Mediabrands boss says collaboration is key

Global - Mediabrands president & CEO Nicolas Brien argues the structure of agency holding companies is out of step with the the markets demand for integration and said companies must do more to encourage collaboration.

As chief of the Interpublic-owned Mediabrands, the parent company for media agencies Initiative and UM, Brien (pictured left) told Marketing that parent companies must be doing more to foster a better working culture across all disciplines, particularly digital.

"The separation of media from the creative process fails to deliver on integration," he said.

"The challenge is now how do agencies and parent companies aggregate skills that deliver marketing effectiveness."

Henry Tajer (pictured right), Asia Pacific president of UM, said the agency is doing its best to foster collaboration with both IPG companies and non-IPG companies. 

"If we can work with other disciplines like PR to amplify what we do, we're doing our job," he said. "Sharing your toys, that's the new order and those that do will win."

"There is something new happening with consumer thinking everyday. For an agency to say we know it all is wrong. We don't." 

But Brien added that agencies should not shoulder all the burden, he stressed that companies have to start  behaving in a different way.

"Brands need to behave in a completely different way. If clients are just using digital as a cheap alternative to TV, then we come down hard on that," he said.