Agency Business #11: Bob Lord on Horizon Media’s Tech Strategy and the Future of Agencies
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Mar 3, 2025 Bob Lord, President of Horizon Media Holdings, dives into how Horizon is redefining the agency model with a focus on AI and performance-based pricing. He highlights the industry's 'Great Marketing Emergency' due to its slow tech adoption. Lord discusses the proprietary platform Blu+, which enhances agency-client control, and emphasizes the growing trend towards transparency. He also explores the evolving dynamics between media and creative, noting that today’s tech-savvy CMOs are driving change, positioning independent agencies for success.
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Bob Lord's Career Journey
- Bob Lord started as an engineer implementing factory robots nearly 35 years ago.
- He led Razorfish, helped create AOL's programmatic platform, and held major IBM leadership before joining Horizon Media.
Great Marketing Emergency Insight
- Marketing industry faces a "Great Marketing Emergency" due to lagging tech adoption and complexity.
- Horizon's Blu+ platform empowers marketers with transparency and direct control, unlike traditional agency models.
Client Sophistication Drives Change
- Clients today are more tech- and data-savvy and demand transparency from agencies.
- Open ecosystem integration and real-time campaign insights set Horizon apart from opaque holding companies.