How are you adapting to the change from selling cinema ads at Carlton Screen Advertising to trading in washroom panels?
I suppose washroom ads are the grubby end of the industry - they are certainly not as glamorous to sell. The promise of cinema tickets and invitations to red-carpet premieres helped my sell far more than a free cup of coffee at a service station.
I believe in the effectiveness of both media, although they are very different. Getting through the door to see clients about cinema ads was easy, but it was tough to get them to commit to a deal. When you are selling washroom posters, it is harder to get clients to open the door to you, but once you have their attention the sell is straightforward.
What are you working on right now?
Our big project is making the most of the audiences watching the World Cup. We have about 10,000 poster panels in bars, pubs and clubs, which amounts to plenty of creative opportunities for advertisers. For example, the pub chain Yates is developing its own World Cup ale, and it is working with us on sponsored pumps.
Also, Admedia subscribes to Postar, which is in the process of measuring our motorway service station six-sheets. When this project is completed by the end of the year, we will have a far more accountable poster world.
What did you make of the OAA's controversial Britain Thinks campaign?
The big criticism of the campaign was that if you are controversial enough you will get noticed. My comment is: "Isn't that the final objective of any advertising?" If the creative is poor and it doesn't communicate the job properly, it doesn't matter if you have the biggest spot on Piccadilly Circus. It was unfair on the OAA that the controversial message outshone how effective poster advertising can be.
Is it true Admedia received a call from an outraged drunk who spotted the "1966: it won't happen this year" ad in a pub toilet?
Yes - my marketing manager Eve took the call. It always amazes me that people's lives can be so devoted to football and that the game can create such emotional upset. To say this guy lived and breathed football is an understatement. After half an hour of negotiations on the phone that the message on the ad wasn't a statement, it was a question for debate, he went off happily to have his next pint.
Is JCDecaux's acquisition of Titan Outdoor good for the out-of-home market?
Obviously it is sad that any business starts to struggle. At Titan, I think it became a situation that I know is not common to the poster industry. The reality is that the necessity for market share and winning contracts at any cost versus the decline of advertising spend was always going to result in casualties.
北京赛车pk10's A-List named Admedia "the garden of Eden", as you have a managing director called Adam and a marketing manager called Eve. Who's the devil?
The specialists who don't include us in their CTN or roadside schedules. We have a great case for both.