John Gaffney of Real Media Rifs had this comment on the AOL/ TW situation:
The Big Synergy-Energy Switch: Call it synergy, cross-media or just smart media buying. The kinds of synergy AOL/TimeWarner is now getting kicked in the teeth for now need to come from media planners and buyers. If you want synergy, or if you want to access the various properties owned by big media companies, come up with the ideas yourself. I know this is already happening, but now the AOL/TW changes have given the agency community a chance to push this issue to a clients advantage. I dont think ad ideas work too well from the top down. A media strategy works from the client and agency first, with the media company providing the best complimentary ad vehicles. An AOL VP pitching a Coca-Cola VP on a huge ad deal incorporating the internet, print and cable was always the wrong way to approach media, and will still be the wrong way regardless of who runs AOL. The right way is for Coca-Cola to approach its agency and say: Were introducing new packaging for Diet Coke. How do we get that image out for the Holidays? The planners and buyers, as always, come up with the best way to do that, and it just might mean going to an AOL or Viacom or Primedia or Gannett, and getting a good deal for incorporating several channels of media. Its a simple concept when you approach it from the agency perspective. How did it get so damn complicated?
Uh, yea! Since when did media planners stop developing ideas and sponsorships? I never did. I hope us media planners out there haven’t got lazy 🙂
