Media: Double Standards - Learning to swallow and learning how to lose.

The heads of two European media networks air their thoughts on the hardest part of their jobs, the best bits about their networks and resisting pressures on margins.

 
COLIN GOTTLIEB - Chief executive, OMD Europe 
 
What's the single hardest         When I took the job in 2001, the 
thing you've had to do in         objective was to quickly turn the OMD 
your current job?                 European family into a single, 
                                  effective network. Today our armoury 
                                  is considerable but back then we 
                                  needed to improve leadership in some 
                                  of the markets. Letting people go is 
                                  never a pleasurable experience. 
 
What are you doing to resist      We've been able to have sensible 
the downward pressures on         conversations with both procurement 
margins in some markets?          and marketing personnel. The 
                                  discussions are always tough but if 
                                  you have prepared a clear and robust 
                                  justification of your product, your 
                                  deliverables and your costs, the 
                                  outcome is usually fair. 
 
What's the best piece of work     I will receive heated phonecalls from 
produced by one of your           my colleagues around Europe asking 
agencies in the past year?        why their work wasn't mentioned. But 
                                  I've chosen OMD Latvia for its work 
                                  for the insurance company IF, which 
                                  involved dropping wallets full of 
                                  fake money in the centre of Riga. 
 
Is client conflict becoming       Yes and no. Yes, clients are becoming 
less of an issue for you?         more willing to discuss the issue of 
                                  confidentiality and how we are 
                                  structured to handle competitive 
                                  assignments. 
                                  The dynamics of the market have 
                                  resulted in clients wishing to look 
                                  for solutions where in the past they 
                                  didn't have to. It is still a highly 
                                  emotive subject and each case is 
                                  different. 
 
Why is your network better        We are a very young worldwide network 
than the others?                  and have achieved success in a short 
                                  time. The OMD brand is now firmly 
                                  recognised and we have a wonderful 
                                  portfolio of clients and work. We 
                                  strongly encourage creative flair and 
                                  deliver what we say we'll deliver. 
                                  Our geographical reach takes some 
                                  beating and we have impressive 
                                  products and applications. We are 
                                  competitive but there is real warmth 
                                  throughout the network - a real sense 
                                  of one team. 
 
What do you most dislike about    I hate losing anything - pitches, 
your job?                         existing business, our best people or 
                                  great candidates for new positions. I 
                                  thought it would get easier as I got 
                                  older. It gets worse. But the thing I 
                                  most dislike has to be the last 
                                  flight to London from anywhere in 
                                  northern Europe, during winter, on a 
                                  Friday night when the plane is full 
                                  and the flight badly delayed. 
 
Which are your three most         Are you kidding? 
important markets and which 
are your three most 
troublesome markets? 
Describe your media network's     The management of OMD is entirely 
relationship with its sister      separate from the agencies but we're 
advertising agencies.             proud of our creative ...