Comments on: Help Me Interview Michael Roth, CEO of Interpublic Group (And Win Free Tix to Web 2)

By: Mark Boyd

Mark Boyd — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:02:40 +0000

Interpublic is on target for spending $150m this year on buying new ad agencies (they acquired Brazilian outfit cubo in March for example). What are the key features they are looking for in a new advertising acquisition?

By: David Burn

David Burn — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:58:18 +0000

Thanks for the opportunity to address Mr. Roth, John. Given the chance, I might ask the man how best to insert oneself into a client's business. Is it enough to be a brand builder, I would ask, or must the agency of today and tomorrow get to a much deeper level with clients--an operational place and a place where the soul of the company is fought for and won?

By: Justin

Justin — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 14:48:39 +0000

How involved are you with social media? Where advertising is more of a 2-way conversation?

Do you think the Internet has allowed society to be much more fragmented? How had that impacted advertising?

What kinds of advertising formats/styles are you experimenting with these days? Have you had success with Apple's iAd?

By: James Cherkoff

James Cherkoff — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:49:17 +0000

Is it still possible to talk about ‘TV’ as a single entity?

By: David

David — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:47:26 +0000

I would ask him if it was no longer true that 1/2 your advertising budget is a waste but you cannot figure out which half. I would also ask him how much further we can go in shifting ad dollars from other media to the web (i.e. has that transition been fully realized or are there still many non-Internet natives deciding how to spend ad dollars who are still resistant to whatever portion of ad spending they might spend online that would optimize their interests).

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:12:56 +0000

There's branding (long term company image) and advertising (short term promotion, etc.).

When it comes to retaining customers for the long haul: There is not a platform that correctly manages those two, very different, and independent (to a point), aspects of "company voice".

Are companies going to be able to overcome the fact that branding and advertising (marketing) - you can only have one, not both - are not sustainable on one platform, in the long term? If yes, how?

By: Jose Nevado

Jose Nevado — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:19:13 +0000

It’s proven that selling media consultancy and media space works as Google proves more and more everyday. This could delete from value chain the media agencies. Initiatives as Cadreon only solve one side on the issue, becoming less an intermediate in media buying, and solving some of the SOX and contractual issues with advertisers, but what IPG plans to fight against the big monster Google is and will be when they become the biggest intermediate a vehicle of vido/tv advertising?

By: Mariana Phipps

Mariana Phipps — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:25:47 +0000

Marketing budgets have been shifting from mass media to digital media. Many people that have worked for many years selling TV, radio and newspapers do not know how to sell/strategize/measure online and viceversa.

How are the agencies addressing the urgent need of cross training their employees?

By: Trace Cohen

Trace Cohen — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:48:51 +0000

The world as we know it changes everyday with new social networks to engage our customers on, more in depth analytics for highly targeted ads and new writers/influencers emerging to cover our clients (PR).

How do you evaluate each platform and determine the appropriate value you can derive from it and create a budget for each one? And as a follow up, PR is seen as a more effective means of influence and potential visibility with such low clicks throughs on ads etc., so how do you see that affecting your decisions moving forwards?

Thanks!

Trace Cohen