What global advertisers need to know in 2018 | M&M Global

What global advertisers need to know in 2018

Recently there has been plenty of rhetoric about what brands really want, much of it has been speculative, or indeed based on educated guesses, and sadly not much of it has been based on real conversations with the key figures driving the media and marketing strategies of the clients.

Ultimately these clients want to reach the consumer in the right place at the right time, which will enable them to sell more of their products and services, and this means they require a constant education on platforms, data and techniques that are needed to aid this.

As a business we are in a fortunate position to have a holistic non-biased view of the global media industry and do the simple but effective method of talking to brands on a daily basis to understand their needs and wants.

Unsurprisingly it is education they crave, but learning in a simplistic, uncomplicated manner, which allows them to deliver both short and long-term results all of which resonate with consumers.

So for all media agencies, media owners and tech companies looking to attract new business and service current clients the following list is an insight into what the global media directors at the world’s most innovative and biggest spending clients are currently keen to know more about, and what is driving their agendas.

Top of that agenda is how they set themselves up internally to cope with the evolving media landscape from talent, capabilities and skills to the operating models they employ in terms of media planning and buying.

In contrast to the current trend of bashing media agencies I believe these organisations still have a role to play, but only if they adapt and work out how best to understand and serve their clients, which is certainly an area of potential opportunity. They have the tools to succeed, but must begin to look at how best to use them in a time when brands are looking to take more inhouse.

Contrary to what you may have read previously our conversations with these global media directors reveal they still believe in working with agencies, but want education and more clarity on their role going forward and how they create ‘highly-trusted’ partner relationships.

Equally they want to know what this relationship will look like when the advertiser takes more services inhouse and the majority of media can be bought in an automated auction. What it all means is that there are definitely opportunities for the newly positioned agencies to resonate with clients.

Another key point of knowledge needed for these clients is a greater understanding of how they utilise data to fuel comms planning, which allow them to get ahead of their competitors, increase effectiveness, reduce waste and enure they are measuring the right things when it comes to engagement.

It’s not rocket science, but it’s more than just talking to brands, it’s about listening, understanding and then acting. It’s often the latter which is overlooked, but is equally as important as the former. It’s how we are transforming our business and why this year’s Festival of Media in Rome next month will have brands and inclusivity at its heart with more than 40% of its audience being made up of senior advertiser clients.

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