There's no fight like a family fight

It's bad enough when your enemies point out all your failings, but what really hurts is when it comes from inside the family. That's what happened at the 4A (American Association of Adverising Agencies) meeting last week in Tucson.

The outgoing chairman of the association, Ron Berger, CEO of Euro RSCG, said that:

• * He doesn't much like Martin Sorrell, the honcho of rival WPP, because Sorrell is "concerned with pleasing Wall Street at the expense of Madison Avenue."
• * Nor does he care for Jack Klues, the boss of Starcom MediaVest, "whom he chided for comments made last month at the AAAAs media conference. In a discussion on the topic of whether media planning and creative functions--once mostly housed at the same agency but now frequently separate--should be reunited or 're-bundled,' Klues said that would amount to 'going back to the 80s.'" Apparently Berger disagrees.
• * In addition, the TV networks, Berger says, are "arrogant" and want to "simply take billions of dollars from us" without being partners.
• * Then Berger take his axe to Bob Liodice, the CEO of the Association of National Advertisers (the trade association for people who hire ad agencies), "for comments he made in favor of advertisers employing more than one agency, rather than consolidating their business."
• * And, finally, Berger attacked the trade press, suggesting that the "industry would be better if some of the people who write about our industry had a deeper understanding of it."

When we have a moment we'll try to have a few comments on the ad industry from its enemies. But that won't be anywhere near as much fun, will it?