As the search marketing team at clickmate, we love to see some honest comments out there on the market, so we read with interest a comment from publisher Richard Desmond about the ad buying power of WPP.
Desmond, whose Northern & Shell company owns Channel 5, the Daily Express, the Daily Star and OK! magazine was talking at a broadcasting conference and answering questions, and referred to Sir Martin Sorrell, the chief executive officer of WPP.
WPP operate Group M, an arm of the advertising mega group which looks after buying ad space for its companies across all platforms. Desmond was making his comments about the power of Group M and how it is very difficult to resist their buying power, because they are very powerful.
Desmond said: “It is very difficult when Group M say to us that if you don’t do this we are going to cut you back by 10% or 20% [in ad spend from WPP clients.
“No, I’m not happy about it. I’d love to do something about it. But what’s that programme? [The Man with the] 10-Stone Testicles I haven’t got them.
“I have the highest respect for Martin Sorrell.. one of the cleverest people I’ve ever met. He will outsmart me and outsmart the other TV companies and he has the power because he has the [client accounts. And the reason he has the accounts is he does a great job with his customers, his clients.”
Desmond was being interviewed by Jeff Randall from Sky News at the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge convention on Thursday.