Consumers need to focus on a number of upfront priorities with Paramount, however mergers aren’t what’s “high of thoughts,” in accordance with advert gross sales chief John Halley.
Final week, CEO Bob Bakish exited Paramount amid ongoing merger talks with Skydance Media. In the meantime, Sony and Apollo additionally reportedly made a $26 billion money provide to purchase the corporate. Nonetheless, regardless of all that noise, Halley, president of Paramount Promoting, just lately informed ADWEEK that these developments aren’t affecting purchaser negotiations.
“Coming in Monday, I wasn’t positive—candidly—whether or not it was going to be a foreground or background matter, and it turned very clear very early that it’s a background matter,” Halley stated. “We do have a tremendous story to inform. And that’s what our companions and shoppers wish to hear from us.”
In line with Halley, advertisers are extra involved with reaching their enterprise targets, and Paramount’s content material and workforce stay the identical.
“The workforce that they work with is unchanged, and the property that they’re investing in are unchanged,” Halley stated. “That’s what these conversations are about. For us, it was on-topic and refreshingly so.”
Paramount actually has a number of matters to maintain consumers occupied. The corporate is in its second yr of upfront dinners after exiting its Carnegie Corridor upfront week occasion, and it’s not wanting again. Halley spoke with ADWEEK about bringing extra transparency to Paramount’s advert merchandise, giving advertisers integrations and sponsorships round fandom with outcomes-based targets and why upfront week is “anachronistic.”
ADWEEK: John, after Paramount exited upfront week final yr, you informed me you have been by no means going again. You’re clearly in the course of upfront dinners once more, however does that also stand?
John Halley: What number of instances did I say by no means? Now, we’re by no means ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going again. No, pay attention: Final yr, we had unanimous suggestions that it was a greater format. We modified the format as a result of the enterprise is changing into extra sophisticated. You possibly can’t have one-way linear discussions. You must spend extra time along with your companions on the opposite facet. You must not simply present them content material, however speak about the way you’re serving to them obtain their targets and expansions within the promoting product suite. The conversations have gotten extra detailed and in-depth, and the format wanted to alter.
