The media industry is undergoing a period of significant transformation. Changing client expectations, the rapid development of technology and the growing influence of AI are reshaping how agencies operate and how brands approach their audiences. But as the industry becomes increasingly focused on new capabilities and platforms, the question is whether agencies are doing enough to connect their work to the business outcomes clients actually want.
Speaking to Campaign Middle East on the On the Record podcast, Peter Mears, Global CEO at Havas Media Network, argues that the next era of media will be defined by connectedness. For agencies, this means moving beyond isolated media activities and building strategies that link everything from awareness to performance and tangible business results.
Mears believes this shift also requires a fundamental change in the agency-client relationship. Rather than operating primarily as planning and buying partners, media networks need to become more closely involved in their clients’ businesses, helping them drive growth and build brands that consumers actively desire.
He says, “Our clients are looking to us to really help drive their business, to help them drive growth, and obviously it’s incredibly challenging and increasingly challenging to get growth in the marketplace today.”
From the growing importance of brand desirability to the Middle East’s contribution to global agency capabilities, Mears discusses how Havas Media Network is approaching this period of change, why technology alone cannot deliver transformation, and what agencies need to do to remain valuable to clients.
The media landscape is changing across multiple fronts, with developments in technology, data, talent and client expectations influencing how agencies approach their work. For Mears, these changes point towards a new phase for the industry, one in which connectedness becomes increasingly important.
He describes the next era as one built around connected data, connected technology and stronger connections with clients. Rather than treating different parts of the media journey as separate activities, agencies need to develop strategies that work across the entire customer journey.
Mears believes the industry has spent considerable time building awareness and visibility for brands, but that this is no longer enough. The focus now needs to extend to what happens beyond that initial exposure and how media activity contributes to measurable business outcomes.
He explains, “When we think about what’s the next era that we’re entering into, we think of it as the era of connectedness. So, we’re seeing more and more connected data, connected technology, and also connecting with clients in different ways. And the way that we can start to build connected strategies for our clients is really the way that we’re thinking about what this next era looks like.”
He shares that, for Havas Media Network, this means connecting the different stages of marketing rather than approaching awareness and performance as separate objectives.
“We don’t think that that’s enough anymore. We believe that you’ve got to connect all the way through from awareness through to performance and actual business outcome,” he adds.
This approach also reflects a wider expectation from clients, who increasingly want their agency partners to demonstrate how their media investments contribute to business grow…