My First 150+ Days at GroupM and Midas Exchange, WPP

It’s been 150+ days since I’ve made the decision to embark on a new journey with GroupM Canada, more specifically, helping to launch and build Midas Exchange (WPP’s corporate trading arm) in a market that has seen significant changes in the way’s clients and media owners are investing and re-investing in their media strategies.

These 150 days have flown by – with great reason. As the saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun”; could not be a truer statement in my case. As I reflect on my first 150 days, I reminisce about my positive on-boarding experience, meeting the leaders across GroupM, importing and exporting ideas and processes across borders, and meeting all the brilliant minds behind the craft.

I often get asked, “How’s the new job”, “How are things going at GroupM” – and am often responding with a short version of which I am hoping to elaborate on in a bit more detail.

When I had made the decision to make the leap from one agency network to another, it wasn’t until I researched and networked with the minds behind GroupM Canada and the Midas US business that I had truly realized the opportunity at hand. The opportunity to take everything I have learned in my 15+ years as a strategic-marketer, coupled with my extensive knowledge in media, corporate trading, relationship building, and commercial acumen – I saw this as an opportunity to build and grow something meaningful, and be the person that this industry desperately needed. Someone to guide, re-develop, educate, future-proof, and course-correct the complex world of corporate trading in Canada.

Throughout my time in media, I have come across dozens of advertisers who have had terrible experiences with corporate trading – which burdened them with media trade credits that were unusable, products and services which were jeopardizing the integrity of the advertiser’s brand image, and cannibalizing sales channels and markets that made it difficult for these advertisers to ever re-coup the return on their corporate trading investments. Corporate trading which offers an abundance of value to media providers are also often left with a sour taste – as corporate trading companies sell the idea of volume in exchange for discounts – are sometimes left with terrible experiences and unfulfilled commitments. 

I have taken this as an opportunity to pioneer change that could make a real difference in our industry and for advertisers across Canada. Adopting the GroupM philosophy on delivering the very best media opportunities for our clients; I have never been so motivated and committed to re-writing the book on corporate trade – and ensuring every advertiser in Canada has access to the necessary knowledge and resources to determine whether corporate trading is a right fit for their business strategy.

With out further or due, below are my 3 takeaways from my first 150+ days at GroupM and Midas Exchange:

Sophistication

One of the immediate differences about GroupM that I have noticed is the exceptional level of sophistication amongst the agency network and the people that drive the business forward – day-in and day-out. There is an abundance of talent and expertise with-in the agency network (locally and globally), which are leveraged strategically to uncover opportunities, solve business problems, and share industry insights; that ultimately lead to seamless (and very organic) collaboration, cross-function learning opportunities, and positive business results for clients and media partners.

One of the biggest differentiators in how GroupM operates, is how organically teams, disciplines, and agencies across the network work with one another to drive smarter business decisions and investments on behalf of our collective and diverse roster of clients. Often, clients do not get full-visibility into the back-end efforts that are put in place to secure and ensure a positive brand-partnership experience with their agency – and at GroupM, that partnership and experience is everything. And the investment teams, strategists, and communicators across our agencies are a true testament to the commitment on delivering the best in solutions, products, and brain-power – to achieve optimal growth for GroupM partners. There is an abundance of talent and resources to tap into here at GroupM, which makes getting something done much quicker, with more efficiency and effectiveness behind every brief, meeting, email, conference call, and execution.

Leadership

Leadership at GroupM come in many forms. Regardless of discipline and title, there is an underlying, unspoken culture driven by curiosity. The people here ask questions. They aren’t afraid to be wrong. And they aren’t afraid to ask for help. Conversations are happening at every workstation, in every boardroom, and every nook and cranny in our offices – all with the intent to do exceptional work, uncovering learning opportunities, and teachable moments. These conversations happen at every level with everybody’s input in mind. Everyone at GroupM is a leader. And nobody is undervalued.

One of the driving factors that had motivated me to make this leap – was most certainly the people. I follow industry professionals and agencies like others follow athletes and professional sports teams. I make a conscious effort to understand who is where, what they do, and how well they are doing it. It is leaders like Stuart Garvie, Sebastian Rennie, Devon MacDonald, Kevin Johnson, and Kristie Painting (to name a few) that all come from diverse backgrounds that had caught my attention. I noticed a shift in how GroupM was investing in people – and talent. And that was enough for me to investigate further – which led me to want to be a part of what they have built and continue on building.

My first couple weeks at GroupM was met with a series of greet and meets. And to no surprise – after meeting with several key stakeholders across GroupM– it was apparent, I am on the right path. The people are supportive, they are curious, and they genuinely want to help. The people here at GroupM make the time to understand what we are building. They ask how they can be of help. And they push to make things happen. Because the people of GroupM value collaboration, they understand the importance of our capabilities (especially in today’s market), and they know that their clients will be in good company when collaborating with Midas Exchange.

Although the people in leadership positions may change from time to time, the methodology of being supportive and doing what is right – for the greater good will remain, if GroupM continues to invest in forward-thinkers who bring a diverse perspective and skill-sets to the table, I will never stop learning.

Leadership is a mindset at GroupM. I like that a lot. 

Community

This part is what excites me the most about GroupM. We celebrate the industry, not just our success. I have been exposed to agencies where celebrating a competing brand or client success is frowned upon, where publicly supporting the personal achievements of industry professionals outside of the network is deemed inappropriate and censored. Simply put, I've come to terms that when your values and operating principles differ from your employer, the work no longer seems purposeful. The fun stops. And you start looking at the people making those important decisions differently.

The industry is our community. And with-in that community are pockets of communities that make up the landscape of agencies, media providers, advertisers, and 3rd party companies. Being a board member of the National Advertising Benevolent Society, Board Member and Student Engagement Co-Chair of the AdClub of Toronto, President of the Media & Communications Research Council of Canada, and working with multiple trades and industry associations has broadened my perspective on how we should celebrate success with-in our industry. Great work is great work. Great people are great people. And our industry needs to shine a light on those who push the barrier, produce purposeful work for their clients, and champion the industry for the greater good (of our people) – and to put Canada on the global stage, and show the world that Canada is a market full of potential.

At GroupM, community and culture are not an afterthought. They are the foundation of what makes this agency network special – unique, and a great place to unlock possibilities.

About Boris Cho

Boris Cho is a marketing strategist from Toronto, ON. Boris has over a decade of professional marketing, media, strategy, and business development expertise – and has assumed senior-level and leadership roles with organizations across multiple industries. Boris is an entrepreneurial self-starter with a sincere passion for all things marketing, digital innovation, media, and advertising. Boris values hard work and the opportunity to pioneer change.

Boris is also a comic book and science fiction enthusiast. When he’s not surfing the waves of the multiverse, you can find him writing nonsense, snapping photographs, sautéing leftovers, or climbing up the ranks in an online guild. In addition, Boris is also a loving father to the most beautiful daughter of all time/space.