As Chief Strategy Officer, Cédric Tytgat has been a member of the strategy team at Mediabrands for the past ten years.
“A while back, we decided to set up a new strategy department, something that was generally quite a new concept for media agencies at the time. We thought it would be beneficial to pool our experiences with different clients. This has enabled us to deepen our understanding of what our clients actually want, which in turn has helped us attract new clients, assisting them in developing their own strategies year on year. Today, our department has five people, each with their own personality and expertise, giving our team a varied and complementary skill set.”
Hired in 1997, Cédric has a good track record at Mediabrands. “When I started, I was tasked with analyzing all the advertising investments made by our competitors, a type of watch that was very important at the time. Then, after two years, I was offered the chance to move into media planning, where I would stay for 12 years. Next, I joined the newly-established research department. Having been there from the very beginning, it’s pleasing to see that the department has become an important part of the operation, currently conducting 150 to 200 studies per year. Now, after 24 years at Mediabrands, I’m currently the company’s chief strategist. The few difficult moments I’ve experienced during this time have come when arriving at the end of a cycle, moments when I’d say to myself ‘OK, I’ve got the hang of this, it’s whirring away, but now I think I’d like to move on’. In fact, what I’ve always appreciated, and perhaps it’s the reason why I never left, is that I’ve always been given the opportunity to grow and sometimes even to forge my own path. They have never stood in the way of my development, and we have always enjoyed positive discussions. I think this is one of Mediabrands’ true hallmarks.”
Shaking it up
Over his 24 years at the company, Cédric has witnessed many major changes in the world of media. “The internet has truly shaken up the media industry, affecting its every inch, with the exception of billboards, of course. The press has been affected by the emergence of online publications, television and cinema by streaming services. This has meant that the industry has had to adapt, and therefore so have we. For example, at the time, everyone greeted the arrival of the internet with a slight amount of curiosity, wondering whether it had any chance of succeeding. I mean, we have been wrong in the past, it could even have been a total flop. For 20 years now, we’ve been working on this media transformation. Among these changes, it’s become our role to choose, guide and predict how effective media can be compared to advertising. Going forward, we’ll probably experience major changes as a result of the ever-increasing use of ‘insourcing’, particularly when it comes to digital media. In facing this, I believe that, to adapt, we will have to rely more on studies, advice and strategy. We’ll become more geared towards consultancy and support for very specific assignments, i.e. support for our clients in advertising or even for creative agencies that would benefit from our ‘intelligence’.”
Another change that Cédric witnessed was how both Initiative and UM found their place in the Mediabrands hive, without losing their own identity and focus. “We had to breathe new life into two completely different entities and create a real coherence between them. This was as complicated as it was challenging. Ultimately, Mediabrands would end up succeeding in meeting this challenge. It’s very clear that this cohesive, collaborative and cooperative side forms the basis of the company’s true strength. I believe that, going forward, we should ensure this feeling of belonging becomes a point of pride and look to further strengthen the bonds that already unite us all.”
As a skilled strategist, Cédric has welcomed these changes, just as he welcomes a certain level of chaos. “The interesting thing about strategy, is that you have to accommodate chaos. The way we work is highly inconsistent. There are periods of high intensity, then others that are more relaxed. On some occasions, we may have just three weeks to deliver a brand-new dossier from scratch, while on others, we simply complete everyday tasks. The key is to be able to cope with this dichotomy. In fact, I’ve never been particularly affected by it, given that I myself am slightly chaotic by nature. The one essential thing in this line of work is to keep a curious eye on external developments. It is to go beyond our basic duties, to pay attention to culture, to gain a clear and accurate perception of the consumer. It’s important to look beyond your own surroundings and observe others, and have a genuine interest in people and a love of chaos.”
At the same time, failure also plays a crucial role in the life of a strategist. Cédric and his team go over such instances with a curious and an analytical eye. “You win some, you lose some. While this can be for quite objective reasons, such as financial, we always stand strong together as a team and take it on the chin, no matter what. We are full of good faith and good will, while also being honest. If something hasn’t worked, we do a ‘post mortem’, objectively searching for any determining crucial ‘weaknesses’. All in all, we are talking fine margins. After all, this is a very competitive market.”
Full circle
At work, Cédric is valued for his genuine nature, a quality he also carries into his activities outside of Mediabrands. “I have a passion for photography. It is something that’s always interested me, despite the fact that I don’t do it myself. Maybe one day, but I think it best to leave this to people more talented than I am. This is why, following a chance encounter, a friend and I decided to put deserving, talented photographers in the spotlight via our newly founded, not-for-profit photo book publishing company. For our second book, we wanted to represent Belgium from a sociological perspective. We tasked a student with taking random photographs of the insides of around one hundred fridges in Belgium. And thus, we were able to capture ‘La Belgique Vue du Frigo – België Gezien Door de Koelkast’ (i.e. Belgium as seen through its fridges). With photos bearing captions such as “married woman – two children – pensioner”, it ended up being quite a fun book.”
Having appeared in major Belgian and French book fairs, along with being cited among some of the best photographic books, there is much to be proud of in this book, which has now come full circle.
“Although we decided to make this book on a whim, it stems from my approach within my professional life, my curiosity in people, my observant eye, my interest in the consumer. In the end, what really put the icing on the cake was that Mediabrands decided to reissue it to show it to our clients!”