Meet the M&M Awards judges: Tia Castagno | M&M Global

Meet the M&M Awards judges: Tia Castagno

Tia Castagno, global client president, Dentsu Aegis and global head of innovation and content at Vizeum is a judge on this year’s M&M Global Awards and provides her take on what is dominating the media landscape right now, and what its biggest challenges are.

What do you believe are the key trends and insights dominating international media right now?
The industry seems to be circling around ‘data driven everything’ and there seems to be little space for any other conversation; data driven marketing; data driven storytelling; data driven people marketing; and so on. It means all trends and insights evolve around this whether it is in terms of privacy, security, transparency, and are all linked to data.

What are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
As a consequence of the above I would say we risking losing touch with our ‘gut’ and creativity when it comes to driving planning decisions. We are risking fully believing that data can tell us everything about people without the need for us to ever speak to anyone. In terms of talent we are risking making marketing and media jobs become ‘boring’ with little space for curiosity and invention.

What does the industry look like in the next 12 months?
Some big changes are going to come from the media giants, such as Facebook and Google in terms of addressing all of the issues they have faced this year on their platforms. I think it could also be the make or break of other social platforms that have been around for a while, but who have not managed to get to a healthy cash flow, such as Twitter and Snap. I am expecting a lot of consolidation following the trend started across WPP, which means competition will have to be re-evaluated again in pitches for instance.

What do you want to see from the shortlisted campaigns for this year’s M&M Global Awards?
A clear sense of thinking coming from curiosity, invention and less of an obsession with ‘data driven everything’ at all cost.

What do you think makes for a winning entry?
A winning entry should take one sentence to describe. There is a problem and there is a brilliant solution.

What campaign or campaigns do you think have set the bar for international media in the last 12 months?
I loved the ‘Boost Your Voice’ campaign, which won two grand prix at Cannes for the activation category.

This year the awards ceremony is moving to the Natural History Museum and as a result we are encouraging the industry to unleash the beast within them, if you had to chose one of the following which animal would best represent you?

1) Raptor

You identify an opportunity and are swift to act, agile enough to adapt to continual change and always able to sniff out and hunt down new opportunities.

2) Eagle

You have an uncanny ability to identify trends and insights before they happen, analyse data and act on it to generate business success.

3) Blue Whale

You like to think big and look at the bigger picture. You are thoughtful and think thoroughly before acting to ensure the right experience is delivered at the right time. Your broad shoulders and enthusiasm mean you are a rock for you team.

4) Lion

You are a born leader, leading by example and inspiring your teams through hard work, passion, enthusiasm and industry knowledge. You are not afraid to make the tough calls, but equally are happy to be guided by your team.

It would have to be the Blue Whale.

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