Celine is Managing Director at Total Media. With over 20 years of media experience across both network and independent agencies, Celine’s expertise spans across all media with a particular passion for digital and technology. Shirley Smith, VP Sales EMEA at Flashtalking by Mediaocean picked Celine as her digital hero, now she passes on the honour by choosing hers.
Who is your digital hero?
Karen Eccles, Chief Commercial Officer, The Telegraph.
What has she done to win hero status in your eyes?
It is rare to find someone that is able to pivot between digital product, technology, innovation and commerciality with the prowess that Karen demonstrates on a continual basis.
However, what has really stood out to me over the years of knowing Karen is her brilliance as a spokeswoman for our industry – she communicates with personality and with candour; delivering clear points of view on complex topics with clarity and vision.
Karen is an inspiration to many across the industry ,not only for her ability to inspire , lead from the front and evolve products and services to deliver against the requirements of today’s digital ecosystem but also as an inspiration to women across the industry to have the confidence to develop their own voice in the industry. Finally, Karen gives her time generously to others and is one of the kindest and most open people this industry is lucky to have.
How has her heroism helped drive digital?
Karen has always put what is best for the consumer or reader in the case of the Telegraph, at the forefront of how the business delivers their digital product and this is at the heart of what the industry as a whole should be doing – understanding consumer behaviour and delivering a quality experience to provide sustainable business growth.
Programmes such as ‘Metrics that Matter’ , delivered what seems like light years ago now by the Telegraph is a stark reminder of the challenges we have today of understanding value driven by different media and the importance of attention which has become the in-vogue KPI of today’s ecosystem.
This focus on doing the right thing extends into Karen’s sphere of influence across the industry, cutting through the drivel and educating the market on the right ways to deliver commercial success whilst giving a damn about the people around you and your target consumer.
What the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
- One of the biggest challenges we need to solve is the knowledge gap that exists across the industry of really understanding digital to a level where everyone is on the same playing field. Whilst a lofty ambition , for all parts of the advertising ecosystem to have a base level of understanding in the digital ecosystem is so important for sustainable growth for all
- Measurement – from econometrics to attribution to attention metrics, to CPM, CPV, CPC – the industry is awash with different ways to measure and optimise yet there are so many methodologies being applied across the market that there is no consistency to understanding true value.
- Reducing the carbon footprint of digital – whilst there are a number of platforms and solutions available for measuring and offsetting carbon , there remain huge gaps in being able to deliver this effectively across all media and platforms.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
I am most proud to have established and embedded a complete range of in-house digital services within our business, all built around a unique behavioural planning proposition.
In a highly-competitive market this has allowed us to attract and retain an amazing range of diverse and special people and clients.
