John Billett: how agencies ended up owning the media
A few weeks ago we reported a lecture given by media agency veteran John Billett, now chairman of consultancy ID Comms, to the Worshipful Company of Marketors. In his address to this august body – it had better be august with a name like that – Billett revealed the nature of today’s media landscape (as he sees it), in particular the way that media agencies have now become, in effect, media owners through their power in the marketplace.
Some of his observations – can’t remember exactly which ones – reduced one usually equable media agency head I met that week to near apoplexy. Completely wrong, according to this person.
But Billett is a great performer and here is his address in full. Introduced by Andrew Marsden, a veteran marketer (or should that be marketor?) who was part of the team at Britvic in its advertising heyday. You may notice at the beginning a lady in red who seems to be locking and unlocking a door. Did it contain a rampaging Billett, gnawing on raw meat to get him in the mood?