Why do I need Bedrock′s scientific/technical team and LA PIPA′s community to build a new international Media and marketing Agency like Re:Motive?

I decided to start LA PIPA in 2019 in response to insights and real-world challenges at my previous companies (which I sold in 2020). Here are some things I have learnt (the hard way) along the way which I would like to share with you.

Now that I am "Back in the game" and immersed in building a new international agency called ReMotive Media , after a long period out of the market I am more convinced than ever that mathematicians, physicists, and other scientists have a unique skill set that is even more valuable today than four years ago because change has been accelerated by the widespread adoption of new AI tools and the pandemic.

Most people in the industry now use Midjourney, Chat-GPT, DALL-E, and other Generative-AI tools that our team understand inside-out, and knows how to customise, build, adapt and, more importantly: explain to people like me in plain language.

On the other side, I′m not sure if I am surprised or not that most media agencies and marketing teams still face the same challenges (or more of them) when trying to incorporate these skills, STEM professionals and integrate their talent into traditional agency digital and offline teams who, to this day still don′t really understand what accelerated change is really about and that AI is not going to "go away by ignoring it"...

So, I thought it would be nice to share some of my thoughts openly about this ongoing "clash of cultures" based on my own experiences and the many mistakes I have made myself on my journey:

1. Different Attraction Points: Scientists are often more attracted to roles that allow them to tackle complex theoretical problems or projects with purpose rather than the basic applied problems typically found in media and marketing. They find most of our complexities easy to resolve and insufficient to satisfy their intellectual appetite and drive to contribute to important things for society.
2. Mismatched Language and Culture: The culture in marketing and media agencies can differ significantly from academic or research-oriented environments. Jargon, goals, and performance metrics can differ significantly. This can be a daunting transition for someone from a pure science background, and often, top talent struggles to see the value of what we do and why many of our priorities and deadlines are essential (to us, our demanding marketing clients and their businesses).
3. Perception of Value: Many scientists perceive roles in media and marketing as having lesser value or impact than more technical roles in fields such as engineering, medicine, Generative AI, robotics, computer vision, NLP, or pure R&D with no specific short-term ROI goals.
4. Lack of Technical Challenges: While media and marketing have their own complex problems, they might not always offer the deep mathematical or theoretical challenges that some scientists seek. For example, a great Data scientist (hello Imanol!), the first to join the Unexpected Intelligence team at LA PIPA in 2019, resolved one of the annoying mmedia planning / flighting problems we had struggled with at all the agencies I had worked in; he did it during the job interview on a napkin, while he was eating a sandwich. He was 21 and had never heard of "media" before. I realised then that I was dealing with people of exceptional talent capable of doing much more than I would ever be and that my value was my experience, accumulated knowledge and being able to set the correct problems in the proper context for him without telling him what to do, but asking him how it could be done. I probably didnt really grasp how different it would be to work with Imanol and the others compared to what I had done until then, and I now know that I made many mistakes in the following 2 years trying to "reel them" into "my world". Something which I encourage you not to do, as I was mistaken and I regret it.
5. Compensation and Benefits: Industries known for hiring mathematicians and physicists, like finance (quantitative analysts, for instance) or tech (data scientists, for instance), often have high salary packages. Media and marketing agencies might only sometimes be competitive in this regard. And it's not just about money either.
6. Lack of Awareness: Many scientific professionals are unaware of the opportunities and roles available in the media and marketing sectors. They might need to be exposed to the relevance of their skill set in these fields during their academic or early career stages, something which doesn't happen for many reasons, but mainly because Media has never been the critical topic in Advertising and Marketing degrees either, who have focused on Creative and Account management in most universities, so the gap is getting wider.
7. Education and Training: Many of the problems in media and marketing require domain-specific knowledge. Scientists might need additional training or onboarding, which can be seen as a barrier by potential employers. Again, how do you train someone with such a different background as a mathematician, Physicist, or Engineer when most of the team in the agency don't understand what they do, how they think, and are scared of losing their jobs if this new joiner brings in Algorithms and automation in the fist place?
8. Rapidly Changing Landscape: The media and marketing worlds evolve rapidly with emerging technologies and platforms. Someone from a more static field might find this pace of change challenging. The rhythm of work in Media & Marketing and the ability to decide what should become a process or a project and what not is challenging for them. It took me a long time to learn how to be selective in what I talk about and what I say or ask for since, unknowingly, I have sent my teams into "deep thinking" mode to answer me on silly things not worth spending much time and effort on. On the other hand, many times, I have not managed to ask for focus properly on the critical stuff and got frustrated about not having answers. I never meant to be like that and can only say sorry, guys; I get it now! By sharing this learning, I hope to avoid other "media folk" falling into the same trap.
9. Job Stability and Longevity: While this may not always be true, some scientists might perceive marketing and media roles as more volatile or subject to market whims than a research position in academia or industry. They are long-term thinkers who seek to make an impact. Many have spent four years on a PhD while we media people will change jobs 2 or 3 times in that same period when under 30.
10. Communication Skills: While many scientists have excellent communication skills, the style and methods of communication can be different in media and marketing. This might require additional training or adjustments. I encourage everyone (that still does) to avoid the stereotypes and stop thinking of scientists and introverts lacking social skills. They are probably not interested in what we have to say and avoid talking to us about their passions out of respect since they know we won't understand most of what they have to say, which is incredibly interesting once you get into it!
11. Team Dynamics: Marketing and media roles often require close collaboration with diverse teams (like creatives, strategists, etc.), whereas some scientific roles might be more solitary or work within more homogenous groups. Respect that and create comfortable, equipped environments for them to meet, talk and challenge themselves (and others) with hands-on work not limited to what you need for tomorrow.

So, all of these are just examples of insights and learnings about why building a culture entwined with the agency culture yet with its own identity relevant to specific talent is important. Still, there are many more things I would gladly share with you over a coffee.

On to the the role of LA PIPA IS LA PIPA.

New Working Models and Hubs: The Rising Significance in Media and Marketing.

I will share some fundamental benefits of adopting this new knowledge-first approach for teams, partners, collaborators, and clients:

1. Remote Work & Flexibility: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote working. This paradigm shift means that geographical constraints no longer bind companies. However, the LA PIPA IS LA PIPA hub model was created before the pandemic in response to my views on some of the issues abovementioned could perhaps be resolved by providing a space for STEM professionals to collaborate in person when needed while still embracing the flexibility of remote work.
2. Collaborative Open Innovation: Media and marketing are collaborative industries. Spaces like LA PIPA IS LA PIPA provide an environment conducive to spontaneous interactions, brainstorming sessions, and unplanned collaborations, fostering innovative solutions to ever-evolving challenges.
3. Networking Opportunities: These hubs become melting pots for professionals across different domains and specialities. The chance encounters and networking opportunities can lead to new business ventures, partnerships, or simply fresh perspectives. The ecosystem also helps Scientists to mingle with business people and reduces fear in both directions.
4. Diverse Talent Pool: By offering a space where professionals from various fields congregate, hubs such as LA PIPA ensure that in-house companies and outside collaborators have access to diverse skills and expertise, which can be crucial for human-led, data-driven media and marketing strategy and next-gen projects of today.
5. Cost Efficiency: Instead of maintaining large permanent offices, we decided to operate through knowledge hubs which are more economical and capture learnings and know-how more efficiently by concentrating in places where we can work hand to hand with Universities and public authorities rather than scattering people around and trying to coordinate dozens of offices like I use to. An open, hybrid working model reduces overheads without sacrificing productivity.
6. Learning and Growth: We host workshops, seminars, and talks, which become avenues for professionals to upskill, stay updated with industry trends, and continuously grow – an essential aspect for industries in constant flux.
7. Work-Life Balance: The flexibility offered by such models allows professionals to balance their work schedules with personal commitments better, leading to increased job satisfaction, lower burnout rates, and higher retention.
8. Sustainability: As businesses become more conscious about their carbon footprint, these hubs, which might be optimized for energy efficiency and shared resources, present a more sustainable option than traditional office spaces.
9. Local Economic Boost: Hubs like LA PIPA IS LA PIPA significantly boost local economies by attracting professionals, increasing demand for local services, and creating ancillary job opportunities.
10. Adapting to Change: The media and marketing world is characterized by its rapid pace and susceptibility to market and technological changes. Flexible working models provided by such hubs allow businesses to be more agile, quickly scaling up or down based on project requirements.

In conclusion, as the media and marketing industry evolves, adaptability, collaboration, and innovation become paramount.

New working models and hubs, such as LA PIPA IS LA PIPA in Asturias (Northern Spain), embody these principles, making them invaluable assets in the contemporary professional & business landscape.

Happy to chat with you if you would like to know more!

Alex Lawton

Founder & CEO

www.lapipa.io

www.bedrockdbd.com

www.rmtv.io