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My life in advertising: Matt Seiler

Josh Colley talks to Matt Seiler, Interpublic’s new chief executive for Mediabrands, on the breadth of skills needed to furrow a successful career in media and how digitisation has transformed media’s role

Fresh-faced hopefuls may be surprised to learn that number skills are key for entry into the media industry. “I thought advertising was creative and I was going to be writing. But every business is about numbers and everything is about maths,” says Seiler as he recalls his first job interview for account executive at full-service ad agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. One of his first tasks was to compile billings reports and spending analysis – not what an English literature graduate expected from the world of advertising.

Despite describing his early work on the creative side as the “greatest gig ever”, Seiler is a strong believer in the benefits that moving between disciplines brings, from handling strategic planning at BBDO New York to Omnicom’s insight and integration.

“The best gift you can get is being at a place where you can continue to learn,” says Seiler. “And you can aggregate the knowledge and apply it to the next role.” Although each step seems like a natural progression, Seiler accepts that it didn’t always feel that way: “The biggest stepping off point was going from accounts into the holding company.”

The biggest industry changes, however, have come around him. Seiler has seen a complete evolution in the role that media plays in the industry with the emergence of a new global economy and investment banking poaching agencies’ brightest talent.

Seiler pinpoints one moment that typifies the way media was perceived when following a pitch a “really terrific” creative guy asked: “What’s a really bright guy like you doing in media?”

Little did the rest of the industry know that the media people that sat on different floors before being cast off had been quietly building a knowledge base that would see them wield plenty of influence with clients.

“What we didn’t notice is that all the clients’ money went with them, along with all the data,” he reflects. “Even media agencies took a while to know they had the keys to the kingdom, and they only realised with digitisation because that offered the ability to track.”

Seiler hopes his new role will allow him to now focus on the client in an era where agencies now know more about the consumer than ever before.

It’s a far cry from his early experiences in an industry built on slogans such as “it isn’t creative if it doesn’t sell”. He says: “The truth is that we didn’t know if it sold. Now we do, so it’s an opportunity to reinvent what an agency can be.”

Q&A

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?

I still love what I do and I think I still keep it all in perspective.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

To not always be looking for the next thing.

BIGGEST MISTAKE?

Not being born early enough to be in a privately-held company that netted me great wealth.

MOST VALUABLE SKILL?

Open-mindedness, optimism, curiosity - anything, in fact, other than the status quo.

YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE?

Chill out a little. Don’t feel that everything is easier. Take a chill pill.

WHAT’S YOUR BEST TIP?

The account executive is going to become the most critical role. And we haven’t grown them, so it’s about finding or creating the biggest or best account people.

AND IF YOU WEREN’T IN MEDIA?

I’d have bought, sold and renovated houses, either that or found a way to get paid for skiing.

AND IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?

I hope I’m as excited about what I’m doing then.

Josh Colley