Media sales leaders warn the industry is losing its sense of fun, although it’s not just agency executives who are feeling the squeeze.
New research of agency executives, by Wendy Gower’s WeGrow, found that agency teams are “leaner, more junior and operating under increased client pressure”, which meant “less time for chit chat” and a near zero tolerance for agenda-free meetings.
It painted an industry that is less social and more transactional, with agency executives criticising poor preparation at meetings and sales reps taking brief losses personally.
This indicates a changing dynamic between media sales teams and agency executives in an industry that once prided itself on a work hard, play hard culture.
B&T approached senior media sales representatives to get their perspective on how this dynamic has shifted. Sales reps agreed to share their candid thoughts anonymously due to the sensitivity of media-agency relations.
One sales representative, who sells TV and video advertising, said that the “fun to shit” ratio has definitely shifted towards the “boring end” of the spectrum, and the industry vibe is “less energetic”.
But this has been a gradual shift and for a number of legitimate reasons.
“I don’t think it’s a media agency only challenge; since Covid people are coming into work less frequently and you have a whole cohort who started their career during Covid and working from home who do not have the foundation of human to human connection,” a sales rep told B&T.
“Also when I started my career everything was either face-to-face or on the phone. You booked spots over the phone, clients topped up and you did natural selling. Today the vibe is not as energetic, but I feel for the teams on both sides.
“The market has been tough for a good couple of years, and everyone is being squeezed on margin.”
Less boozing & shmoozing
The proliferation of competition and time-poor diaries are another factor.
Industry events, like upfronts, used to be the domain of TV companies, but now it seems that almost every media owner and their dog wants to throw a party; even though some of these have downscaled somewhat in the past couple of years.
“Client engagement has changed shape. More health conscious and not interested in the ‘long lunch’ as much anymore,” one media sales leader said.
Another added: “People don’t want to go to football, cricket, tennis, or anything over the weekends. It’s generational. Those in their 40s and older who might have joined the industry to enjoy these perks still do, we don’t see that with younger cohorts or under 30s.”
One media sales leader pointed out that casual meetings are no longer a thing.
“When I started out in Aus over 15 years ago, with only four major digital players there was far more time for leisurely catch ups, long lunches, rounds of golf. Now, there must be a very clear value exchange and social gatherings are less frequent or more formally organised,” he said.
Also when it comes to events and corporate hospitality, avoid after work hours.
Competition overload
Competition for the attention of agency executives doesn’t just relate to long lunches, upfronts and days at the cricket.
Trying to find time to build relations with reduced resources (less time) in a fragmented media landscape (more players and complexity) has become much tougher, especially for younger agency executives and sales reps.
“Today, if you go into a brief for video, there are all the FTA networks, Seven, Nine, Ten, Foxtel, and then the streamers in YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Snap, all fighting for the same money,” a media executive said. “Building connections with all of those sales teams is tricky.”
Conversely, the same sales executive said: “It’s certainly never been harder for those more junior sales roles to build those meaningful relationships, which then pushes it up to the top even more.
Another pointed out: “It’s easier to build a deeper relationship quicker with indies. More experienced staff often focus more on building strong relationships because they know it will help them and their clients. Holding companies can sometimes feel more transactional in their interactions.”
Another bugbear for media owners is a lack of feedback, which is “often lacking or nonexistent.
“I feel that standards have slipped over the years in some pockets. Feedback, which was always very comprehensive years ago, is now often something media owners must chase. When somebody has put hours of work into a brief response, whether successful or not, I think it should be common courtesy to send honest feedback.”
How media sales is adapting
That said, media owners are adapting engagement strategies, according to one outdoor media sales rep.
“Media owners are adapting by being more prepared, more concise, and more focused on solving problems rather than selling. If anything, the environment has sharpened the importance of genuine partnership,” the sales rep said.
“We’re seeing a move toward more streamlined, efficient conversations, but the appetite for collaboration is still strong. Our role is to make engagement easier, not harder.”
Keeping meetings more concise and meaningful was a consistent theme in how media owners and tech vendors approach this changing dynamic.
“With my teams I have always driven that all meetings must have an actionable insight or opportunity that will drive the client’s business forward. Time is precious (and squeezed more than ever) and we need to respect that with our clients.”
Although technology has gradually shifted face-to-face interactions online, relationships remain as important as ever.
“We are in the communications industry where favours are common and agencies need to rely on vendors for support. The better the relationship, the stronger the partnership,” one tech vendor said.
“Trust is crucial for delivering on a campaign, driving results, and being flexible when needed. Agencies will always gravitate toward people they trust and like.
Another added: “We are still working in a very sociable, fun industry and are lucky to have the opportunities that we do. That has never changed and agencies and vendors will always enjoy being together, so even though time is at a premium, we will always find the time to spend with people that we like and trust.”
