World Media Group

Q&A with Deborah Perrot, Media Manager at IBM Europe and also a judge for the World Media Awards which are now open for entries UNTIL 25TH JANUARY 2018. You can enter here.

General Questions

Q: Why should agencies/advertisers enter the World Media Awards?
Deborah: Because it is an opportunity for both introspection on the reasons for the choice of strategy, and also the occasion to learn from others.

Q: What are you hoping for most when you judge the awards?
Deborah: To be surprised. To see for example an approach which might at first seem unexpected for a particular advertiser, but in fact delivered good results.

Content/native advertising questions

Q: Content needs to be able to attract audience’s attention, not simply disrupt and annoy. What’s the key to truly engaging content?
Deborah: It must arrest the viewer and provoke a reaction of curiosity – ah, I didn’t know that, I’d like to know more.It should be delivered on the appropriate device at the most opportune time, probably not 10am on Monday morning!

Q: How do you measure success when it comes to content-driven advertising?
Deborah: Through brand awareness studies, uplift in recognition, interest in doing business with, likelihood to recommend, or number of shares and engagement.

International planning questions

Q: How do you balance planning and implementation of cross-border branded content campaigns between ‘local’ offices and ‘head office’?
Deborah: Must be complementary and bring something in addition which reinforces the local message. Planning is key with regards to timing in order to optimise presence.

Q: What is the key to finding a content marketing idea that can translate across borders?
Deborah: Humour is universal, and also stories with a positive outcome for the underdog.

Q: What do you need to look for in your media partner(s) when planning an international content-driven advertising campaign?
Deborah: Not just the usual requirements such as reach and affinity, but also a willingness to try something new. Tracking is key.

About you

Q: Your dream holiday destination?
Deborah: The Ladakh for the space and tranquillity.

Q: Your favourite band/artist?
Deborah: Massive Attack, Muddy Waters.

Q: Your favourite app for work? And for leisure/personal use?
Deborah: Yuka. Scans food products and gives you an analysis of the quality, including sugar, fibre, protein, fat, salt / 100g

Q&A with Steve Ackerman of Somethin’ Else  and also a judge for the World Media Awards which are now open for entries UNTIL 25TH JANUARY 2018. You can enter here.

General questions:

Q: Why should agencies/advertisers enter the World Media Awards?
Steve: Top work needs to be confirmed as such. It’s a way to showcase work, win new clients and gain attention for great work.

Q: What are you hoping for most when you judge the awards?
Steve: To see a high standard of creativity and hopefully some work that pushes boundaries. Most of all I want to see work that truly understands the audience it’s designed to target and has evidence of having done so.

Q: What advice can you give potential entrants for creating a winning entry?
Steve:  Be concise and tell a clear story. If you can’t explain your entry clearly, then don’t expect judges to “get it”.

Content/native advertising questions

Q: What is the best content-driven advertising campaign you have seen in the past 12 months (which you weren’t involved in)?
Steve: I think both GE and Marriot have been clever and consistent in their approach to content and showing a strong understanding of how it can compliment their more traditional advertising.

Q: Podcasts are having a ‘golden moment’ in content-driven advertising. What’s driving their ascendance?
Steve: A combination of great tech (headphones are of a high standard now), great content and some stand out podcasts such as S-Town that have brought new users to the medium.

Q: Repeatable content is a big trend right now – so how do you create a campaign that will bring consumers back again and again? And do brands need to start thinking and budgeting differently to sustain this kind of ongoing content creation, rather than using the traditional campaign model?
Steve: Repeatable content is more than a trend – it’s the key way brands need to think if they truly want to use content to best effect. Brands are in a battle for eyes and ears with all the other major content creators (BBC, Netflix, newspapers etc). They are specialists in repeatable content and building relationships with audiences. Brands need to learn from and copy this behaviour rather than think with a campaign mindset.

Q: Content needs to be able to attract audience’s attention, not simply disrupt and annoy. What’s the key to truly engaging content?’
Steve: Think of the audience first and how to attract them, rather than thinking of the brand first and what it wants to say.

Q: What role does social media play in content-driven advertising campaigns?
Steve: It’s a crucial component and like saying you’ll make a TV show without trailers for the show. It also offers a great opportunity to build audience interaction into strong creative thinking.

Q: What are the killer questions an agency/media owner should ask a client to ensure that their content brief is fit for purpose?
Steve: Now that would be telling!

Q: How do you balance planning and implementation of cross-border branded content campaigns between ‘local’ offices and ‘head office’?
Steve: Completely depends on the creative, but without local input, the risk of not understanding cultural nuances is high.

Q: What is the key to finding a content marketing idea that can translate across borders?
Steve: Thinking about the passion points we share, leads to creative touchpoints that can appeal in different territories. But every idea needs adapting to reflect local subtleties.

Q: What was your first single/music download?
Steve: The first thing I bought was a cassette. I’ll explain another time. It was ABC The Lexicon of Love.

Your favourite TV series?
Steve: Nothing will ever beat The Wire. Ever.

Q: Your favourite drink?
Steve: A well made Negroni or a high quality Malbec.

Q&A with Neil Wirasinha, SVP International Advertising Media at Universal Pictures and also a judge for the World Media Awards which are now open for entries UNTIL 25TH JANUARY 2018. You can enter here.

General questions

Q: What are you hoping for most when you judge the awards?
Neil: Real creativity in media – not a just placement of great creative, but the insight and process that delivers the right message in the right environment

Q: What advice can you give potential entrants for creating a winning entry?
Neil: Always know your strategy and how to execute it

Content/native advertising questions

Q: What is the role of the media agency in content-driven advertising?
Neil: Inherently know the audience you are trying to connect with, know how to have a compelling content relationship and how to measure the success and how to learn and repeat the process.

Q: What role does social media play in content-driven advertising campaigns?
Neil: Social is a powerful connection with your customer and its important to try an understand its role and what it informs your about your customers. Be do not accept all data points as being equal some have a more direct influence than others. Understanding and evolving this dynamic is important

International planning questions

Q: What three pieces of advice would you give a brand about to embark on a branded content campaign that needs to work across multiple countries/regions?
Neil: One size does not fit all, but similarities do exist

Q: How do you balance planning and implementation of cross-border branded content campaigns between ‘local’ offices and ‘head office’?
Neil: Both have a role and it depends on the insights, ambition and content journey both HQ and Local teams are focussed on. The broader strategic thinking is often more central led and local markets are always best placed to maximise tactical thinking. The blend and phasing of both is important

About you

Q: Your favourite film?
Neil: The Goonies

Q:Your favourite app for work? And for leisure/personal use?
Neil: Citymapper

Q:Your favourite drink?
Neil: Japanese Whisky

Jorg Dietzel, Head of Creative / Sales Media at Audi AG and also a judge for the World Media Awards which are now open for entries UNTIL 25TH JANUARY 2018. You can enter here.

General questions:

Q: Why should agencies/advertisers enter the World Media Awards?
Jorg: For recognition of their work and to win clients and talent.

Q: What are you hoping for most when you judge the awards?
Jorg: To be inspired by great ideas.

Q: What advice can you give potential entrants for creating a winning entry?
Jorg: Make it relevant, original, impactful.

Content/native advertising questions

Q: What are the most important factors to consider when creating content-led advertising? (e.g. story, relevance, length of content, type of content, media partner)?
Jorg: Create a story with a global truth, be authentic, push it in different platforms.

Q: What is the role of the media agency in content-driven advertising?
Jorg: To identify the right platform and the right amount of seeding.

Q: Podcasts are having a ‘golden moment’ in content-driven advertising. What’s driving their ascendance?
Jorg: Easy to listen to on the move.

Q: Repeatable content is a big trend right now – so how do you create a campaign that will bring consumers back again and again? And do brands need to start thinking and budgeting differently to sustain this kind of ongoing content creation, rather than using the traditional campaign model?
Jorg:  Put the brand first, think about what the core of the brand is and plan long-term. Once you have found a story, stick with it.Content needs to be able to attract audience’s attention, not simply disrupt and annoy. What’s the key to truly engaging content?’ Authentic, surprising, human stories.

Q: Content-driven marketing is often associated with higher volumes of content but often lower production budgets than traditional advertising – how do you achieve great content without compromising craft?
Jorg: It’s all about the idea and what level of execution the idea needs.

Q: What are the challenges to advertisers/agencies of creating content-led advertising campaigns that work across a number of competitive media owners? How can they overcome them? And should media owners collaborate more to grow their overall share of content?
Jorg: The challenge is definitely achieving impact – even great content needs to be seen and heard. To fully trust in organic reach isn’t enough.

Q: How do you measure success when it comes to content-driven advertising?
Jorg: Engagement through clicks, sharing, feedback.

Q: What role does social media play in content-driven advertising campaigns?
Jorg:  Probably the most authentic and credible platform.

Q: With so many new content platforms and formats available, how do you make branded content campaigns work across a variety of different platforms?
Jorg: Develop the idea first and then understand the rules of the platform and adapt the creative accordingly.

International planning questions

Q: What three pieces of advice would you give a brand about to embark on a branded content campaign that needs to work across multiple countries/regions?
Jorg: Check if the idea is truly a human truth that will travel globally. Look at where your targets are and choose channels accordingly. Push the content with media, at least initially.

Q: How do you balance planning and implementation of cross-border branded content campaigns between ‘local’ offices and ‘head office’?
Jorg: Ideas can come from anywhere, the market or the head office. It’s about recognizing its potential and then make it available to the markets by supplying it rights-free, for example. Make it as easy as possible (regarding money, timing) for markets to use.

Q: What is the key to finding a content marketing idea that can translate across borders?
Jorg: Have an international team that can judge suitability, have an international agency.

Q: What do you need to look for in your media partner(s) when planning an international content-driven advertising campaign?
Jorg: Global reach. Clever targeting. Innovative formats.

About you

Q: Your dream holiday destination?
Jorg: Singapore.

Q: Your favourite band/artist?
Jorg: Queen.

Q: Your favourite film?
Jorg: A Single Man.

Q: Your favourite TV series?
Jorg: Suits.

Q: Your favourite app for work? And for leisure/personal use?
Jorg: Facebook for both.

Q: Who are your creative heroes and why?
Jorg: Neil French, John Hegarty. Both inspired me.

Q: Your favourite restaurant or bar?
Jorg: Vault82 in Seoul.

Q: Your favourite meal?
Jorg: Japanese.

Q: Your favourite drink?
Jorg: Gin and Tonic.

Q: Your guilty pleasure?
Jorg: Long Haul flights in business class with champagne, movies and a good book.

David Goodall, Managing Director at Havas Media International and also a judge for the World Media Awards which are now open for entries UNTIL 25TH JANUARY 2018. Find out how to enter

General questions

Q: What are you hoping for most when you judge the awards?
DG: To see the gold standard of international media planning

Q:What advice can you give potential entrants for creating a winning entry?
DG:Make your entry clear, concise and make sure the excellence shines through, do not overload with information so that they key points are drowned out.

Content/native advertising questions

Q:Podcasts are having a ‘golden moment’ in content-driven advertising. What’s driving their ascendance?
DG: Unrivalled attention of the listener and something new and unexpected in a meaningful context

Q:Repeatable content is a big trend right now – so how do you create a campaign that will bring consumers back again and again? And do brands need to start thinking and budgeting differently to sustain this kind of ongoing content creation, rather than using the traditional campaign model?
DG: A strong link to the brand’s heritage/purpose and a scalable idea that works with an always on mindset

Q:What are the killer questions an agency/media owner should ask a client to ensure that their content brief is fit for purpose?
DG: What are the KPIs? And can we measure it?

International planning questions

Q:What distinguishes the ‘international’ target audience from ‘domestic’ audiences – and how granular can you be in your media targeting?
DG: Depends on the target audience, generally speaking, the more affluent they are, the more alike they are

Q:Do some content platforms work more universally across multiple regions than others? E.g. does video work well everywhere but editorial content work better in some regions than others?
DG: Video works well everywhere, editorial depends on country and TA

About you:

Q:Your dream holiday destination?
DG: California

Q:Your favourite film?
DG: It’s a wonderful life

Q:Your favourite app for work? And for leisure/personal use?
DG: Work = Twitter, personal = Instagram