• by John Gaffney , July 21, 2002

The Big Synergy-Energy Switch: Call it synergy, cross-media or just smart media buying. The kinds of synergy AOL/TimeWarner is now getting kicked in the teeth for now need to come from media planners and buyers. If you want synergy, or if you want to access the various properties owned by big media companies, come up with the ideas yourself. I know this is already happening, but now the AOL/TW changes have given the agency community a chance to push this issue to a client’s advantage. I don’t think ad ideas work too well from the top down. A media strategy works from the client and agency first, with the media company providing the best complimentary ad vehicles. An AOL VP pitching a Coca-Cola VP on a huge ad deal incorporating the internet, print and cable was always the wrong way to approach media, and will still be the wrong way regardless of who runs AOL. The right way is for Coca-Cola to approach its agency and say: “We’re introducing new packaging for Diet Coke. How do we get that image out for the Holidays?” The planners and buyers, as always, come up with the best way to do that, and it just might mean going to an AOL or Viacom or Primedia or Gannett, and getting a good deal for incorporating several channels of media. It’s a simple concept when you approach it from the agency perspective. How did it get so damn complicated?

Just One More AOL Riff: I read a lot over the last week about the “old guard” coming to power at AOL/TW. The old guard however, is new. The new leadership at AOL/TW has witnessed a period of change unseen in business history. It has seen how a solid company can turn to Jello. The new guard will retain to business fundamentals, but it will also have more post-bubble smarts and tools than the press is giving them credit for.

And Keep Your Eye On: Disney. This is a company that knows how to use adversity to its advantage and how to find order from chaos. It’s time for the pendulum to swing toward Disney’s media properties and I expect some big news from them this or next week.