It’s not every day that you get to sip a glass of wine
while listening to NBCU’s Linda Yaccarino and Starcom’s Tim Spengler talk about
their college days. But Simulmedia’s Salon series offers such an opportunity. However
October’s event was not all waxing nostalgia. Simulmedia CEO Dave Morgan also
wanted to know how media companies recruit and retain new talent. And that is
the $64,000 question today.
View video excerpts of the panel here:
Both Yaccarino and Spengler are industry veterans who
have seen the media landscape evolve at an ever increasing pace. “Technology is impacting our everyday life,” says
Yaccarino. It is “on our #1 to do list for the company and it changes every
day. It drives viewership.” But seamless company roll-out is difficult. Silos
have to be broken down so companies can offer their content to the consumer
across all platforms.
The media landscape has changed dramatically over their
careers. Spengler remembers the days when the one company fax machine drove
client communication. Now he reviews everything to see that every dollar his
company spends to drive the clients’ business through “the digital play.”
Yaccarino explains, “At NBCU, we believe that investing
in technology and data mining is a key to our future. It will not only help us
be more successful in continuing to aggregate and push this incredible scale
that we have now from the high ranking head of data to the secret keys of
Comcast set top box data and start to figure out what are those insights and
how can that influence what we do internally as well as offer opportunities to
our clients.”
The analytical, tech savvy aspect to media is critical
to thrive in the new media environment. And that is different from 20 years
ago. “We have made a big bet. We have committed to driving 50% of our client’s
spend through an automated channel, whether that is an exchange through buyer
and seller or how we manage the inventory internally” says Spengler.
So how does this transformation and technology impact
the hiring decision for new talent? You need to emphasize the importance of
both the right and left brain functions – to blend the data analytics and the
creativity of the content. “To answer your question about who do we hire, we
need more people who have left brain strength but you will only go so far if
you are pure left brain and don’t have any right brain strength.”
Seems like the golden age of liberal arts educated
researchers….
This article highlights the evolving landscape of the media industry and the crucial role that both left and right brain expertise play in navigating this transformation. As technology continues to shape consumer behavior and media consumption patterns, companies like Weisler Media LLC recognize the importance of blending analytical prowess with creative ingenuity. The emphasis on hiring individuals with a balance of left and right brain strengths underscores the need for holistic approaches to problem-solving and innovation in an increasingly digital and data-driven environment. This article serves as a reminder that successful adaptation to industry changes requires a synthesis of technical proficiency and imaginative thinking. For more details, visit Right Brain education
ReplyDelete