• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, March 26, 2014

In Sydney for the Global Marketer Conference, David Droga had a bit of a shock when he stepped off the plane he boarded in New York. Upon arriving in Sydney, he said, “When I got on the plane in New York we had a big agency in Sydney and when I landed we had a slightly smaller agency. It’s alright -- we can talk about it...don’t feel awkward, that’s what happens in our industry right? It’s the nature of advertising." In the time it took him to fly from New York to Sydney, the Sydney office had lost the Woolworth's account. Making light of the loss, Droga said the client was too big for the agency and added, “I don’t want Droga5 to be the biggest agency, I want it to be the best.” Spoken like a true advertising optimist.

So Unilever Global SVP of Marketing Marc Mathieu says digital is dying. Say what, you say? Also in Sydney for the Global Marketer Conference, he clarifies by saying: "We need to stop thinking about digital marketing and start thinking about marketing in a digital world. Think about connection first and build content around that." He also told attendees that those considering joining the agency side of things should forget about an internship and instead hang out with hackers who are the ones who really know how to get things done these days. 

Upping the ante in the real-time marketing game, BuzzFeed has partnered with WPP's Mindshare to bring the agency editorial trending information from the publisher's Fre.sh app allowing the agency to alter its client spending based on trends. Of the partnership, Mindshare Chief Strategy Officer Jordan Bitterman said: "We can utilize this data feed to learn what's trending on the Web and where to spend our paid media." BuzzFeed, of course, hopes Mindshare will spend a hefty share of its online budget with the publication.

If only every CMO thought like outgoing Sainsbury CEO Justin King. Sainsbury, a UK supermarket chain, has worked with Abbot Mead Vickers for over 30 years. There've been good times and there've been bad times, but the two have stuck together throughout. Of sticking together, King said: "With a lot of the pitches that take place when a business is in change or in crisis, there is almost a predisposition to change because it’s the easy way for a new marketing director to demonstrate that they’ve moved things on. However, it’s always the braver decision, and often the right decision, to stay with the incumbent." If only more CMOs had a bit more courage and fortitude and didn't always feel they had to prove their worth with an agency review upon joining a brand.

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