Media and creative integration: The key to success:
Striking a balance between specialization and integration is always challenging.
As Head of Media, to me the key to success is not just specializing in media research and planning skills. It is more about better communication and integration between the media and other teams, and providing our clients with real one-stop solutions.
About 20 years ago, media departments started “divorcing” themselves from brand agencies and merging to form independent media agencies. They pulled together more resources to specialize in media planning and strengthen media negotiation power.
However, the media environment has changed since then. Digital media, which is supported by automated ad placement and a bidding system with high transparency, has become more important. It is now also very easy to learn digital media planning through different online platforms. I believe, moreover, that media agencies have come to work too independently after their “divorce,” giving them fewer opportunities to communicate with the other working partners—especially the creative people. They are walking further away and stepping out of the total integrated process.
Here at Hakuhodo, media and creative sit together and always work as one team, from brief-taking to brain-storming to strategy development, to provide our clients with the most effective integrated solutions. Traditionally, the creative side has taken the lead, while the media side provided support by exploring touchpoints for ad placement and amplification. Nowadays, with so many new changes and possibilities in the digital world, I am confident that my media team can stand at the frontlines and be the ones inspiring creative ideas by exploring new opportunities. The workflow is no longer a one-way; we work seamlessly with our other working partners from our different perspectives all along the way.