Irwin Gotlieb is not known to pull any punches, but he came out
swinging during the opening session of the Four As media conference, and took a pretty good swipe at industry bible Ad Age.
After IAB chief Randall
Rothenberg cited an Ad Age editorial this week raising questions about the ad industry’s trade associations, Gotlieb said the problem isn’t with the trade associations, but with the
trade magazine.
“I wouldn’t take what that particular trade magazine said too personally Randy,†Gotlieb reassured, adding,
“I would suspect that their same companies would be asking the same questions about their ROI and they’re just trying to pass on the pain.â€
He went on to say that all the trade associations play a very important role in working out conflicts, facilitating industry reinvention, and demonstrate their relative ROIs
continuously.
“As someone who sits on my side of the fence, we wouldn’t have it any other way,†Gotlieb said, receiving an
ovation.