CEO Bryan Johnson, have taken on intensive nutrition, exercise, and wellness plans to try and slow or even reverse the aging process.Musk has long been concerned about the effect an aging population could have on the world.He has previously warned that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-on-demographics-population-ageing-2021-12">society could "crumble" </a>if people don't have children and has cited low birth rates as one of the "biggest risks to civilization."Representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Elon Musk really doesn't want to live forever

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An ex-TikTok managing director is suing the company and ByteDance for discrimination and retaliation.</li><li>Katie Ellen Puris alleges was fired because she "lacked the docility and meekness" required of women employees.</li></ul>An ex-managing director at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/tiktok">TikTok</a> has accused the company behind the popular social media app and its China-based owner of unlawfully firing her because the corporate big-wigs deemed she "lacked the docility and meekness" required of women working there.Katie Ellen Puris said in a lawsuit filed in New York federal court Thursday that after she was hired in 2019 and promoted for her performance, she wound up on a so-called employee <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/f9f5f344-84df-404a-96bd-0047a94bdf34">"kill list"</a> orchestrated by Lidong Zhang, the chairman of TikTok's Beijing parent company, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bytedance-ai-model-speak-in-another-persons-voice-2024-1">ByteDance</a>.Puris, who the lawsuit says joined TikTok's New York office as managing director and US head of business marketing in 2019, is suing TikTok Inc. and ByteDance for discrimination and retaliation.TikTok and ByteDance did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.The lawsuit says that Puris, a former Google and Facebook employee, was "extraordinarily successful" from the start of her employment at TikTok, so much so that within two months of being hired she was promoted to lead the global business marketing team."However, after Ms. Puris — one of the most senior female executives in the United States — was invited to attend and participate in bi-weekly meetings" with Zhang "she was subjected to disparate treatment and ultimately unlawfully terminated.""Zhang and other corporate executives determined that Ms. Puris lacked the docility and meekness specifically required of female employees," the complaint says. Zhang "had a stereotypical view of the way women should behave" and the way Puris celebrated her team's accomplishments "did not fit that stereotypical gender mold," the complaint says. The lawsuit alleges that as Puris neared closer to 50 years old, the "disparate treatment" she endured only worsened and company executives "made it clear that they preferred young, less experienced employees who they believed to be more innovative and pliable."Outside of her firing, Puris also reported mistreatment while working at the company. She says in the complaint that she reported to the company that she was sexually harassed at the June 2022 Cannes Lions industry event in France by an employee at a marketing company and that TikTok "failed to respond appropriately."Puris also noted in the suit that she had reported "discriminatory treatment" she faced to her managers and HR, but that the company, "taking its directives from the office in China, failed to take any corrective action."<div type="image" title="TikTok" height="5504" width="8256" msid="107537392" hostid="261" sizebytes="1594464"></div><h2>The lawsuit says it 'became very evident' that Puris was on Zhang's alleged 'kill list'</h2>ByteDance executives, including Zhang, started having more control of TikTok's day-to-day operations in late 2020 and early 2021 and it "became clear immediately" that Zhang was "displeased" with the way Puris led presentations, the lawsuit says.Puris "celebrated her team's successes and achievements," and Zhang felt that was "inappropriate" because "he believes that women should always remain humble and express modesty," the complaint says."By the second quarter of 2021, it became very evident that Ms. Puris was on Lidong Zhang's 'kill list,'" the lawsuit says. "Part of Lidong Zhang's 'kill list' approach was to build a case against any employee he placed on the list and instruct other employees to do the same."Puris says that as a result, TikTok started "minimizing" her role at the company and she was left out of important decisions that would impact her team."Ms. Puris' health began to suffer under the stress and pressure placed on her after she became part of Lidong Zhang's 'kill list,'" the lawsuit says, adding that she suffered health issues and needed numerous surgical procedures due to ulcers, migraines, and irritable bowel syndrome.The lawsuit says Puris was fired in September 2022 for "performance reasons" days after she emailed the head of global human resources to again "express concerns" about "the treatment of women at TikTok, age discrimination, the sexual harassment at Cannes Lion and the overall work environment.""As a woman who started her career in 1995, I was taught to be quiet if I wanted to be successful. Gender discrimination and sexual harassment were commonplace, but speaking out was career suicide," Puris told BI in a statement. "Wisdom has taught me that I no longer need to be silenced or afraid to fight for change."Her attorneys, Marjorie Mesidor and Monica Hincken, added in a statement that "by all metrics," Puris was "enormously successful at her job and created a successful team.""Yet, when she began complaining about the discriminatory treatment she received and the Company's failure to properly handle her sexual harassment complaint, she swiftly suffered retaliatory consequences that resulted in her unlawful termination," the lawyers said. "TikTok's actions against Ms. Puris are illegal and we look forward to vindicating her rights."Puris' suit is seeking unspecified damages and a trial by jury.

Ex-TikTok executive says she was fired because she 'lacked the docility and meekness' required of women at the company

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The ad world is assessing the future of Michael Kassan's firm after his exit from parent company UTA.</li><li>Kassan's MediaLink is a media and marketing consultancy that's best known for connecting ad and media execs.</li></ul>News of a legal battle between <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/advertising-agencies">advertising-industry</a> impresario Michael Kassan and Hollywood talent giant UTA has the ad world assessing Kassan's impact while speculating about whether MediaLink, the business he's so synonymous with, can continue without him.Ostensibly a media and marketing consultancy, MediaLink is best known for convening high-level executives for meetings and parties at events like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-cannes-lions-are-brands-brave-enough-2023-6">Cannes Lions</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-disney-streamers-plan-big-advertising-sales-push-ces-2023-12">Consumer Electronics Show</a> — with the larger-than-life Kassan always prominently center stage, hobnobbing with CEOs and celebrities. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-hollywood-agency-uta-bought-medialink-consultancy-cannes-lions-2022-6">UTA acquired the company for $125 million in 2021</a>, with the intention of marrying its roster of entertainment talent with MediaLink's network of advertising clients.But less than three years on, the partnership is headed for a messy divorce.A UTA spokesperson said Tuesday Kassan was "terminated for cause" on March 7 "following a thorough and exhaustive third-party investigation into misappropriation of company funds." The talent agency filed a lawsuit against him in the Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, alleging constructive fraud, and breaches of a partner services agreement, fiduciary duty, and duty of loyalty.Kassan's attorney on Tuesday said he had filed his own claim with the Los Angeles Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, naming UTA and its CEO Jeremy Zimmer among the defendants and alleging they breached his contract by cutting his expense account and minimizing MediaLink's role in overseeing UTA's marketing division. The complaint, a copy of which was sent to Business Insider, claims Kassan wasn't fired but instead resigned from MediaLink on March 6. Kassan is claiming breach of contract, fraud in the inducement, and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing.<div type="image" title="Jeremy Zimmer at the Variety Cannes Lions Studio on June 20, 2023 in Cannes, France." height="2002" width="2997" msid="108474613" hostid="261" sizebytes="318606"></div><h2>MediaLink is deeply embedded in all aspects of the ad industry</h2>MediaLink works with nearly every element of the media and marketing business — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-consulting-firms-that-help-advertisers-pick-agencies-2021-3">running agency reviews</a>, providing consultancy to tech firms looking for customers and acquirers, headhunting C-suite execs, and linking publishers with advertisers. To some detractors, MediaLink's tactics are described as like a "mafia" because it's so deeply embedded and receives a paycheck from almost every part of the business. But Kassan, publicly at least, took that moniker as a compliment. "No conflict, no interest," is Kassan's motto.Now, Madison Avenue is buzzing about whether the MediaLink mafia can continue without its Godfather."Half the value just walked out the door," said Jon Miller, a veteran media executive who serves as CEO of Integrated Media, which specializes in digital media investments."It's the end of MediaLink," said an executive at a competitor firm to MediaLink, which expects to pick up business as a result of the UTA turmoil. "If there ever was a business that was completely tied to its CEO, it's that." The exec, like many people contacted for this story, asked for anonymity to speak freely on a sensitive situation or because they weren't authorized to discuss it publicly.A UTA spokesperson said MediaLink has a strong executive team in place that continues to carry the business forward. "There will not be any disruption for our clients," the UTA spokesperson said. A spokesperson for MediaLink directed a request for comment to UTA.Kassan's attorney, Sanford Michelman of Michelman and Robinson, said in a statement that his client's first priority is the success and continued growth of MediaLink."He looks forward to ensuring its continued success in the industry," the statement said.<div type="image" title="Michael Kassan" height="3000" width="2337" msid="108474614" hostid="261" sizebytes="140294"></div><h2>Talent agencies are retrenching</h2>UTA's acquisition of MediaLink was one example of a long trend of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brands-like-pg-and-delta-are-using-hollywood-talent-agencies-2019-7">talent agencies branching out to advertising services</a>.In 2013, it was Endeavor's WME <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/endeavor-sells-stake-ad-agency-droga5-1199386/">buying a 49% stake in Droga5</a> (which was later unloaded to consulting giant Accenture).Before buying MediaLink, UTA already had a marketing arm, led by Julian Jacobs and David Anderson, which connects brands to Hollywood; it recently brokered a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-deal-gm-product-placement-ads-electric-vehicles-shows-2023-2">deal that put General Motors cars in Netflix shows</a>, for instance. UTA also <a target="_blank" href="https://variety.com/2024/biz/news/uta-acquires-juv-consulting-gen-z-1235927795/">recently acquired JUV Consulting</a>, an agency that helps marketers reach Gen Z."There was always the idea that if you have the connection to culture, you can extract a lot of money from Madison Avenue," said a former creative agency CEO. "It's just easier said than done."Lately, there are signs that the agencies are retrenching, however. WME is expected to sell non-core parts of its business after parent Endeavor said last fall that it was evaluating "strategic alternatives" for its assets. And the talent agencies have <a target="_blank" href="https://deadline.com/2021/06/caa-sells-majority-stake-wiip-korean-studio-jtbc-1234767146/">exited the content business</a> to resolve a dispute with the Writers Guild of America.After falling out with Kassan, UTA may think twice about buying another agency.<h2>Who will run MediaLink now?</h2>The media and ad industry will be watching to see what, if any, leadership changes UTA makes at MediaLink.Kassan is 73 and was facing questions about his succession plans before this latest blow-up. A prior obvious natural successor, Kassan's longtime right hand, Wenda Harris Millard, left in 2022. People familiar with the company were hard-pressed to come up with names of top lieutenants whose industry stature came close to matching Kassan's. And the rift with UTA could complicate its ability to bring in outside talent to run it, should it try to do so.One client noted that Kassan had built a strong bench of talent at MediaLink, and a former MediaLink executive said that while Kassan was a driving force behind the company winning new business, he wasn't involved in most of the projects it works on.As for what's next for Kassan, speculation has run the gamut, with people imagining variously Kassan starting over on his own, settling with UTA, or buying his firm back. There's also conjecture about the nature of the breakup between him and UTA head Zimmer, and whether there will be more juicy details to learn about Kassan's alleged spending and the MediaLink acquisition agreement beyond what has already been reported.Kassan has a loyal following, and it's easy to imagine people giving him another chance, as they have done in the past. In 1999, he was fired by Western Initiative Media Worldwide, part of ad holding company Interpublic Group, after he sued the media buying company for $63.5 million, alleging breach of contract and defamation of character. The suit was <a target="_blank" href="https://interpublicgroup.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/interpublic-and-michael-kassan-settle-lawsuit">settled</a>. And in 1995, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-aug-17-fi-884-story.html">he was suspended</a> from practicing law in California after a conviction for grand theft by embezzlement. The charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor and expunged from his record."It'd be easier for him to start MediaLink 2.0," said Lou Paskalis, a former Bank of America marketer and the founder and CEO of AJL Advisory. "All of us are going to just move from MediaLink to whatever Michael's new company is, because you're buying Michael Kassan."<h2>The end of the ad industry schmoozefest?</h2>MediaLink grew out of a time when mistrust between agencies and marketers was running high, and the media landscape was growing more complicated with the entry of tech giants. Over the years, the business of building community in the ad industry has attracted new players like Marc Sternberg's Brand Innovators and Pttow, but they haven't come close to supplanting MediaLink.The tech companies have only gotten more powerful, and now AI is threatening to disrupt media buyers' and sellers' businesses even further. There still may be a place for connectors like Kassan. But agencies in particular are also frustrated about their reliance on MediaLink, especially because participating in the media agency reviews that MediaLink oversees comes at a high cost. One industry veteran said they saw Kassan's exit as an opportunity to change how ad industry consultants operate and charge for services.Kassan's departure may mark the beginning of the end of the advertising industry schmoozefest. At the center of the dispute between UTA and Kassan is the MediaLink founder's $950,000 annual expense account. Cannes Lions, where MediaLink is omnipresent, is the ultimate industry tentpole event, where deals are signed on yachts in the opulent setting of the French Riviera. MediaLink parties attracted big-name — and expensive — performers, from Lady Gaga to Elton John and Mariah Carey. (Kassan was notably absent from South by Southwest in Austin this month, where MediaLink hosted a client dinner with former NFL quarterback Tom Brady.)"Who else in the industry has the convening power of Michael Kassan?" said advertising industry veteran Rob Norman, the former global chief digital officer of WPP's GroupM. "If you pull that bolt out, does the rest of it fall over? Then does it still matter to UTA?"

Ad insiders are buzzing about industry power broker Michael Kassan's messy split with UTA and what it means for the future of MediaLink

<ul><li>With <keyword id="540819" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kinnect">Kinnect</keyword> now part of the family, the Group will be better poised to bring multidisciplinary, integrated digital creative solutions to its clients. </li><li>This strategic alliance of two very like-minded and culturally congruent agency groups will ensure the elevation of creative ideas to a whole new level.</li></ul>Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG) and FCB today announced the acquisition of equity stake in Kinnect, India's largest independent digital marketing agency. While the agency will partner <keyword id="11697687" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fcb-group-india">FCB Group India</keyword>, it will continue to operate under the management of its current leadership. Founded by Rohan Mehta and Chandni Shah in 2011, Kinnect is a truly integrated creative and media agency built for the now. With a strong growth trajectory, the agency has scaled to 350+ Kinnectors, working across offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Awarded Campaign South Asia’s Independent Agency of the Year multiple times, and Digital Agency of the Year 2020, Kinnect is credited for conceptualizing and executing digital-first campaigns and works with some of the biggest brands in the country, including Amazon, Asian Paints, HDFC Bank, P&amp;G Group (Ariel, Tide &amp; Old Spice), Disney+ Hotstar, Bytedance Group, TVS Motors, RPSG Group, and more. Speaking about the acquisition, <keyword id="268920" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rohit-Ohri">Rohit Ohri</keyword>, Chairman &amp; CEO, FCB Group India, said, “We believe that today creativity needs to be fueled by technology and data. Our ideas must not only generate greater long-term brand value but also activate business in the short term. This new partnership between the FCB Group, India’s most awarded creative agency, and Kinnect, India’s largest independent digital agency, will actualize this vision and mission for all our clients.” Kinnect has a strong belief that creative and media should work together in the digital world. While creativity is at the heart of every campaign, the agency distinguishes itself by conceiving ideas that are data-informed and adapted to new age platforms, which allows for maximizing performance and getting the best creative in front of the right audience. The agency has been doing this successfully through its specialized media planning and buying arm, <keyword id="3519936" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Media-Kinnect">Media Kinnect</keyword>. Kinnect has a solution-driven approach to advertising and has built its business model keeping the clients at the very center. It has built in-house capabilities for influencer &amp; talent outreach - Kinnect Outreach, reputation management &amp; listening - Kinnect 24/7, Kinnect Tech, and <keyword id="4613045" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kinnect-Productions">Kinnect Productions</keyword>, to meet the rapidly evolving needs of clients and deliver work that positively impacts their businesses. Discussing the partnership with FCB Group India, Rohan Mehta, CEO, Kinnect, said, “This development represents an exciting new chapter in our journey! As part of a global network, we see a huge opportunity to learn from their experiences and apply them in an Indian context. We will continue building new capabilities and evolving our services based on the needs of the markets while focusing on delivering the most effective solutions for our clients.” Chandni Shah, COO, Kinnect, added, “We are thrilled to be joining forces with the FCB Group. Leveraging their expertise in building brands over decades, we hope to achieve similar legacies for our clients. Together we look forward to engineering a more transformative and holistic experience for brands and are excited about the possibilities of what we can achieve together." With Kinnect now part of the family, the Group will be better poised to bring multidisciplinary, integrated digital creative solutions to its clients. This strategic alliance of two very like-minded and culturally congruent agency groups will ensure the elevation of creative ideas to a whole new level. Recently commemorating 60 years of operation in India, The FCB Group India has seen an extraordinary creative transformation over the last four years, winning top honors at prestigious global creativity festivals including One Show, Clio, The Andys, D&amp;AD, Spikes and Cannes. Most recently, it was India’s No 1 Creative Agency at Cannes Lions 2020/2021.

Interpublic Group of Companies and FCB Group India acquire an equity stake in Kinnect

<ul><li>There’s no doubt that in 2022 and beyond, companies and advertising agencies will dedicate more attention and resources to improving <keyword id="61889" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="diversity" source="Orion">Diversity</keyword>, <keyword id="12546708" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-and-inclusion" source="Orion">Equity and Inclusion</keyword> (DEI).</li><li>While the ad industry has a lot of women today, many drop out by the time they reach mid-management levels, primarily due to the lack of flexible hours, or the flexibility to work from home.</li><li>Advertising agencies, therefore, have been working towards training more women, to prepare them for leadership roles. They are also launching special programs to encourage queer people to join advertising agencies.</li><li>We speak to a few Creative Agencies that appear to be making strides in improving DEI to find out what’s their current <keyword id="1014511" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-ratio" source="Orion">gender ratio</keyword> and got them to share a few ways in which they think the industry can evolve to become more inclusive.</li></ul>The advertising industry is known to lead to change and advertising agencies have the power to shape how people see themselves through their creative campaigns. They have the power to make a positive impact on society. The industry can use its influential power in mending belief systems and nudging people to question their regressive thoughts. From challenging stereotypes to pushing people to embrace the entire gender spectrum, advertising campaigns can work wonders in bringing about acceptance. Apart from using their advertising and marketing tools tactfully, ad agencies can work towards improving gender representation inside their organisations at a structural level. However, at the creative stage, too many perspectives have been excluded over the years. Many organisations hire one queer person and make them the face of diversity. Last year, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/ad-agencies/article/cannes-lions-to-onboard-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-specialist-consultancy-after-former-dean-abraham-abbi-asefaw-called-out-the-organisation-for-lack-of-representation/articleshow/83030888.cms">Cannes Lions was </a>called out for hiring one person of colour at Roger Hatchuel Academy and making them the face of diversity. After drawing flak, the academy and Cannes Lions onboarded a specialised Diversity, Inclusivity and Equity agency to correct its course. In the last few years, advertising agencies in India have taken baby steps towards improving Diversity, Inclusivity and Equity inside their organisations as well. They are trying to build an inclusive culture that transcends barriers, biases and bureaucracy, and makes employees truly feel like they belong. With equal representation of different voices on the inside, historically underrepresented demographic groups are authentically and positively represented in the campaigns too. This leads to robust dialogue, richer decisions, it helps build empathy within the organization to design good, and human-centered solutions. Advertising and Media Insider gathered insights from industry leaders and agencies who appear to be making strides towards DEI about how employers can boost diversity and inclusion in their organisations. A look at the current gender ratio MullenLowe Lintas Group’s gender ratio stands at 35% and the agency network has a similar ratio even at the leadership level. Garima Pant, Group HR Director, MullenLowe Lintas Group told us about their hiring process. She said, “For us, DEI goes beyond Gender. This year with our Apex Council, we plan to steer initiatives and changes aimed towards shaping and embedding DEI in the DNA of the organization. Our commitment to hire more diverse voices has already been put in action; we are signatories on the UN Women Empowerment Principles, we introduced our Referral program with 2X referral bonus aimed at hiring women, PWD’s and LGBTQ+ team members and are also systemically looking at embedding DEI in our processes to ensure accountability while we lead with intent. For advertising, more than most other industries, DEI is not just a humanistic issue, it is a business case. At the heart of diversity and inclusion is getting diverse thinking, diverse perspectives, thereby inspiring imagination and impacting societal change.” DDB Mudra Group, which was one of the first agencies in India to update its insurance policy to include same-sex couples and live-in partners, ended 2021 with a gender ratio of women-to-men at 40:60. Rita Verma, EVP &amp; Head - HR, DDB Mudra Group told us all about the agency’s roadmap for 2022. She said, “DEI has been a key priority for us in the last few years, and our plans for the coming year are built off the work that we have done in the last three years. The Phyllis Project is a DDB global initiative that kicked off in 2018 to help women leaders stay the course and rise more effortlessly through the ranks. In 2020, in the middle of the challenges of the pandemic, we managed to launch the India leg of the program, which is a more intense, consistent and personalised program for our top 25 women talent. We will proudly be graduating the first batch of the Phyllis India project in March of this year, and kick-starting a 2022 batch. Through the last two years, with a mix of mentoring engagements with the best in the business within and outside DDB, training and skill-building interventions and exposure to some of the most inspiring women leaders, we’ve built a set of powerful women leaders. We are proud of the ones who have stayed with us and grown their influence within DDB in India, like Mehak Jaini who heads strategy for us at 22feet Tribal Worldwide, and also the incredible women talent who have gone on to take on bigger challenges in the industry such as Sonal Jhuj at Lego and Shagun Seda at Netflix. Our Open Pride program has seen us consistently engage in conversations with our employees to increase awareness and sensitize them towards the LGBTQIA+ community. We have made a conscious effort to improve our policies, whether it is in the context of insurance for same sex partners, or increased paternity leave, or wellness leaves. This is a result of six monthly reviews to see how we can be more inclusive and sensitive to all employees. We want to lead the thinking in contemporary employee policies and not follow the market, and are constantly seeking inputs from our people to get better at this. Another initiative that we are truly excited about this year, is a series of our Equal Parenting workshops to help our employees become the kind of parents and professionals they want to be and normalise the essential conversation around balancing parenthood and professional success.” At TBWA, 35-40% of their employees are women across client servicing, creative and planning functions. To encourage young women and employees of all genders to speak up their minds, the agency network has been working towards making leaders on the top more accessible to new employees. Namrata Nandan, Executive Director – West, South &amp; New Initiatives, TBWA said, “We have provided a platform to our young promising stars to establish a direct connect with the CEO and present their thoughts on matters pertaining to strategy, operations, organization culture, etc and play a part in the decision-making process. Young millennials and Gen Z are vocal &amp; creative, coupled with a strong need to belong and to be heard. This forum provides a great opportunity for the organization to leverage their creative/out-of-box thinking and at the same time gives them the opportunity to express themselves and participate in decision making.” Ways in which the advertising ecosystem can improve DEI It is important to build a work environment where all employees feel seen, accepted and valued. Rohit Suri, Chief HR Officer, dentsu South Asia said that agencies should ‘foster an Inclusive Culture by cultivating a supportive, welcoming and inclusive workplace where everyone can contribute to their full potential.’ Sharing how the entire advertising ecosystem can elevate DEI across the board, he said, “The advertising industry has a huge responsibility to uphold DEI and ensure stereotypes are removed, create products and service offerings that mitigate bias and it is important for the industry to understand that DEI is all about adapting human behavior, something that requires continuous enhancement of inclusion capabilities and ongoing practice every day. Secondly, along with behaviors organizations must have robust feedback mechanisms and listening systems that reinforce the culture of inclusion and belonging. Third, organisations must invest in training programs and initiatives that invite diverse talent from underrepresented groups to join them to ensure the ideas that come from these diverse teams are better and the clients are better served. Fourth, when DEI is treated as a business imperative it moves beyond the responsibility of one team or a group of people it becomes the responsibility of everyone in the organisation.” Pant broke down her advice into three parts and advised agencies to follow M.A.P. “Measure - What gets measured gets done: The Org Business and Talent dashboard needs to have a diversity and inclusion lens across the employee lifecycle. Awareness - Moving beyond the metrics. Awareness is the greatest agent for change. Policies: Put a stake in the ground. Policies ensure that organizations embrace talent practices that systemically drive Inclusion,” explained Pant. Verma pointed out that ‘with the queer community, the task is slightly different because one does not identify candidates at the outset by their sexual identity.’ What DDB Mudra Group is trying to build is an environment that makes everyone feel safe, nurtured and be given equal opportunity. This happens through consistent awareness building, education, and sensitization workshops and interactions. To bridge this gap, the agency has organised various masterclass sessions for its employees. Adding how the HR industry needs a refreshed approach after the pandemic, she said, “The advertising industry in India is experiencing a lot of change. And it is a great time to re-evaluate the principles on which we want to build our agencies going forward, and therefore the overall ecosystem. Especially in the last couple of years, we have seen unforeseen levels of attrition and burnout owing to the pandemic. What it has taught us is the fact that we need to do better by our people as an industry. Whether it is in terms of providing better work-life balance, supporting and propagating equal parenting, consciously seeking women talent in leadership, rewarding leaders for their role in creating and nurturing diverse and inclusive teams, or partnering clients to better represent women and other faultily represented communities in our work – there is so much we must do as an industry. We believe that product and creativity will be exceptional as an outcome of all these efforts as well. It is an exciting time, and we hope to walk tall in the advertising fraternity by leading from the front on all these issues.”

Here’s how Indian ad agencies are improving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within their organisations

<ul><li><keyword id="6375200" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="PIYUSH-PANDEY">Piyush Pandey</keyword> will be taking on a new role as Chairman of Global Creative at <keyword id="138018" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ogilvy">Ogilvy</keyword>, while continuing to serve as Chairman of Ogilvy India. </li><li><keyword id="140794" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Liz-Taylor">Liz Taylor</keyword> has been named Global Chief Creative Officer. This appointment comes as <keyword id="11275180" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="joe-sciarrotta">Joe Sciarrotta</keyword> will partner with Liz in his role as Deputy Global CCO.</li></ul>Ogilvy has announced that Piyush Pandey will be taking on a new role as Chairman of Global Creative at Ogilvy, while continuing to serve as Chairman of Ogilvy India. Liz Taylor has been named Global Chief Creative Officer. This appointment comes as Joe Sciarrotta will partner with Liz in his role as Deputy Global CCO. For over two decades, Liz has been recognized as one of the industry’s most progressive creative leaders and was recently recognized as the top ranked woman on The Drum’s global ranking of the most-awarded Chief Creative Officers. She will be responsible for overseeing Ogilvy’s creative product across 132 offices in 83 countries and spanning its five business units: Advertising, PR, Experience, Health, and Growth &amp; Innovation. <keyword id="9451496" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="andy-main">Andy Main</keyword>, Global Chief Executive Officer, said, “We could not be more thrilled to be welcoming Liz back home to Ogilvy. Liz is a modern creative leader who leads from the front and understands that magic happens when we create and innovate at the intersection of our world-class capabilities and talent. I know her experience creating big, multifaceted ideas will only further strengthen Ogilvy’s ability to drive world-changing, life-changing, business-changing impact for our clients.” Devika Bulchandani, Global Chairwoman of Advertising, said: “There are always those people who you yearn to work with some day—and Liz is one of those people. She is creatively ambidextrous and a sharp problem solver who shares our ambition to make Ogilvy the most creative company in the world, but most importantly Liz embodies both the goodness and greatness of Ogilvy. Liz Taylor said: “There is something special about being able to come back to Ogilvy and join a team that is taking this iconic company into the future. Creativity has the power to change everything and I’m looking forward to working with Ogilvy’s incredibly strong global network of creative talent to inspire people and brands to have an impact on the world.” Liz is returning to Ogilvy at a time where the company has won several new global accounts—including Abolsut, Enterprise Holdings, Zippo, among others—and accolades for its creativity. Last month, the Clio Awards named Ogilvy its 2021 Agency Network of the Year and DAVID Miami was named Agency of the Year. Both Ogilvy and DAVID were also awarded these respective honors at the 2020 One Show and D&amp;AD Awards. Most recently, Liz served as Global Chief Creative Officer for Leo Burnett and Chief Creative Officer for Publicis Communications North America. There she was a founding Partner at Le Truc, a new business model threaded across the Publicis Groupe. She previously held several roles at Ogilvy including Global Executive Creative Director before departing in 2016 to become Chief Creative Officer at FCB Chicago. She’s been named an Ad Age “Woman to Watch” and a member of the Adweek “Creative 100,” her work has been featured in the Museum of Modern Art and multiple Super Bowls, seen across the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, Fast Company and Rolling Stone, and even topped Billboard charts. Throughout her career Liz has driven transformative creative solutions and culture-shaping work for a range of clients that have included: Aldi, Bank of America, Boeing, Budweiser, Cadillac, Campbell's, Facebook, Gatorade, GE, Kellogg's, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald's, Morton Salt, Nintendo, P&amp;G, Walmart, Wrigley, among many others. One of the most awarded creatives in the industry, she has numerous honors to her name, including Cannes Lions, One Show, D&amp;AD, ANDYs and Effies among others. An industry leader in addressing workplace inequality, Liz also served as an inaugural jury chair of the Athena Advertising Awards, held in conjunction with the 3% Movement.

Ogilvy names Piyush Pandey as Chairman of Global Creative, Liz Taylor named Global Chief Creative Officer

Hello and welcome back to Insider <keyword id="11894120" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising" source="Orion">Advertising</keyword>, your weekly look at the biggest stories and trends affecting Madison Avenue and beyond. I'm Lara O'Reilly, Insider's media and advertising editor. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/insider-advertising">If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.</a>I've been receiving my first inbounds about in-person trade shows and conferences this month, but I'm still on the fence as to whether I'll be an attendee - those places are usually germy enough in the best of times. I'm interested in how you're all feeling about the return of events: eager to don your lanyard, or holding out till Cannes? As always I'm keen to hear from you and get your feedback on this <keyword id="11894123" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="newsletter" source="Orion">newsletter</keyword> as it evolves: <a href="mailto:loreilly@insider.com">loreilly@insider.com</a>.On to this week's big news:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spotify-leaked-data-gimlet-podcast-studio-struggled-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Struggles at Spotify's Gimlet</a></li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/accenture-david-droga-named-ceo-creative-chairman-of-accenture-interactive-1030745398">Droga takes the reins at Accenture Interactive</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nbcuniversal-is-taking-steps-to-replace-tv-measurement-firm-nielsen-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">NBCU looks beyond Nielsen for ratings</a> - and <keyword id="11953967" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="comscore" source="Orion">Comscore</keyword> is attempting to accelerate its MRC audit</li></ul><hr /><h3>Reply stall</h3>In the podcasting world it seems that having the backing of an 800-pound-gorilla tech company like <keyword id="11911163" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="spotify" source="Orion">Spotify</keyword> isn't a guarantee you'll generate hit after hit.Take <keyword id="11953965" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gimlet" source="Orion">Gimlet</keyword> Media. In 2019, when Spotify shelled out about $230 million for the company, it trumpeted the acquisition as a "best-in-class podcast studio." But leaked internal data shows the "Reply All" producer has been lagging at the bottom of Spotify's podcast class, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spotify-leaked-data-gimlet-podcast-studio-struggled-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Insider's Natalie Jarvey and Steven Perlberg report</a>. Their investigation uncovered how Gimlet had struggled with Spotify's unclear strategy and internal tensions.This chart from a Spotify newsletter shows September 2020 consumption of its original and exclusive podcasts:Part of the reason for the listening-hours lag is design: Gimlet's highly produced narrative podcasts take longer to create than interview shows or biweekly Parcast serial-killer thrillers. But marketing plays a role too.Spotify's homepage drives most of its podcast listenership, according to the internal data Jarvey and Perlberg got their hands on - so the battle is on for internal promotion. Plus, as the Gimlet chief, Lydia Polgreen, herself put it: "The podcasting landscape is much, much more crowded than it used to be." That makes the terrain all the more tricky for advertisers to navigate - especially as they're often looking for audience tonnage above all else. (Spotify also said Gimlet consumption had increased 25% since September.)No wonder, then, that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spotify-podcasts-advertising-hifi-audio-stream-on-event-announcements-2021-2?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Spotify launched its Audience Network in April</a>, allowing advertisers to target by (you guessed it) audience segment across a range of podcasts, rather than needing to book ads into individual shows. Spotify doesn't break out its podcast financials, but it reported a 110% increase in ad-supported revenue to 131 million euros, or $154 million, in its second quarter.Read Insider's full report here:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spotify-leaked-data-gimlet-podcast-studio-struggled-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Spotify spent $230 million on Gimlet, but leaked data shows the podcast studio has lagged behind others at the audio giant. Insiders cite unclear strategy and internal tensions.</a></li></ul><hr /><h3>David and Goliath</h3><div type="image" title="David Droga" height="683" width="1024" msid="85654130" hostid="261"></div>In the early days of Accenture boisterously barging its way into the advertising business, a common retort from Madison Avenue types was that the besuited management-consultant spreadsheet jockeys couldn't just buy their way into a creative culture.Unperturbed, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-droga-talks-about-his-decision-to-sell-droga5-to-accenture-interactive-2019-4?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Accenture went on to buy the creative agency Droga5</a>. The next question on the industry's lips: How long was the agency's founder, David Droga - "the most awarded creative at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as of now," according to Accenture - going to stick around?A good while longer, it seems! Accenture Interactive said last week that Droga would be replacing Brian Whipple as CEO of the unit starting next Wednesday.In an <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/accenture-elevates-famed-ad-man-to-lead-interactive-division-11629370921">interview with The Wall Street Journal</a>, Droga said he's likely to continue Accenture's acquisition spree, though the company said the pace of deals would probably slow.The Forrester principal analyst Jay Pattisall told the Insider senior advertising reporter <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/lindsay-rittenhouse?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Lindsay Rittenhouse</a> that the CEO switcheroo was "a clear signal of the increasing importance of creativity to Accenture Interactive's business," adding that Droga should consider acquiring media agencies - that's what the consultancy is lacking and the holding companies have.Read more:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-a-job-at-jpmorgan-ad-agency-droga5-2021-7?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Droga5, famed ad agency for The New York Times and Airbnb, is hiring across the board - its founder shared what he looks for in candidates</a></li></ul><hr /><h3>Everyone seems to know Comscore; they've seen it all before</h3><div type="image" title="relaxing on couch with smartphone mirroring to TV" height="1667" width="2500" msid="85654131" hostid="261"></div>Adding fresh pain to <keyword id="11953968" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nielsen" source="Orion">Nielsen</keyword>'s recent woes after it asked for a hiatus from its Media Rating Council accreditation, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nbcuniversal-is-taking-steps-to-replace-tv-measurement-firm-nielsen-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">NBCUniversal said last week that it was taking steps to replace Nielsen</a> as a single video-measurement company and replace it with multiple sources. The TV network asked 50-plus measurement companies to submit proposals to help it build a new measurement system. In a statement, Nielsen - which is building a TV and digital <keyword id="11953969" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ratings" source="Orion">ratings</keyword> system that it plans to roll out by 2024 - said it's confident in its current measurement solutions.Also <a href="https://www.rbr.com/mrc-comscore-audit/">sensing an opportunity is the Nielsen competitor Comscore</a>.Its TV-measurement product is unaccredited and has been what's known as an "inactive" MRC status since <a href="http://mediaratingcouncil.org/MRC%20comScore%20TV%20Release%2010-31-18%20Final.pdf">2018</a>. Comscore and MRC have been talking since early 2021, however, about resubmitting the measurement company's TV product into an audit, targeted for early next year.In recent days, though, Comscore asked the MRC to expedite the timing of that process, and it's pushing for a new target date of mid-October instead."MRC will make a public disclosure once this new audit of Comscore TV is officially in process," an MRC representative told me.It's worth nothing that MRC accreditation isn't actually required for companies to continue using a particular firm's business. In a recent research note, BMO Capital Markets' Daniel Salmon pointed out that Nielsen's local TV ratings and digital TV ratings had been on hiatus for a while and it hadn't seen a big disruption in business there. "These issues aren't positive, but we don't think they're insurmountable either," Salmon wrote.<hr /><h3>We've got to get out of this place</h3>A global survey of more than 1,000 in-house and agency marketing strategists found that fewer respondents wanted to go to an agency for their next job than in previous years.<div type="image" title="Chart of where ad industry staffers think their next role will be over 2019, 2020, and 2021 with significantly more staffers moving towards consultancy and other roles than in past years" height="1140" width="1240" msid="85654133" hostid="261"></div>But strategists thinking of heading over to a brand to advance their marketing careers may also want to take pause. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/tanya-dua">Insider's Tanya Dua</a> reports on a new study from the Boston agency Boathouse and the financial- and information-services company GLG that found <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ceos-dont-trust-cmos-according-to-a-new-industry-report-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">CMO tenure continuing to slide</a>. The report concluded that much of the reason was that only a third of CEOs trust their marketing chiefs to grow the business.<hr /><h3>Recommended reading</h3>McDonald's hired the former Petco CMO and agency veteran Tariq Hassan as its chief marketing and digital customer-experience officer for the US - <a href="https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/tariq-hassan-why-hes-joining-mcdonalds/2360226">AdAge</a>The ex-Hearst Magazines boss Troy Young is advising the private-equity firm Apollo as it prepares to take over Yahoo. Apollo is also eyeing leadership changes at the former Verizon media company - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apollo-global-management-is-talking-to-potential-leaders-for-yahoo-aol-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Insider</a>Walmart is launching a new demand-side platform, letting brands show ads to people based on whether they've browsed specific products on Walmart's website and app. Those ads will appear on numerous publisher sites Walmart has partnered with but doesn't own - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-launches-ad-buying-platform-to-take-on-amazon-2021-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">Insider</a>How to sell the vaccine to the unvaccinated, according to 6 advertising executives who are pros at persuasion - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/6-ad-executives-on-how-to-win-over-the-vaccine-hesitant-2021-8?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=BI%20Insider%20Exclusive:%20Vaccine%20to%20Unvaccinated%20-%208/25/2021&amp;utm_term=Healthcare%2C%20Advertising%20%26%20Alert%20Test&amp;r=US&amp;IR=Tst&amp;r=US&amp;IR=T">Insider</a>With COVID-19 cases rising, brands are recommitting to vaccination campaigns - <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/everyone-has-a-vested-interest-with-delta-variant-and-rising-covid-19-cases-brands-recommit-to-vaccination-campaigns/">Digiday</a>See you next time - Lara

Gimlet struggles with Spotify's podcasting pace

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e67dd49e4f9fe6f8f6648b2-2400/sxsw shirley manson.jpg" alt="sxsw shirley manson" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>Austin, Texas-based SXSW cancelled the festival last week over coronavirus-related concerns and only offering refunds on hotel reservations.</li><li>The festival's organizers are trying to minimize the damage by deferring payments until 2021, 2022, or 2023 and working to set up a "virtual online experience."</li><li>Advertising and events executives said the cancellation could have ripple effects across their industries and lead to reduced spending on such events.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary">Click here for more BI Prime stories</a>.</li></ul>Austin, Texas-based South by Southwest cancelled the tech, music, and film festival for the first time in its 34-year history over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus and won't refund attendees and vendors. An email, printed below, that SXSW sent to registered attendees and vendors on March 6 shows how the organization is scrambling to minimize the damage without providing any refunds beyond hotel fees. Passes to the event ran about $1,400 per person for mid-priced interactive badges that last the length of the 9-day festival, said one source, with discounts for larger groups.SXSW is offering to defer amounts paid for this year's festival until 2021, 2022, or 2023.Several ad agencies told Business Insider that they and their clients stood to lose thousands of dollars but that the local creative and service industries would take a far bigger hit.The scenario provides a preview of the potential postponement or cancellation of other ad industry events such as the Cannes Lions festival, scheduled for June 22-26. Chairman Philip Thomas said the festival's parent company, Ascential, is planning for all possibilities.SXSW did not respond to a request for comment.<h2>SXSW is negotiating to defer payment for agencies and sponsors, but not providing any refunds beyond hotel reservations</h2>In addition to attendee passes, costs to sponsor events can run as follows, according to one agency:<ul><li>A daylong event officially sponsored by a company runs $10,500</li><li>A evening event with a featured speaker is $5,200</li><li>A sanctioned event, which does not appear on the SXSW schedule but bears its logo and stamp of approval, costs $5,200</li><li>A sanctioned event without "marks" or logos costs $2,600 </li></ul>Also hurt are agencies that planned to stage events at SXSW for clients. Krystle Loyland, CEO of Austin ad agency Preacher, said experiential agencies would be hardest-hit.Kristin Owen, co-founder and chief operating officer of Austin-based events company DoStuff Media, said everyone from major concert organizers like LiveNation to local servers, bartenders, florists, and Airbnb hosts who relied on SXSW would be impacted.<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e67a1c3e4f9fe1ccd08f5f6-1354/screen shot 2020-03-09 at 21033 pm.png" alt="Screen Shot 2020 03 09 at 2.10.33 PM" /><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e67a1d784159f1ede49cd33-1351/screen shot 2020-03-09 at 21013 pm.png" alt="Screen Shot 2020 03 09 at 2.10.13 PM" /><h2>Some ad agencies said clients have been reducing spend on SXSW over the past several years</h2>Executive strategy director Elizabeth Thompson of IPG's R/GA Austin said clients had already scaled back their SXSW investments over the past three to four years as attendees lost interest in events like huge stages sponsored by advertisers and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-a-bitcoin-themed-party-at-sxsw-2018-3">wild cryptocurrency parties</a>.The cancellation could lead agencies to question the long-term value of such events and pay closer attention to the terms in their contracts, Loyland and Thompson said.Read the full SXSW email to agencies, sponsors, and vendors below.<blockquote>Dear ____,The SXSW staff has been working diligently to produce our 2020 events and we know you were looking forward to participating.The City of Austin has cancelled the March dates for SXSW and SXSW EDU. SXSW will faithfully follow the City's directions, and we are exploring options to reschedule the event. We are also working to provide a virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants, starting with SXSW EDU.We are devastated to share this news with you. "The show must go on" is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place. We are now working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation.In addition to the online and potentially rescheduled events mentioned above, 2020 registrants can opt to defer their registration to 2021, 2022, or 2023. We will be in touch soon with a system for deferral and FAQ. You don't need to take immediate action regarding your 2020 registration. It will remain in our system for future opportunities that will be available to you. If you have any questions, please email reg@sxsw.com. If you have booked a hotel through SXSW Housing &amp; Travel, your reservation will not be automatically cancelled. To change or cancel your reservation please follow the instructions in your SXSW Hotel Reservation Confirmation email. We will continue to work hard to bring you the unique events you love. Though it's true that our March 2020 event will no longer take place in the way that we intended, we continue to strive toward our purpose - helping creative people achieve their goals. Please see our full statement <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__explore.sxsw.com_e2t_c_-2AN1mdpfc2lhJjW3jlns67sW21q0_-2AW5qW38t3jbZ0JW1DDz2t6tGX3q0_5_f18dQhb0SbTL8XJ8T4W2Vbmn05VQHvDW51n4mL6btWV-2DW4Q5nCw2zHMkcW6vp1yH4rHNDnW47vFDw3sm0yMW6-2D0mSL4LnrvkW3VVg2l3SHyf0W2JlZ8D3SLYcbW49JfBw3C8bwHW1GlCMs58q6J2W2RQjvJ2-2DJ-2DSLW2z-5FtPY41Q2WgV-2Dzgqs41TlcRW3Tx3Jb5ThdHgW3ryrTx3m2hYLW8Hr-5FPD7d094fW6G7Fbl4DFfS3N6Q8Sm0bQng2W9hL8DC6br8n6W6mm-2Dl55P03HFN4sBkPkGg5h0W3z2JBC5bbjJrW8nD8N08SlWzXW9hCM3n3MJq6XW5PWKNs6ZsjnzW5b-2DfGj3sDZslW5WtX0S25cMTPW37gpVs6-2DJ5HkW3zf7817yCNPTW1ch9Yf3g4vynW7dTZ665jm6GxW5C2Qh18lGnl6W2VRbHB7dr9qWW72YqDy8pkXGLW5B47BL68FW4rW34W2-5Fj2Y-2DC-5FWW3dS-5FHW5n38S1V215-2Dp1Jp47dW8CKCLl6Tlfv3VKMxT550pL-5FxW97M-2Dv-5F5-5F700gN3-5FKpHNLG01PDrTzpYmf7Ff1pKjjC03&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=HdAUNv_EOZyljLc1cjbHCq-Eo7r1kRHoywhQbi81uaA&amp;r=d399M7E94-w04PMSs9WC8S7b6k-ij4dLns5Vzu36v_8&amp;m=ca3KGnD5a5miDQB4oXO2Cgmpln0to-nFslcDtU3LjW4&amp;s=kPO7svA3kR2Qj6N9WSLitET7QljkadQeVSEXqdfqGKE&amp;e=">here</a>. We deeply appreciate your ongoing participation and support.SXSW</blockquote>

Email shows how SXSW is scrambling after a no-refund coronavirus cancellation that leaves sponsors and attendees hanging

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b446c0f45aaf524008b4b29-1572/rtx6aill.jpg" border="0" alt="Sir Martin Sorrell attends a conference at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, in Cannes, France, June 22, 2018." data-mce-source="REUTERS/Eric Gaillard" data-mce-caption="Sir Martin Sorrell attends a conference at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, in Cannes, France, June 22, 2018." data-link="http://pictures.reuters.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&amp;VBID=2C0FCI97BXL08&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1418&amp;RH=720#/SearchResult&amp;VBID=2C0FCI97BXL08&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1418&amp;RH=720&amp;POPUPPN=9&amp;POPUPIID=2C0BF1QRI9KP9" /><a href="http://pictures.reuters.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&amp;VBID=2C0FCI97BXL08&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1418&amp;RH=720#/SearchResult&amp;VBID=2C0FCI97BXL08&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1418&amp;RH=720&amp;POPUPPN=9&amp;POPUPIID=2C0BF1QRI9KP9">REUTERS/Eric Gaillard</a>Sir Martin Sorrell attends a conference at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, in Cannes, France, June 22, 2018.</div></div></div><ul><li>Sir Martin Sorrell quit as CEO of WPP in April amid an internal conduct investigation.</li><li>He returned to the market six weeks later with S4 Capital, a vehicle for acquisitions.</li><li>S4 Capital has struck its first deal: a €300 million takeover of Dutch digital agency MediaMonks.</li><li>WPP was also looking at buying MediaMonks and says Sorrell used proprietary information from his time as CEO. The ad giant claims Sorrell has breached his contract and BI understands WPP intends to withhold future share bonus payouts.</li></ul><hr /> LONDON - S4 Capital, the new vehicle set up by <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> deal maker Sir Martin Sorrell, has completed the takeover of Dutch digital agency MediaMonks.Sorrell beat his former employer WPP to the deal but now faces the loss of WPP share awards worth up to £20 million that he had been entitled to.Derriston Capital, which S4 Capital is in the process of merging with through a reverse takeover, announced on Tuesday that S4 Capital had acquired Mediamonks for an undisclosed fee. Business Insider understands the price is close to €300 million, with around a 50-50 split between cash and shares. A source close to the deal suggested the valuation was around 30 times historic earnings.MediaMonks has revenues of approximately €110 million and employs 750 staff across 11 global offices, Derriston said. Customers include Adidas, Amazon, GE, Google, Johnson &amp; Johnson, and Netflix. The agency won 18 gongs at last month's Cannes Lions, the Oscars of the advertising industry.WPP had been looking at a possible deal for Mediamonks before Sorrell quite as CEO in April. WPP's lawyers Slaughter &amp; May wrote to Sorrell's lawyers last week saying that they believed he was using proprietary information learned through his role as CEO of WPP and would be in breach of contract if he pursued the deal.WPP's lawyers warned that Sorrell would lose his rights to share warrants under a "long-term incentive plan" agreed while he was CEO. The deal grants Sorrell a certain amount shares in WPP, based on the five-year price performance, in March each year up to 2021. The deal is worth up to £20 million.A spokesperson for WPP told Business Insider: "WPP's lawyers wrote to Sir Martin's lawyers last week pointing out the breach of Sir Martin's confidentiality undertakings in his approach to Mediamonks after his resignation from WPP."Despite subsequent protestations from Sir Martin's lawyers, we are well aware of the facts and he has jeopardised his LTIP entitlement."Business Insider understands that WPP intends not to award Sorrell the next bonus under the scheme, which is due March 2019.Representatives for Sir Martin Sorrell were not immediately available for comment.Sorrell resigned from WPP after 33 years amid <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wpp-ceo-sir-martin-sorrell-is-reportedly-being-investigated-by-the-ad-companys-board-for-misuse-of-assets-and-improper-personal-behavior-2018-4">an internal investigation into allegations of improper</a> behavior <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wpp-ceo-sir-martin-sorrell-is-reportedly-being-investigated-by-the-ad-companys-board-for-misuse-of-assets-and-improper-personal-behavior-2018-4">and misuse of assets.</a> Sorrell denied the accusations at the time but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wpp-ceo-martin-sorrell-resigns-after-misconduct-investigation-2018-4">said the "current disruption" was "putting too much unnecessary pressure on the business."</a> He <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sir-martin-sorrell-wpp-derriston-capital-s4-capital-2018-5">returned to the market just six weeks later</a> with his new vehicle, S4 Capital.Derriston said in a statement that the MediaMonks acquisition "represents the first move by S4 Capital to create a new era, new media solution embracing data, content and technology, which meets client needs in an always-on environment."Derriston will hold a shareholder meeting later this month asking permission to issue new shares to fund the acquisition of S4 Capital. Derriston, a small and little-known investment shell company that went public two years ago, is seeking to issue new shares worth up to £1 billion, giving it plenty of head room should Sorrell pursue further deals in the interim. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-super-earth-2018-6">Super-Earths are real and they could be an even better place for life than Earth</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/9OrTF64m-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

Sir Martin Sorrell beats WPP in the race to buy MediaMonks - but is losing a &#163;20 million payout in the process

<ul><li>Ad &amp; Media Insider’s latest property Storyline, brought to you in association with <keyword id="1959531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wattpad" source="Orion">Wattpad</keyword>, one of the world’s most loved <keyword id="282281" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="storytelling" source="Orion">storytelling</keyword> platforms, endeavors to decode what storytelling stands for today. </li><li>Today, we bring you highlights from our first three episodes where we discuss how marketers and advertisers are navigating new mediums and innovating to tell engaging stories in today’s highly dynamic world.</li><li>Watch <keyword id="4332869" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pg-aditiya" source="Orion">PG Aditiya</keyword>, Chief Creative Officer, dentsu Webchutney and Pooja Manek, creative director, dentsu Webchutney Bengaluru, <keyword id="2289556" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajdeepak-das" source="Orion">Rajdeepak Das</keyword>, CEO &amp; Chief Creative Officer – South Asia, Leo Burnett and <keyword id="336063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sonal-mishra" source="Orion">Sonal Mishra</keyword>, Associate Vice President- Marketing, <keyword id="6630114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="unacademy" source="Orion">Unacademy</keyword> talk about creativity and what it takes to tell successful stories in today's world.</li></ul>Stories are almost as old as human existence and with time, storytelling has evolved, hand-in-hand with human evolution. It has been an important part of our history and will continue to be an intrinsic part of our future too. In today’s digitally-driven world, where almost everything is happening online, storytelling continues to be at the heart of it all, albeit in different forms. Brands are still trying to find new ways of telling stories that engage with the consumers, and help the brands seamlessly become a part of their lives. Ad &amp; Media Insider’s latest property Storyline, brought to you in association with Wattpad, one of the world’s most loved storytelling platforms, that endeavors to decode what storytelling stands for today, how marketers and advertisers are navigating new mediums and innovating to tell engaging stories in today’s highly dynamic world. Here are some key takeaways from our first three episodes: Episode 1: PG Aditiya, Chief Creative Officer, dentsu Webchutney and Pooja Manek, creative director, dentsu Webchutney Bengaluru Dentsu Webchutney in 2021 was the highest scoring Indian agency at the Cannes Lions this year, for the second year in a row. This year, the agency got 20 shortlists, bringing home a total of 7 Lions. So we tried to understand what storytelling means for this dynamic young agency. Mediums and Creativity Both PG Aditiya, Chief Creative Officer, dentsu Webchutney and Pooja Manek, creative director, dentsu Webchutney have been responsible for crafting some of the agency’s most-loved campaigns over the last few years. We got to talking to them about how writing for the internet has impacted long-form writing and Aditiya started off with, “If long copy was Julius Caesar, then the internet is Brutus, with the last stab.” And truly, the internet has often been accused of killing long copy. However, Aditiya feels it has given birth to a new writing aesthetic. Today it is not simply about crafting a great video, it could be about writing that perfect tweet or creating that engaging reel. “We have a joke within the team, that if a tweet is taking more than 15 minutes, its not worth it. There are so many trends everyday and at times, brands try too hard to get the most manufactured tweet with very engineered writing. And that’s when you get caught. We all make the mistake of thinking that the younger audience, especially Gen Z, are kids. But honestly, it's time to consider them as grownups and trying too hard comes across as a red flag for them,” explained Manek. What works today On what works in today’s world, Manek says, “Today, it’s no longer about something that is embraced and enjoyed. It is more about what travels. For GenZ, it is usually quid pro quo, you have to give them something for them to give you something back. It's no longer about hard selling, or over-engineering, it's about giving them something to chew on, and that’s how you get their attention.” The internet is also an ephemeral medium. So how does one create engaging stories for the medium? “We try to spend less time on the theory of it and just make sure that whenever one of us has something that's worth not letting go of, we try to make it work,” added Aditiya. User-Generated Content: The Secret Sauce The advent of social media has also given consumers a voice today and user generated content has become an important tool for many brands. Webchutney has come up with a lot of social media campaigns that have gone on to generate UGC, making brands the talk of the town and part of a lot of trends. Talking about one such campaign they did for Tinder, Manek said, “For Tinder’s Valentine’s Day campaign, we were doing something around moving on. We were thinking of a few ideas and we realized that the digital age has made it harder for us to move on because you might want to move on but then you get reminders on different platforms. We all have so many pictures stored on our phones that we don’t delete maybe because we are attached to the memory, or we look good. So we launched a photoshopping service for two days and asked people what they wanted to replace their exes with. And we kept getting requests and replaced people with pizzas or wine. So we ended up photoshopping pictures for close to 36 hours, and that’s the power of UGC. We couldn’t have done it without people actually sharing those pictures. So you give the consumer something which is worth it and you just empower them and then magic happens.” Aditiya said that this idea also busted the myth that you need some kind of incentive to make a UGC campaign work because at the end of it, consumers were not exactly winning something but were simply ‘Axing their Exes’. Watch the full episode here: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3" retweetcount="5" status="LIVE | Join @PGAditiya, CCO, @webchutney and Pooja Manek (@boredmanek), Creative Director, @webchutney in conversat… https://t.co/yH7WRSlYK4" createdat="1644924610000" id="1493548184102080513"></div> Episode 2: Rajdeepak Das, CEO &amp; Chief Creative Officer – South Asia, Leo Burnett Rajdeepak Das, the chief creative brain at Leo Burnett is often considered to be one of the most experimental and innovative creative storytellers in the country and a discussion around storytelling would have been incomplete without a conversation with him. In our 2nd episode, we caught up with Das who talked to us about his storytelling journey and how he has evolved as a storyteller, with the evolution of mediums and consumers. He tells us that his love for storytelling started as a child, when his mom would tell him stories from Panchatantra or Mahabharata. “My mother would enact a lot of those stories and I would be awestruck. And when a storyteller is asked ‘And then?’, that’s when you realize the power of storytelling. That’s exactly what we are doing while scrolling social media platforms, looking for our ‘And then’ on these mediums. And I feel, till the time humans are on this planet, the mediums will change but the navarasa won’t,” he said. The Creative Intuition For every creative professional, there is usually a method behind all the madness. For Das, who says he is bad at most languages he has tried to learn, it is more about understanding the human feelings than understanding a language. “For any creative person, it is all about having an intuition, to understand why people say what they say and do what they do. As a creative, you have to have an intuition about what will work for consumers. You have to dream of what people want and then create something out of it,” he explains. He also adds that the best way of bringing these dreams to fruition is by realizing that it can no longer be a one-man show. “Gone are the days when people would consider themselves God and think they know everything. That is impossible today. In today’s world, the only way of creating wonderful stories or bringing our ideas and intuitions to a proper execution is by ensuring you work with people who are smarter than you,” he added. Finding solutions to human problems Earlier this year, <keyword id="261687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="leo-burnett-india" source="Orion">Leo Burnett India</keyword> launched ‘StreetEye’, a motorcycle mounted device to help map potholes in real time which had the potential of saving thousands of motorcyclists from accidents and mishaps for digital general insurance brand, ACKO. The agency used technology to solve a basic human problem, and according to Das, that is what <keyword id="35666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="advertising" source="Orion">advertising</keyword> should be about. “If I were to reflect on what advertising is all about today, I don’t believe in storytelling. It is all about finding human problems and solving them. Once you are able to do that, you will automatically create stories. And that’s what we did with ACKO’s StreetEye. The brand said, we don’t want to be just about insuring people. We want to get two step ahead and talk about protecting people. We didn’t want to talk about the cure; rather we wanted to do something to prevent the accidents from happening. And this is just one part of it. Everyday, we are working with brands like Reliance, Ariel, Tide, CarDekho, Airtel etc where it is all about using innovation to solve everyday human problems. A consumer doesn’t want advertising, he doesn’t want to buy things. If you are able to become a part of their lives by solving their problems, people will come to you,” said Das. Watch the full episode here: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4" retweetcount="4" status="LIVE | Join Rajdeepak Das, CEO &amp; Chief Creative Officer – South Asia, Leo Burnett in conversation with… https://t.co/9f6u7Qr99z" createdat="1645097410000" id="1494272960705675264"></div> Episode 3: Sonal Mishra, Associate Vice President- Marketing, Unacademy Storytellers, since time immemorial, have been exploring formats of narration that span nearly every conceivable gamut. And a lot of brands, in the early days of digital marketing, would stick to short videos. At the same time, there are brands that have been part of long-form stories, where they have seamlessly become a part of the narrative. In the past few years, we have seen Unacademy do that again and again, be it with its association with The Viral Fever (TVF) for hugely popular web series like Kota Factory and Aspirants, or its recent talked-about IPL ads. The brand has, time and again, used long-form content to draw audiences into their narrative, and it has largely worked for the most part. To understand the brand’s secret sauce, we caught up with Sonal Mishra, Associate Vice President- Marketing, Unacademy, who took us behind the brand’s thought process and what has helped them stand out. Crafting clutter-breaking stories Over the years, digital has become a highly cluttered medium where everyone is trying to grab eyeballs where there is limited mindspace. So what are a few factors that Unacademy keeps in mind while crafting its stories? “As a brand, we try to be unique and do the unexpected, but at the same time be relatable and believable. The emotions one derives and the value that you add is what stays with the audience for a very long time. So it's very important to be relatable and believable. Having said that, it is also important to tread on different routes that meet the consumer at different touchpoints in their journey. So it's very important to latch on to a stronger human insight to build that consumer connect,” shared Mishra. For Unacademy, the goal is to engage with learners across the countries, be it in the metro cities or the smaller Tier II and III cities. Therefore, collaborating with platforms and creators who can help them reach out to a larger audience has been at the core of their associations with the popular TVF webseries. “Whatever we do is about becoming a part of our consumer’s life cycle, connecting with them by addressing a topic they can relate to. Our recent property Unacademy Unwind, which was all about music and unwinding hit a different chord altogether. Another campaign we did called Mistakes – the Greatest Teacher, did very well. The campaign said that Unacademy doesn’t just stand for clearing exams or being successful, it also stands for the journey you took. These are a few things that have helped us stand out,” she explained. Creating campaigns by listening to consumers Brands that are able to listen to their consumers, catch their pulse and create content pieces around those insights are usually the ones to woo them. Unacademy has been able to break the clutter through a lot of its recent campaigns. So what is their feedback mechanism that is helping them craft their communications? “Its not that we have figured it all out and know these are the secret ingredients that can make a piece of content work. It's a constant learning for us as well. But the benefits of these partnerships, initiatives, associations have been huge. They've helped us amplify the reach for the brand, build trust and penetrate deeper into the country. There were a lot of learnings from our associations like Kota Factory and Aspirants that we would like to better in the next property that we create. There have been a lot of pluses and we are learning at each step,” she added. Long-form vs short content While a lot of brands have been focusing on creating shorter, bite-sized content, Unacademy has associated with TVF and created highly talked-about webseries that have become a part of pop culture. Why did the brand choose long-form content over shorter content at a time when people are constantly talking about decreasing attention spans? “Understanding the psyche of the audience helped us. A strong story is something we mutually work on with our partners, but at the same time, from a brand standpoint, we have always ensured that the product integrations are so seamlessly weaved into the story into the content, that it doesn't actually disrupt the flow of the story and the audience can continue to enjoy and get entertained. So that is something which we are very conscious of. And that's why whoever we partner with also find the entire journey exciting,” said Mishra. Watch the full episode here: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1281482517443305472/8RPcjmow_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2" retweetcount="2" status="LIVE | Join Sonal Mishra, Associate Vice President, Marketing at @unacademy in conversation with @AshwinRaghunath a… https://t.co/51eEJystug" createdat="1645443009000" id="1495722508720349184"></div>

You Searched For "cannes lions 2021" and got 12 results

With 9.8% growth in H1 2021 revenues, WPP says it has returned to 2019 levels a year ahead of plan

BI India Partner

Why the well-connected media consultancy MediaLink just sold to the Cannes Lions advertising festival organizer

Lara O'Reilly

Elon Musk really doesn't want to live forever

Beatrice Nolan

Ex-TikTok executive says she was fired because she 'lacked the docility and meekness' required of women at the company

Natalie Musumeci

Ad insiders are buzzing about industry power broker Michael Kassan's messy split with UTA and what it means for the future of MediaLink

Lara O'Reilly,Lucia Moses

Interpublic Group of Companies and FCB Group India acquire an equity stake in Kinnect

Here’s how Indian ad agencies are improving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within their organisations

Karuna Sharma

Ogilvy names Piyush Pandey as Chairman of Global Creative, Liz Taylor named Global Chief Creative Officer

BI India Partner

Gimlet struggles with Spotify's podcasting pace

Lara O'Reilly

Email shows how SXSW is scrambling after a no-refund coronavirus cancellation that leaves sponsors and attendees hanging

Patrick Coffee

Sir Martin Sorrell beats WPP in the race to buy MediaMonks - but is losing a £20 million payout in the process

Oscar Williams-Grut

Storyline: Where master storytellers tell us what goes behind crafting engaging stories that stand the test of time

BI India Partner

You Searched For "cannes lions 2021" and got 12 results

With 9.8% growth in H1 2021 revenues, WPP says it has returned to 2019 levels a year ahead of plan

BI India Partner

Why the well-connected media consultancy MediaLink just sold to the Cannes Lions advertising festival organizer

Lara O'Reilly

Elon Musk really doesn't want to live forever

Beatrice Nolan

Ex-TikTok executive says she was fired because she 'lacked the docility and meekness' required of women at the company

Natalie Musumeci

Ad insiders are buzzing about industry power broker Michael Kassan's messy split with UTA and what it means for the future of MediaLink

Lara O&apos;Reilly,Lucia Moses

Interpublic Group of Companies and FCB Group India acquire an equity stake in Kinnect

Here’s how Indian ad agencies are improving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within their organisations

Karuna Sharma

Ogilvy names Piyush Pandey as Chairman of Global Creative, Liz Taylor named Global Chief Creative Officer

BI India Partner

Gimlet struggles with Spotify's podcasting pace

Lara O&apos;Reilly

Email shows how SXSW is scrambling after a no-refund coronavirus cancellation that leaves sponsors and attendees hanging

Patrick Coffee

Sir Martin Sorrell beats WPP in the race to buy MediaMonks - but is losing a &#163;20 million payout in the process

Oscar Williams-Grut

Storyline: Where master storytellers tell us what goes behind crafting engaging stories that stand the test of time

BI India Partner

Lara O'Reilly,Lucia Moses

Lara O'Reilly

Sir Martin Sorrell beats WPP in the race to buy MediaMonks - but is losing a £20 million payout in the process