fbpx
SheCreative Network
Archived

The FOMA Q&A: Anheuser Busch InBev’s Maarten Albarda

GLOBAL – NOVEMBER 10, 2011: The Festival of Media Asia (FOMA), which takes place at the Marina Bays Sands in Singapore on November 13 to 15, will bring together top leaders from media agencies and client organizations. In this exclusive Q&A with adobo, Maarten Albarda, vice president – global connections at Anheuser-Busch InBev, gives a sneak peek into his FOMA talk on the changes in media from the advertiser’s perspective.
 
What are the key points that your session will tackle? 
Essentially I am going to take TV to task as they keep increasing cost, decreasing young adult audiences and, most worryingly, decreasing relevance for young adults. Internet is the new TV, and it delivers audiences that are targetable, measurable and they are delivered with 100% transparency versus GRP’s. And with growing bandwidth I can use it just like TV.
 
What important shifts are taking place in Asia-Pacific today and how is Anheuser Busch InBev addressing them? 
One of the key issues is media inflation. As Asia Pacific economies grow and new advertiser categories come into the ad market (financial services, cars, technology & mobility players, etc.) the advertising cost rise, and in most markets they rise significantly ahead of inflation. That is unsustainable, and having a serious impact on the cost of doing business.
 
The good news is that there are viable alternatives and we will pursue those far more aggressively and actively. The “Fans First” direct approach to consumers is a very real alternative to mass media with accountability and measurability built in.
 
What are you most excited about in terms of business, technology and the industry?
I am excited about the increasing amount of data that gives us insights into real ROI. If you are responsible for a brand or connection plans, you are, in effect, an investment manager. It is your job to determine the best (connections) investment portfolio that delivers the highest ROI. To do that, you need analysts and good data. In the financial world, the analogy is the Bloomberg Terminal that gives you access to all data you need to make investment decisions. With the increase in consumer marketing and connections data, the “Bloomberg Terminal for Connections” is getting better and better.
 
For more details on The Festival of Media Asia, visit www.festivalofmedia.com/asia.

 

Partner with adobo Magazine

Related Articles

Back to top button