There are a number of excellent industry get-togethers, but there is only one I can think of that blends the actual happy hour with the program itself: Simulmedia’s Happy Hour Salon. This
provocative monthly speaker series gives media and tech people the chance to mingle and share opinions on a trending industry hot topic, all over a pint of beer or a glass of wine.
I sat down
with Simulmedia CEO Dave Morgan to talk about the salon. The resulting video of the discussion can be viewed in its entirety here.
Morgan believes that there is inevitable change coming into the industry that can be framed and
guided by active, engaged thought leaders. By providing a place for the exchange of ideas, Simulmedia hopes to spur discussion and help move progressive change forward.
This salon series is
relatively new, but past speakers have included a range of experts, from author Eric Asimov discussing wine to Nielsen’s Steve Hasker and Optimedia’s Maureen Bosetti discussing the
changing media landscape.
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In fact, Steve Hasker spoke frankly about Nielsen’s strengths and weaknesses. According to Hasker, the Nielsen panel wasn’t working because the market has
changed. When the panel was first created, television was a “must have” and there was no need for television executives to seek ROI. Now both buyers and sellers come to Nielsen for help in
optimizing their media mix. While stating that Nielsen is the center of the media trade currency, he also admitted that there are times when Nielsen gets things wrong and that some of its products are
not up to snuff. Still, he asserted, “We get fewer things wrong every day.” To those who know Nielsen, this refreshing piece of humility led some to say that this was the most
“un-Nielsen Nielsen talk” they had ever heard, according to Dave Morgan.
According to Bosetti, digital advertising has brought more accountability to the marketplace, which places
more pressure on television to become more accountable, too. Agencies must become less siloed and more involved in social media metrics and measurement that help to ascertain ROI. Her wish list
includes better cross-platform analytics and metrics, perhaps a seamless measurement of reach across all platforms, and consistent measurement as the industry continues to fragment. She summed it up
by saying, “the future of media is 'Math Men,' not 'Mad Men.'” I agree.
An investor panel in January included Brad Burnham of Union Square Ventures, Linda Gridley of Gridley &
Company, Sheila Spence of WPP Group and Tim Spengler of Magna Global. They spoke about innovating the future of media and advertising, stressing the value of companies that provide an emotional
experience. But the measurement sector is still fairly static. Their conclusion: Even though Nielsen has more challenges to its business model than usual, there is still no other company in the
marketplace that can match it at the individual level. The group predicted tremendous disruption in the next 18 months -- especially in the payment sector, as digital wallets continue to innovate.
These salons tend to be digital-centric, according to Morgan, but there are enough participants in the television, agency, supplier, pundit and analyst side to make for a rich experience.
The salon is by invitation only, but it is easy to get on the list by emailing happyhour@simulmedia.com