Meet the speaker: Jim Elliot, James G. Elliot Inc

Advertising guru Jim Elliot is upbeat about the future of online advertising. Yes, the last few years have been hugely challenging for the media advertising industry. Dealing not only with the implications of Covid, but also initiatives from Apple and Google that may fundamentally change the way it operates.

Jim, founder of US National Ad Sales company James G. Elliott Co., Inc., however, points out there are plenty of opportunities too. Jim believes that the disruption is going to cause media companies to look again at their brands and think again about how they sell them.

***Jim will present a workshop at the FIPP World Media Congress in Cascais in June (more at fippcongress.com). Workshops at the Congress will be open to up to 20 Congress attendees, with applications opening in May. In the meantime, you can register for the Congress here, benefitting from our exclusive Early Bird offer saving you €600/ticket.***

He believes there may be a new golden age for online advertising, but recognises there are challenges ahead. “I think,” he tells Ashley, the biggest by far is the lack of training of people that are currently selling display advertising. They don’t have any background in it.

“Instead, they are more transactional. And that will have to change with these developments like Apple’s privacy initiative and Google’s phasing out of third-party cookies. There are going to be other developments coming very rapidly. All of these things are going to disrupt the business again.”

In terms of opportunities in the immediate run, Jim sees the ability to get back and meet in person after two years of Covid-related lockdowns as the biggest. “I think the biggest opportunity in 2022 and for the next couple of years is getting back and meeting people in person. I can tell you it’s really difficult to sell via zoom.

“The biggest opportunity is to get back. Go to shows, go and see clients in their offices. And start to find out what their real needs are not through Zoom. So I think getting together in person is the biggest opportunity for now. I (also) think that technology will give us all kinds of new exciting tools going forward, particularly post Covid. But the key will be when people are able to get together and brainstorm.”

Read the full interview with Jim on FIPP.com, here.

Join us in Cascais for the FIPP Congress. Sign up now to save with our discounted Early Bird offer.

Congress at a glance:

Agenda with two speaker stages and a workshop area
More than 50 top-notch international speakers
Access to session recordings after the event
Attendees from at least 25 countries
Two leading publisher and tech expo areas
Two smoothie and networking bars
Two evening networking events
Networking coffee and lunches
Several dedicated meeting spaces
The Pugpig running/walking club
VIP lunches and dinners
FIPP board and Congress speaker lounge
Delegate free time to explore Cascais
Wonderful scenery
Sunshine (fingers crossed!)

See the speaker programme (note: remains subject to change):

Day 1, 8 June
Day 2, 9 June

Or visit the Congress website for more.