general
“THE
cros-media
Reach
makes
us unique”
Julie Neyman (39)
ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR BELGIUM SINCE APRIL 2021. SHE PREVIOUSLY HELD VARIOUS POSITIONS AT DPG MEDIA.
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Julie Neyman
directeur Advertising
Sales België
Julie Neyman started her new job as Advertising Sales director Belgium in 2021. There are big challenges in this market where you’re up against Big Tech, but there is also lots of confidence. “We want to be the advertiser’s preferred partner.”
AA National Sales Director at DPG Media Belgium, Julie Neyman gained considerable experience of creating successful client relationships. She’s been Advertising Sales director since April 2021. A busy job. “It’s very tricky to combine work and private life,” says the mother of three. “If possible, I relax by going running or cycling, and I try to keep in contact with friends. And then there’s the sea. I now live in Heusden, near Ghent, but I’m originally from Ostend. I love going back to the coast. It’s always like coming home and gives you a bit of a holiday feeling.”
How did you find the transition to your new job?
“Fortunately, I was already familiar with the sales team. The job is now a lot broader. As Advertising Sales director, I’m also responsible for everything creative, because we attract advertisers in a creative way with our content. I have a broader view of the organisation, which means that I’m also involved in the plans of News City and the Entertainment department, for example. It has been a challenge, because we work with big teams, but I really enjoy doing it.”
In what way do you try to get the best out of your people?
“I think it’s very important for people to be empowered. If you can focus on your own strengths and use them to the best of your ability in your job, then you can get the best out of yourself and put in a top performance. And I’m convinced that you’ll then develop your other competences further and better. Furthermore, I have a down-to-earth management style. I’m keen on honest and open communication, and a culture in which everyone is accessible and approachable. And has a voice.”
What is the key to success in a sales organisation
“Team spirit. Camaraderie, cooperating and trusting each other’s expertise. As a sales organisation, we face the challenge of bringing together all the brands in a cross-media offering for advertisers. We can only do this if we pool all our expertise and approach our advertisers in this way. And a can do mentality: spirit, drive and passion are very important in a commercial organisation.”
“As a sales organisation, we face the challenge of bringing together all the brands in a cross- media offering for advertisers”
What are the major challenges?
“Competition has increased. You see a lot of new e-commerce platforms emerging. Look at Instagram, where online commerce has become a big sector. In addition, there are more video players and apps that also offer a service. Using the KBC bank app, you can watch a football match, for example. In this way, they also attract other advertisers. A second challenge is globalisation. Belgium is a small country. When an advertiser decides where to invest his money, Belgium isn’t always the country with the highest priority. The bigger companies become, the more international deals they have with YouTube or Facebook. That really puts our digital offering under pressure.”
How can DPG Media face up these global players?
“Google and Meta are indeed global players with very strong platforms. Just like them, we want to focus on strong advertising products, a better quality user experience and efficient ways of purchasing. But we can make ourselves more distinctive. We achieve that with our local, relevant content and our reliable brands. The multiplicity of our brands and platforms makes for a strong cross-media offering with a wide reach. And our most important trump card is perhaps the fact that we’re close to advertisers and their brands. Thanks to our knowledge of the local market and culture, we want to be their point of contact for connecting brands with each other. We must always ask ourselves how we can create a stronger reach. The fact that we’re closer to them and can talk to them is an advantage that we have over the bigger players. Thanks to our knowledge of local consumers, our connection with advertisers and a strong understanding of their objectives, we can make a difference in the market. In this way, we want to become the preferred partner.”
“We want to concentrate on three main pillars: operational excellence, customer centricity and a strong cross-media offering”
How can DPG Media's platforms respond even better to customers?
“We always try to propose a cross-media plan. If a customer advertises on TV, we also propose a radio campaign or a display campaign on HLN.be. At the same time, content can run on VTM GO. The cross-media reach is what makes us unique.”
What are the plans for the near future?
“We want to concentrate on three main pillars: operational excellence, customer centricity and a strong cross-media offering. The aim is to become more customer-centric and focus on customers and their brands. We’re improving our services thanks to enhanced expertise, the after-sales service and making our offering more accessible through tools. We’re focusing on a digitally inclusive sales approach and we train our people thoroughly. We want to meet and reach more customers, become real partners and support our customers more in thinking about their business.”
Can DPG Media become even more customer-centric?
“Definitely. Advertisers see DPG Media’s offering as a single whole. They’re looking for a strong plan in order to reach their target group. If we want to become more customer-centric, we must objectively understand customers’ wishes in detail and offer them a solution across all our media. The question we always ask ourselves is: how can each content platform and each brand maintain its individuality and how can we as a management team then offer this as a single solution to advertisers?”
