LONDON — Thanks to the rise of advertising technology, the “Mad Men” of ad agencies have been joined by the so-called “Maths Men” of tech vendors. But these two camps need not be perceived as coming from different disciplines, says one agency boss.
Pippa Glucklish, UK co-CEO of SMG, tells Beet.TV the “tension between data and creativity” should be de-fused.
“People should be trying to weave those two things together,” she says in this video interview. “We need to let go of the idea that data is all about efficiency. Data unlocks and informs creativity.”
Glucklish will be looking for just such marriages when she helps judge Cannes Lions awards at the upcoming advertising festival this month.
SMG owner Publicis recently acquired the demand-side advertising platform and data management platform operator RUN to pull some of these functions in-house. Glucklish says agencies and clients are often confused by the number of vendors on the scene: “By buying our own … we’re not dancing to anyone else’s tune.” SMG continues to use other platforms, too, however,
We interviewed Glucklish in the London offices of SMG as part of the series The Road to Cannes, our lead-up to the Cannes Lions Festival presented by Coull. Please visit this page for additional segments.