The Fishbowl: Howard Parker, Reach
The Fishbowl
The Media Leader’s interview series asks the media industry’s top salespeople 10 revealing questions, drawn from our fishbowl. The questions will be drawn at random and contain some tricky posers set by the commercial chiefs themselves.
This week: Howard Parker — Reach’s regional sales director
Parker began his career local press sales in the mid-90s in Liverpool, where he had an early claim to fame: he worked in the Penny Lane district office (the building is in the Beatles’ song).
Having wanted to move into the nationals, Parker got a classified role at the Daily Telegraph in the early 2000s and worked his way up to trading director before moving to the Mirror Group to manage the Daily Mirror and Daily Record agency teams outside of London. Over the last few years that role has evolved to include a Scotland and Ireland agency business, Reach publishing team in London, as well as third-party publisher relationships.
Why are you passionate about media?
I’ve always loved how our industry evolves over time.
The newspaper world has especially adapted and changed with the transition to digital first publishing; more people read our content now than ever before in the 150-year history of newspapers. I started off in local print sales often selling spot colour as a premium add-on to classified ads, what we now sell is a world apart but fundamentally we sell a platform of highly valued, trusted content that is a really important part of everyone’s daily life.
What are the daily habits that make you good at your job?
Hopefully it doesn’t come across as ‘in my day’ but I do enjoy chatting through scenarios with teams and imparting some experience. They seem to respond well and it’s always a worthwhile process, getting involved to solve a situation and answer briefs.
I learnt my trade this way, although the media world is completely different the fundamentals of media business are still prevalent and vital to deliver success. There’s this view that things were more fun in the previous generation, but we thought that, too, so it’s probably not true… just different.
Question submitted by Pippa Scaife, VP brand partnerships at NBCUniversal)
What is one important skill that you think everyone should have?
As a sales person I honestly believe people who truly listen will always be better placed for success. It’s not our job to talk, listen then shape your sell around the clients needs.
If you could have any job in the world (other than what you do now), what would you do?
I’m very late to the dog world (a typical lock down convert!) but I’d love to be a dog trainer as I’d start with my own cockapoo who’s still bloody crazy four years later.
What would you tell your younger self about, if you could?
In my early days in sales it felt like you were the lesser component of the ad industry, and you had to get a favour from a buyer.
I look back now and know this just isn’t the case. A good sales person is invaluable to the customer and you can really influence a media plan if you deliver great service and product insight. I see this everyday with some of the great people in our business, forging relationships with a new generation of media buyers and planners.
(Question submitted by Richard Bon, UK managing director and Europe commercial lead at Clear Channel)
What is coming up in conversations with clients?
It’s fairly obvious nowadays, but for a brand to invest significant budget into a media channel we need to deliver a substantial, demonstrable ROI. This wasn’t always the case in the old print days.
One of the biggest changes to our world now is the scrutiny a media owner is under to deliver a return. The Northern market is especially performance- and retail-driven, and less about big brand. So clients’ expectations are high.
However, our huge developments in first-party data, audience scale, and the ability to make and deliver brilliant digital commercial content means we are set well for the future.
What superpower would you choose?
Fly. When you have a job like I do in the regions, including covering Scotland and Ireland, transport pain is a regular occurrence.
HS2, anyone?
(Question submitted by Emma Elford, commercial content director, The Independent)
If people are thinking about getting into media sales, what piece of advice would you give?
Years ago when I was a rep at the Liverpool Echo I used to read Campaign and Mediaweek religiously, even though it wasn’t that relatable to local direct sales. But I knew then I wanted to move into the agency sales world and work on a national brand.
David Emin (those of an age will remember) had a joke agony-uncle column and was asked this exact question. He said you should always be building your contacts in agencies but go to the next level up, so in those days it was not just your immediate buying contact but their boss, often the group media director.
When I was much more ‘on the tools’ (thanks Simon Price for that phrase) I took this advice and always tried to build good relationships with senior agency people. I say that now to my team, the best advice I ever read. I ended up working for David when he was ad director of the Mirror, I enthusiastically told him this story in the interview and he didn’t remember the article. Typical David…
If you could be any historical figure, who would it be and why?
Jurgen Klopp. Can he be classed as historical yet or too soon?
What a motivator of people! I know it’s a bit cliché but I love the story that he quizzed his playing squad after his first week to name all of the canteen staff. That set the tone for his reign.
(I know Jason is a Man Utd fan so couldn’t resist!)
(Question submitted by Jason Spencer, business development director at ITV)
Read more Fishbowl interviews here and see what media’s top salespeople say about working in the industry and what concerns their clients. To suggest an interviewee, contact [email protected].