“I Would Not Want To Be Running A Creative Agency Right Now”: MediaCom Boss

MediaCom’s new(ish) CEO Sean Seamer believes creative agencies whose bread and butter business is expensive 30-second TVCs have a grim future in this tech-centric, data-heavy mobile world.
The problem, Seamer told B&T in a wide-ranging interview, is that there’s simply no margins in making costly ads for the telly networks anymore.
“I would not want to be running a creative agency right now because the core of my business, the TVCs that I built the agency on the back of, are becoming less important to consumers and to clients and it’s become an extremely low margin business, they simply don’t have scale,” said Seamer who was elevated to MediaCom boss in October.
“Scale is going to become so much more important particularly as content becomes more and more short form. Creative agencies have no scale, they have no data, they have no tech strategy… and if you’re looking at where the industry is going in the next five years it is these agencies who will need to ask themselves, ‘Well, what have I got?’” he said.
Seamer admitted it was a controversial viewpoint and added that everyone was now doing creative including his very own MediaCom who’s ditched straight buying and now go by the moniker of a “content and connections” agency.
Another problem Seamer said was that a lot of agencies were outsourcing their tech to the likes of Google, Adobe or Oracle and “they’re just going to have the rug pulled out from under them because they don’t own the tech stack”.
Not that the planning/buying side of the industry isn’t without its problems, too. Many insiders argue that margins are now so tight in buying that the agencies have been forced to add a creative element for clients to make up dollar shortfalls.
“Sure, there are problems in media planning and buying,” Seamer agreed, “and, yes, it has to become more efficient and we will do that through programmatic and automation and that is happening.
“We as GroupM/WPP have to go through that transformation because of the investments that we have been making in technology. And it’s not just programmatic, that’s the easy answer. For us it’s about being much less of an agency and much more of being a genuine solutions provider whether that’s in data, in technology, in content; we’ll be focused on solutions and that means delivering genuine value back to clients. It’s a classic Rob Norman (GroupM’s global chief digital officer) quote, ‘We have no interest in being the tallest pygmy’”.
Seamer is MediaCom’s first CEO since the misreporting scandals of late 2014 and doesn’t believe his elevation to the top job was some sort of poisoned chalice after the ensuing firestorm cost the agency a number of its top-flight clients. In an interesting twist, Seamer believes MediaCom took the fall for an issue – inflated TV ratings, unreturned credits, client overcharging – that was widespread throughout the entire industry.
“I think we became the poster child last year for the whole industry. Was it fair or unfair? There’s no use complaining. I think we all know we just have to move on,” he said.
“And to be honest the senior management at GroupM handled it very, very well. The senior management were very transparent, they engaged the press, they explained exactly what was going on.
“Yes, we lost some clients last year but we had a lot more stick by us and stay and they’ve stuck by us because of the people in the business. But at the same time I acknowledge wholeheartedly that we have a perception issue from a client point of view and an employee point of view. The only way to improve that is to make sure our people buy into the new direction of the agency, that we have a strong culture and a sense of self and a strong belief.”
Latest News

What It Takes To Help Build Brand Trust Online In 2021
By Suzanne Mitchell, Senior Director of Marketing at GoDaddy Australia As 2021 dawns in Australia, it does so with greater stability and hope for businesses and individuals than since the pandemic intensified locally last March. The Covid-induced digital transformation boom has created, in its wake, a hyper-individualised world whereby audiences have more control over what, […]

Mumpower Launches Inaugural ‘Vote On Purpose’ Australian Business Awards 2021
To celebrate brands going “above and beyond to act with purpose”, Mumpower has announced its first-ever consumer choice awards. The ‘Vote on Purpose’ Australian Business Award 2021 aims to crown Australia’s favourite purpose-driven company, with Mumpower now calling on both corporations and Mum shoppers to nominate a value-led company or a specific brand campaign that […]

BREAKING: Justin Drape Departs The Monkeys
B&T delivers a breaking news industry scoop. And, trust us, this time we're 79.98% certain it's even correct.

Outbrain Signs Three-Year Deal With Australian Community Media
Outbrain signs deal with Australian Community Media. Discover the brains behind the deal in this insightful synopsis.

Stan Sport Subscription Price Revealed
Sports fans will have to pay $10 a month to sign up for Stan Sport when it launches later this year, according to reports. The Nine-owned Sydney Morning Herald, is today reporting that Stan (also owned by Nine) will offer Stan Sport as a supplementary service, meaning fans must also have a subscription to Stan’s […]

Guardian UK Honours Kamala Harris Inauguration With Full-Page Ad, Via Uncommon
Once again the power of print is on show here. It's also on show for those who enjoy craft using papier-mâché.

Sitecore Secures US$1.2B In Funding
Sitecore has secured $US1.2 billion in funding. Said to be prioritising internal chocolate river and flying elevator.

Mintel Announces Global Consumer Trends For 2021
It's the latest global consumer trends report that, as you'd expect, continues to be bad news for airport duty frees.

2021 Data Predictions: What To Expect In The Year Ahead
Once again, data set to join omnichannel and full-service as the advertising industry's most ubiquitous words.

Sarah Wilson Launches New PodcastOne Australia Series
You have to hand it to Sarah Wilson, doesn't eat sugar AND has so far refrained from murdering anyone.

David Beckham Leads Star-Studded Adidas Football Promo, Using WhatsApp
David Beckham - women want him, men want to be him. Despite his wife constantly taking all the wardrobe space.

Morse Micro Appoints Milk & Honey PR To Enhance Brand Identity
Have absolutely no idea what Morse Micro even do? Discover the power of PR by reading this submitted press release.

Metro Commercial Radio Ad Revenues Down 10.4% In December Quarter
Kyle forced to eat beans from a tin in fingerless mittens as the great plague continues to savage ad revenues.

Endemol Shine Announces Leadership Shakeup
Endemol Shine announces management shakeup. Still no news on the enduring appeal of the actual edamame, however.

Stan Inks Exclusive Content Deal With Walter Presents
Stan inks latest content deal that unfortunately doesn't include Best Of Red Faces or Ask The Leyland Brothers.

Bohemia Appoints Chloe Schneider As Head Of Content
Chloe Schneider joins the Bohemia team and provides DIY press pic thanks to local passport photo booth.

News Media Bargaining Code Remains “Unworkable” For Facebook
Sure, you may not be reading any of B&T's News Media Bargaining Code coverage, but you have to admire our persistence.

Oz Premiers, PM Share Lamb Chops In Berlin Wall Art Parody, Via The Monkeys
Look, it's the second instalment of the lamb ad. And it's even better than the first, like Radiohead's second album.

UnLtd Board Welcomes Verizon Media MD Paul Sigaloff
Verizon's Paul Sigaloff joins the UnLtd board. Forced to sit on milk crates until arrival of leatherette swivel chair.

Sorrell Grabs Another One As MediaMonks Merges With German Auto Agency Staud Studios
Sir Martin invests in new set of lederhosen and felt alpine hat after snaring latest German agency.

Shutterstock Reveals Visual Trends 2021
Global creative platform Shutterstock has launched the 10th anniversary edition of its annual Creative Trends Report, highlighting the trends that will inspire creative expression and ingenuity in 2021. Announcing the report, Shutterstock creative director Flo Lau said that, after the year that was, the company was encouraged by the “positivity, originality, and resilience displayed by […]

Ogilvy Australia CEO David Fox To Head Middle East & North Africa Office
David Fox hurriedly learning where Tunis and Marrakesh even are after landing North Africa-Middle East role.

Vic Gov Chooses QMS For Its Holidaymaker Fire Warnings
It wouldn't be a B&T newsletter without the latest outdoor news. Well, save for the past four that is.

Jobs On The Rise: 2021’s Looking Good For Marketers, Digi Pros, Podcasters & Bloggers
It's the latest hot jobs report! Get set for that unsettling, stomach churning nausea feeling if yours ain't on it.

Have We Entered Peak Podcasting? 2021 Predictions
This columnist asks have we reached peak podcasting? We've definitely reached peak cavoodles, Aperol Spritz & man buns.

Lenovo Turns Aussie Tech Review Into A Death Metal Song
By playing this death metal song backwards you may conjure Satan himself, or really annoy the shit out of colleagues.

Are Media’s BEAUTY/Crew Unveils Seasonal Digital Issues
Look, here's the latest industry beauty news that'll have your sagging epidermis glowing by the end of the third paragraph.

Bastion Collective Launches New Interactive Experience Agency Bastion Interactive
Bastion Collective launches new arm, Bastion Interactive, which is a specialist interactive experience agency headed up by ex DDB Tribal Managing Director.

Major US Networks ‘Boycott’ Trump Farewell Address
Outgoing and twice impeached President Donald Trump released a pre-recorded farewell as he departed Washington. But many of the US’ major networks didn’t show it. Trump was banned from Facebook and Twitter in the wake of his supporters’ attack on the US Capitol on 6 January. His personal account on YouTube has also been suspended […]

Facebook Journalism Program Helps News Publishers Find New Subscribers
New data from Facebook shows that an initiative aimed at supporting local news publishers is showing early signs of success. Australian and New Zealand publishers participating in the Facebook Journalism Project’s Reader Revenue Accelerator in 2019 and through 2020 secured more than 24,000 new paying subscribers and more than 160,000 new loyal readers (whether through […]