While the company has been trying to shift to a model where it
works with just a handful of large digital shops globally, the
process, according to Mr. Weed's estimation, could move faster. "At
this stage, we haven't hugely exercised it," he said of the
global digital roster it appointed nearly two
years ago.
"You can't believe how many digital agencies we're working with
now," Mr. Weed said. The idea isn't for Unilever simply to work
with fewer agencies, though, but to work with fewer of them while
having deeper -- and longer-lasting -- relationships with each. He
noted that regional rosters of digital agencies will be created for
certain important global markets, too.
Overall, the idea is for Unilever to work with its digital
agencies the way it works with its creative agency relationships: a
short list of shops which which the company works with on a more
stable basis. Its lead creative agencies are WPP's Ogilvy and
JWT, Interpublic Group of Cos.' McCann
and Lowe, Omnicom Group's
DDB and Publicis-backed Bartle Bogle Hegarty.
"We've had relationships with them for decades," and within that,
Mr. Weed said, is a "shared ambition."
Here's some additional thoughts from Ad Age's interview with Mr.
Weed, as well as his onstage interview on the first day of the
conference with MediaLink's Michael Kassan.
On lasting agency relationships: "At the end of
the day I want to be where there's innovation, insight, and to do
that you need to connect with a team of people. So I'm a believer
in working with agencies for a very long time." To change an agency
partner, "to me, is a last resort and everyone has failed if that's
happened."
On the success of rival P&G's marketing of Old
Spice: "I think competition is a great thing. You get
better, and the consumer gets a better deal too." Mr. Weed said
competition spurs on improvements in work and improvements in
product. Wieden & Kennedy's work for Old Spice came after the
brand was hurting from the success of Unilever's Axe brand. "The
good news is Axe is big, strong and vibrant. Watch for this space,
there is going to be some great work coming."
On why talent should be more passionate about the
biz: Mr. Weed insisted it's the most exciting time to be
in marketing, if you're willing to really embrace the changes and
dive in. He compared it to boxing: "If you want to be a spectator
and watch something fine, but you're not going to excel at it. ...
The only way you're going to do it is to get in the ring and have a
fight. You can change the way things are shaped by choices you
make. ... I'm a great believer in getting out there and getting
engaged." And, he added, "if you don't have aspirations to be great
in advertising, and great in this field ... move on."
On procurement's bad rap: "I feel really sorry
for these procurement guys. Is anyone in this room procurement?"
[No one raised a hand]. "Amongst us, as the say, how do these guys
get this reputation? They are sort of like bad car salesmen, a
hated tribe. ... If you're in the advertising world you've got to
blame the marketers, not the procurement people. I reckon they are
hiding behind the procurement. It's [marketers'] fault, they're
doing the nasty stuff." Mr. Weed added that while marketers want
creativity and innovation, at the end of the day, it's still about
business, which means balancing efficiency and effectiveness. The
procurement functions shouldn't work counter to one another, but
together -- with the marketing expert, not the procurement officer,
as the lead. "To be clear, at Unilever, whether it's on a media
project or whatever, it's the media expert leading or defining what
we want," he said. "Once we define what we want, we'd like to get
it as efficiently as possible."
On challenges Unilever faces: "The biggest
issue is purely the complexity and fragmentation that's out there.
... The expression 'digital marketing' isn't very helpful. It's
about as helpful as 'traditional.'" He noted that for Unilever,
which he pointed out is the second-largest advertiser in the world,
with a more than $3 billion marketing budget, it can be difficult
to know sometimes what channels or technologies make the most sense
to reach consumers. "The most challenging thing I see right now is
the amount of choices out there." At the same time, fragmentation
is making brands more important, he said. "You physically cannot
get through the day without being bombarded with all of these
messages, and the way you get through the day is by engaging with
the brands you want. We're going to see more brands simplifying
people's lives."
On the growth of mobile: Briefly touching upon
why mobile is becoming a more viable marketing channel, Mr. Weed
said it was largely because of sheer number of users in certain
markets. "There are over 500 million mobile phones in India. There
are more mobile phones in India than toilets. Half of South Asia is
openly defecating. I'm sorry if you've just had your breakfast."
That comment prompted another speaker of the day, Time Inc.
Editor-at-Large Fareed Zakaria, to assure the audience that while
growing up in Mumbai he did indeed have a toilet.
