The AdMan vs. Technologists: Sorrell Takes First Swing

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By: Dwayne W. Waite Jr.

For a couple years now, there has been an amiable relationship between the ad world and the technology world. Perhaps the correct word is symbiotic, for each world has been helping feed the other. The technology world has created ways to help people communicate faster and more efficiently, and the ad world supports the tech world by sending clients to the networks and doing creative and marketing campaigns through them, helping the tech world stay afloat. A digital circle of life, right? Can this hunky-dory relationship last forever? Martin Sorrell, head honcho of WPP, may not allow it.

During a conversation with Royal Television Society, Michael Wolff reports, Sorrell questioned the feasibility of monetizing social networks. What?! (Gasp!) Yes, Sorrell — and based on the article, Wolff — believe that as the technology world increases its net, it devalues the digital ad platforms and therefore makes it harder for the ad world to make a profit and stay competitive in the digital sphere.

Is Sorrell right, or is he just being anti-tech?

It may be too early to tell, but Sorrell may have a point. What many people (especially Ad folks) fail to understand is the thinking processes of digital professionals. Like those at Google, Facebook, and Twitter, they are all about one thing: streamlining their process in order to provide the best user experience with their interfaces. In that frame of mind, revenue and advertising structure is a distant second. In that perspective, advertising seems more of a burden than a priority. That's why we see these monster networks coming up with ad structures now since they haven't previously thought about revenue streams. But, now that they're thinking about it, they are looking at ways to make it available to everyone, so they can grab a little piece and cut out the middleman.

The middleman being the advertising industry.

Wolff points out in his article that the tech geeks haven't been very good at providing advertising solutions that are salient with the business sector. At this crossroads, we have ad folks who aren't good at technology, and tech guys who don't give a damn about effective marketing solutions — what's going to give?

Sorrell commands 153,000 people and promotes the future of advertising and media. If any person has the clout to back crazy talk, it's him. And who knows, maybe he's not so crazy.

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About the Author

Dwayne W. Waite Jr. is partner and principal at JDW: The Charlotte Agency, a marketing and advertising shop in Charlotte, NC. He enjoys consumer behavior, economics, and football.

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