Agency bosses too old and change resistant, claims Sorrell

NEW YORK - WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell claims that brands are not spending enough online because the people who run their agencies are too old and resistant to change.

Read: Agency bosses too old and change resistant, claims Sorrell.

Yes to more investment in smart digital marketing. No to that investment cluttering the net with more paid-for advertising.

Don't create a generational gap with this argument. Just pick the common sense points out of it. Yes to giving more power to younger managers who understand the importance of spending more on online branding, but get young designers to understand how to design for the older age groups - the growing number of over 50s who have all the money.

for once I'd say that sir sorrell is right, but the problem is also about creative directors that prefers to make print or tv campaign to send to archive, ads of the world, cannes festivals and so on... digital campaigns do not enhance cd reputations today...

Sir Martin is always right. However, according to the IPA Agency Census for 2008, the average age of agency employees is 33, with nearly 50% aged below 30 and only 5% above 50. Seems pretty young to me....

S'Martin is making a lot of noise at the moment. He's a clever guy, but almost all of these releases are thumping the drum of his existing strategy - e.g. WPP have put all their eggs in the BRIC markets \(particularly China), and in Digital agencies. Hence he's been talking about LUV-shaped recessions and increasing digital media spend. Next he'll be explaining the growing importance of Market Research to justify the TNS deal... Got to keep the confidence up in that WPP share price...

"people who run their agencies are too old and resistant to change" Not exactly, they're just resistant to change, age has nothing to do with it. Why not just say that some of the people running agencies shouldn't be and hold your hands up to giving some ill advised promotions and some poor hires.

From my experience, Martin is expressing an uncomfortable truth. We are now totally focussed on market disruptive & sustainable technologies like Lo-Carbon vehicles, Cloud Computing, LED Lighting and Micro-gen. In my extensive network which includes the Technology Strategy Board, The Carbon Trust, the CBI and such like I very rarely see players from the old world of advertising making an appearance. I am happy about this, for that space is mine but it is very telling. How can an agency advise about a disruptive market when they are immersed in the analogue version?

A lot of fuzz about nothing. The question is what Sorrell wants to achieve by this kind of speech. I think he is creating a false debate to confuse his clients so they will ask him what to do. It's an old way to make business and it is not very smart. Mark Anthierens, Chief Editor PUB magazine, Belgium, www.pub.be