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Why a new Marketing Director is always the prelude to an ex-client! 

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Let's just suppose for a minute that I had an agency (God forbid!) And a new Marketing Director arrived on the scene at my largest client... I would immediately resign the account. After all, why spend a few short months trying to impress the new guy/gal that you are the best thing since sliced bread... Get it through your thick head... The minute they walk through the door, you're toast.

The perfect demonstration of this is the news today in the US, that career-search giant Monster.com has begun a review of creative chores on its global ad account. The move comes three months after Monster.com hired a lady by the name of Joan Blackwood as chief marketing officer. She had been with technology firm Computer Associates, in N.Y., as svp, worldwide marketing. She also served at Bank of America. And began her career as a copywriter (Oh, bloody groan) Which means she is obviously VERY creative!!!

This creates an inescapable situation. My advice? Cut your losses, don't piss away dumpster loads of money entertaining the new MD at the finest watering holes you can quickly melt down a black AmEx card in... You have more chance of being struck by lightening than you have of holding on to the account... But go ahead, blow a ton of money defending it. Miracles do happen... But hardly ever in the ad biz!

Published Aug 23 2007, 01:09 AM by George Parker
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by IAN WHETTINGSTEEL
August 23, 2007 10:03 AM
 
I agree but it's the background to the new appointment that worries me. The new Marketing Director had set out to impress at interview and, once appointed, they try to fulfil their mission at an early stage and achieve all the goals they promised. Pressure of any new job predicts this. The 'new broom sweeps clean', and has the backing of the board who are still disgruntled at the departure (for whatever reason) of their previous Marketing Director. Some make a success of it, often by using their tried and tested agencies and contacts. In my experience, a vast majority aren't successful but they tend to stay on for a couple of years until their mistakes catch up with them and the cycle starts again. Agreed, you will have a hard job trying to retain the account if the new appointee is determined to keep their 'team' in place. But if your contacts with the client extend beyond the Marketing Director (which they should have or you haven't been doing your job correctly), stay in touch. You may get the chance to re-negotiate when the client comes back begging (OK, so I live in a fantasy world). Anyway the previous Marketing Director is needing you to work for their new company... ...or set up a recruitment agency... there's a lot of Marketing Directors looking for a job out there!
 
 
by Peter Martin
August 23, 2007 12:14 PM
 
For what it's worth, as a creative peon in various agencies in my youth, I would also immediately start looking for a new job when the memo came round annoucing the appointment of a new MD or CD. When Dorland 'merged' with Michael Bungey DFS it was about 2 weeks into the new guy's tenure I arrived one morning to find a chap stitting at my desk. 'Who are you?" I asked. 'The new copywriter on Caterpillar,' he replied, adding, 'who are you?'. All I could manage was: 'The old one, apprently'. And in those days all I got was my month's notice in lieu. Ah... happy days. At least I went on to own my own agency and not have to worry about that practice at least. The whole client thing you mention... it was ever thus and will be. Shows the whole shambolic, self-centred, ego-driven, inefficient process never changes, eh?
 
 
by George Parker
August 24, 2007 1:58 AM
 
Ian & Peter... Good comments... What is sometimes even worse is when you work on a smallish account that doesn't really have a Marketing Director, but they are successful and grow... So they hire one... The wanker comes in and want's to do everything "His Way" which fucks up everything that made the company grow in the first place. And the CEO (or MD over there) has now got too important to be involved with the advertising. So it all gets screwed up. And who gets the blame. That's right... The agency. Ah... Dorland's worked there in the seventies when I came back from ten years in the US... I was the "Agency Fireman." Best job in the world... Conned my way into it. It's a long story, but will be in one of my books soon. And yes, Bungey was a cretin. In the meantime... Buy "MadScam!" Cheers/George
 
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MadScam

An ex-pat Brit's "Take-no-Prisoners" look at the current American ad scene in all its horror and desperation!
 

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George Parker

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Member since: 03 Jun 2008

Last login: 17 Nov 2009

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