• by Wayne Friedman , June 15, 2020

In response to calls for massive change in the TV buying process and amidst ongoing social unrest and protests, NBC’s senior advertising executive Linda Yaccarino is calling on marketers and the industry overall to have “shared responsibility” and “radical transformation.”

A week ago, the Association of National Advertisers called on TV businesses to make major changes to the upfront TV buying process — moving it to a calendar-year marketplace but asking for more “transparency” as well as other major changes to marketing.

The ANA Media Advisory Board, referring to upfront marketing shifting from a September-to-August buying period to a January-to-December period. said: “This is an immediate priority.”

Yaccarino, who is chairman, advertising and partnerships, NBCUniversal, in a note to its marketing partners responded:

“This moment demands radical transformation, and as companies are changing messaging or shifting trading calendars, we can go even further... We all now have a shared responsibility to transform our companies, our industry, and our economy — because when everything is at stake, we are all stakeholders.”

The advertiser board that signed off on the effort is comprised of 13 members, including Nestle USA, Mastercard, Procter & Gamble, Anheuser-Busch, Ford Motor, Bank of America, Unilever, McDonald's, and others.

In the wake of nearly three weeks of social unrest, as well as economic declines due to COVID-19, Yaccarino, said: 

“We need to do more as a marketing community to address our most deep-seated legacy problems, especially within our industry. Now is the time for marketers to prioritize equity and inclusion, while also committing to a new open marketplace built on trust, radical transparency, and meaningful collaboration,” Yaccarino said.

She added: “Great advertising educates audiences, elevates stories and ideas, mobilizes people to act, and lifts bottom lines — which in turn engages and advances conversation, creates jobs, and keeps families afloat.”