WITH A MIX OF DIGITAL, CREATIVE AND ANALYTIC SKILLS IN DEMAND, MEDIA AGENCIES HAVE BECOME A HOTBED OF RECRUITMENT ACTION. THATS GOOD NEWS FOR JOB SEEK ERS – HIGHER VALUE MEANS HIGHER SALARIES.
On Mad Men theres no question: Don Draper is king. “Just get me in front of the client/ the creative director orders his minions. Then the account folks and the lone media guy sit back and watch the almighty creative work his magic as client – whisperer and solver of all problems.
For years, incarnations of such scenes took place at pitches and in boardrooms everywhere. With creative gurus positioned as top dog, there was no doubt who was in charge. But those days are oven
The onset of digital media has set in motion a shift in power and, as reflected in this years salary charts, a shift in salaries. WeVe been celebrating digital as the “it” space for several years now, but it turns out media is where its at – albeit with a digital twist.“Media for along time was considered the less sexy end of advertising,” says Bruce PoweU, managing partner at Partners, But no more, “Media agencies are becoming sexy and its an increasingly viable option for people at traditional agencies to consider media. It broadens the landscape.
Matt DiPaola made that move in August Joining MediaCom in the newly created position of chief strategy and innovation officer. The former SVP and managing director of Proximity Canada started out in PR and event management, moved into a more traditional agency role, and spent the last decade immersed in CRM and digital.
“For rae, the missing piece – having worked in the larger agency environment – is that media was always stripped out, he says of the division between media and creative. By moving media side, he sees an exciting – and overdue – opportunity to help bridge the gap and, in turn, create exciting work with clients.
Peter Mears, president of Mediabrands, says that as a long – time media guy he thinks media has always been sexy, but admits: “As the world changes were able to control more of what was traditionally the domain of traditional agencies – more what is being said as opposed to just where its being said.
Recruiting experts say media, never a hotbed of recruitment action, is on fire. Theres been more talent movement in media in the last year than in the last 10/ says Powell. Across the industry theres been a wholesale shift -”
First came a flurry of movement at the top and with new management comes new vision. This trickles down to other areas of the agency. And, generally, all hires have one thing in common: digital and strategic know – how.
Remember the old saying “50% of my advertising works, I just dont know which 50%”? Those days are over. “Digit alization actually allows you to understand which 50% works; right through to sales/ says Jamie Edwards, who was appointed CEO of MediaCom last November, after making his mark at Aegis Medias digital marketing agency Isobar. With digital comes data to track and analyze. “It allows for a deeper understanding of how consumers behave and thats ultimately what clients want to know/ says Edwards. “They say he who owns the data rules the world and media has built a foundation in understanding data.”
As digital permeates all aspects of the business, lines between the media agencies, traditional agencies and digital agencies are blurring.
Its stirring up the talent pool, says Rick Chad, president of Chad Management Group. “The more clever media companies are hiring people who are really creative on how to be effective with media, or they are bringing in strategists who understand all the elements.”
“Theres a huge competition for these folks and its only going to get more heated/ says Harry Teitelbaum, president of Inter Com Search. “Everybody is looking for the next rising star.”
Hiring the right talent can be a challenge, says Edwards. “As the lines blur, its harder to find individuals who have a breadth of skills across all areas.” He searched eight months for the right mix of consumer, business, analytic and digital skills, before hiring DiPaola “You need one or two individuals to catalyze everyone else – part of our responsibility as agency leaders is to train existing staff. At MediaCom were training everyone in digital”
Media has long been the lowest compensated area of the business, says Mark Rouse, vice – president, practice lead at IQ Partners, but thats rapidly changing. “Its fair theyre finally catching up.”
While fit and company culture are always important, money talks. One recruiter tells of a rising media star who went from earning $40,000to $100,000. How? The competition tried to woo the person away, resulting in a bidding war.
This is an extreme example, but employers are definitely under pressure to loosen the purse strings. With the recent flurry of activity, Powell says, “Media agencies are having to pay a premium of 25% or more over the individuals they are replacing.
Caroline Starecky, vice – president at Montreal recruiting firm La Tete Chercheuse, also teaches advertising at Universite de Montreal. “I teU my students if you want to be guaranteed a job, go into media.”
