“We (media agencies) have to be honest with ourselves. We have made progress in the last three years, but it will take another three years before we get where we need to be,” he said, pointing to communications planning and the diversification of the media agency model.
“Agencies which claim to have made the necessary changes are talking rubbish. It is like swapping the wheels of a car travelling at 60mph - and one going considerably faster in Asia,” he added.
MEC is one of the world’s most diverse media agencies, Courtier said. But 70 per cent of global revenue still comes from traditional planning and buying. “But we’re heading in the right direction. Thank god I’m not running an ad agency.”
Media agencies have become content producers overnight, but it’s too early to say how far they should go down that route, Courtier added. Non-media people - from digital and sponsorship - are coming into the industry to help the business diversify, but more are needed.
Courtier denied that MEC’s relationship with its GroupM peers is an awkward union. “I won’t pretend GroupM is perfect. Given the discrete characteristics of the different agencies it’s a difficult balance to strike. But there are only tensions when the benefits of the group structure are not obvious.”
