Starcom USA's Kristina Lutz On the Changing Media Landscape

Kathy Newberger amp160How does it feel to be back at StarcomKristina Lutz amp160After five years away there have been many changes in the organization and the business amp160It feels the same but very different at the same time amp160When I left for example PMX Publicis Media Exchange amp8211 specializing in crosschannel investment and innovation didnamp8217t exist now itamp8217s one of the most important parts of our business amp160After working for the company 21 years and now being back for just weeks Iamp8217ve been asking a ton of questions to learn whatamp8217s working and whatamp8217s not and Iamp8217ve been blown away by what Iamp8217m seeingamp160 Thereamp8217s an entrepreneurial and supportive feeling that fits with my vision of what Iamp8217m hoping to accomplish and a lot of media clout amp160Those conversations are putting an exclamation point on my decision to come backKathy amp160How did your recent role in sales management at iHeartMedia affect your approach to your current roleKristina amp160When youamp8217re on the media sales side youamp8217re one partner of many but often youamp8217re bringing the ideas that clients needamp160 Thatamp8217s particularly important nowadaysamp160 I was on the sales side for a significant period of time and had the opportunity to work with some of the best marketing executives across every category and it taught me a lot and probably it will make me more empathetic to the challenges on that side of the business amp160I also credit the leadership team at iHeartMedia with teaching me a lot about the importance of training and coaching and about truly integrating life and workKathy amp160Many of our readers are on the media sales side of the business amp160What advice do you have for media sellersKristina amp160The most productive meetings for both sides are ones with a clear purpose where the sellers understand what buyers need from the meeting amp160In a world where every 60minute meeting seems to end up forced to be only 20 minutes nonspecific conversations are hard to justify and may do more harm than good amp160Still people on the investment side need to know about whatamp8217s new in order to develop the ideas that are so critical to our business todayamp160 Have a precall if necessary and identify what the key metrics are for the team youamp8217re meeting with and focus on that when youamp8217re in the roomI want to encourage my team to find the time for those necessary conversations amp160Clients are more focused on innovation and how that innovation drives their business than ever before amp160Media buying strategy can be very transactional weamp8217ve had to focus on things like pricing and supply and demand and data amp160The question is how do we balance all of that and still create human interactions that drive our clientsamp8217 businessesamp160 Itamp8217s something weamp8217re uniquely good atKathy amp160Can you share an example or twoKristina amp160One of the things that Starcom did years ago that prepared us for the media world weamp8217re in today has been to minimize silos groups that focus only on one area and replace them with centers of excellence where expertise in a specific area exists and can support clientfocused teams amp160That helps us create experiences that can resonate in our clientamp8217s businesses and across the industryamp160 Iamp8217m proud to have been part of Starcomamp8217s GM Planworks team years ago that pulled partners together for a common goal and not only worked for the client including the very first addressable television campaigns but shaped how media organizations work with clients to this dayMy most memorable Starcom project was on behalf of Bank of America some years ago a partnership with History Channel focused on the history of the bankamp160 So smart creative and on target and it really moved brand metricsKathy amp160What innovations excite you today Kristina amp160Iamp8217m shocked at the power of voiceenabled technologyamp160 I was an early adopter of that technology because of my work at iHeartMedia and Iamp8217ve heard that 50 of all purchases will be by voice by 2020amp160 And Iamp8217m excited by neuroresearchamp160 When it comes to how media campaigns affect consumers you canamp8217t fake brain wavesKathy amp160Youamp8217re once again working for Kathy Ring Starcomamp8217s US CEO to whom you reported when you first joined Starcom in the Ninetiesamp160 Can you tell us a bit about the role mentorship has played in your careerKristina amp160Iamp8217m thrilled and honored thereamp8217s not a strong enough word to be working with Kathy again My only formal mentorship experience was a amp8220reverseamp8221 mentorship from someone a generation behind me from whom I learned a lot about technology and how that generation wants to workamp160 I wish Iamp8217d done more formal mentorshipamp160 Perhaps thereamp8217s an opportunity to do that nowKathy amp160You mentioned integrating life and work amp160Can you tell us about your own worklife balance Kristina amp160I gave up on that long agoamp160 In todayamp8217s world with cellphones and laptops work and life are intertwinedamp160 If one part of your life isnamp8217t working well it crosses over into the other part so itamp8217s in companiesamp8217 best interests for their employees to be content in both areasamp160 With three teenage boys I have to do what everyone else does create my own boundaries and set my own priorities amp160Iamp8217ve done every type of work strategy at one point while working parttime I spent two days a week in New York one in Detroit and one in Chicagoamp160 And I live in ChicagoClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160amp160

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Starcom USA's Kristina Lutz On the Changing Media Landscape

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