The Wooing of an Ad Man
A journey through the TV network upfronts with an ad buyer.
May 18, 2007 — -- NEW YORK — Strobe lights, confetti, party favors, loud music and lots and lots of parties.
A week of television network sales pitches are over and now national ad buyers can start the real work.
The events where the networks unveil the new season's lineups — known as the upfronts — may be a lot of fun, but for most in the advertising world, the real work begins after the upfronts.
In the last few years the events have become glitzier and more extravagant.
But do they really hold any value for those responsible for deciding where millions of dollars in ad revenue flows?
ABC News followed one ad buyer as he weaved his way through the CW's upfront Thursday and captured his thoughts on the process.
Before hearing about a single show, the audience of ad buyers, advertisers and analysts had to file through a maze of free food.
People were handing out Jamba Juice smoothies, scones, bagels, yogurt, fruit cups and other breakfast foods to the entering crowd.
For nearly an hour before the presentation started, the crowd waited in a room with more food, loud music, people doing paintings on a stage and models walking down a runway.
The CW is a network owned by CBS and Warner Brothers and targets an audience ages 18 to 34.
The room had a youthful feel, with a noise level that was more suitable for a rock show than a place to talk business.
"I wish I was back in the office," said Jason Kanefsky, a group account director with the MPG agency, a media-buying company whose clients include Dannon, ExxonMobile, GlaxoSmithKline, Volvo and Outback Steakhouse.
Kanefsky has a love-hate relationship with these events.
There is a lot that can be learned from network executives about the strategy for the season. But to hear that strategy, he often has to put up with a lot of song and dance that really doesn't help him decide where to put his clients' ad dollars.
"This doesn't really give me a sound reason to make a buying decision," he said, looking around at the food and painters onstage. "To me it's financially irresponsible."
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