As RBR+TVBR reported last week, Brian Wieser, the respected Wall Street and broadcast media ad revenue observer, revealed in a short note distributed via e-mail that January 27 would be his final day with GroupM/WPP.
Where would Wieser be heading? He’s just announced the creation of his own strategic advisory firm.
Introducing Madison and Wall, which is both the name of his new firm (www.madisonandwall.com) and an associated newsletter that saw its first issue distributed via email on Tuesday.
“The name refers to the work I have done for many years, which typically sits at the proverbial intersection of Madison Avenue and Wall Street,” Wieser explained.
The first subject shared by Wieser: Google, the US DOJ And The Consequences of a Break-Up. “It’s far from certain how everything plays out, but those rooting for a break-up in order to reduce market concentration in the technology industry could unwittingly be supporting an increase instead,” Wieser opines.
He also penned a thought piece on “Assessing Media Concentration: Think Global, Not Local.” Wieser shares, “[M]any of the largest American owners of television-related properties have been building out their businesses across borders, primarily through streaming services. Although some U.S.-based companies such as Warner Discovery have been public in conveying a pull-back in such investments, most of its direct competitors (as well as indirect ones such as Amazon and Apple) have continued to proceed with these initiatives.”
Wieser has become known as one of the top voices among Wall Street’s financial observers. As Senior Research Analyst of Advertising at Pivotal Research Group, he raised the blood pressure of many by declaring television as “the worst form of advertising except all those others which have been tried” for those with awareness-based goals. Nearly four years ago, he accepted the role of Global President of Business Intelligence at one of the world’s largest media buyers, joining groupM, the WPP-owned entity. With Wieser’s departure, his successor as GroupM’s lead forecaster is Kate Scott-Dawkins.
Wieser has been based in Portland since November 2011. He is Canadian and received his MBA from the University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ontario. He began his career as a Lehman Brothers associate in 2000. Two years later, he joined Deutsche Bank as an Associate Analyst. In October 2003 he took on the role of EVP/Global Director of Forecasting for Interpublic’s Magna Global. Wieser exited Magna in March 2011 for the CMO role at Simulmedia.
