Interview Menno Westinga

with Menno Westinga

Managing Director

Playbook of Innovation:

Can you answer this in one word? Innovation, for you, is…

Menno Westinga:

Being different.

If I could use more words, I’d say, for me, innovation is about daring to do things that are creative and different from the road that we already know works. From a media perspective, it also reflects the brands that dare to do new things and are different from what others are already doing.

Playbook of Innovation:

Why is innovation important for you, your teams, your agency, clients, consumers, and the industry?

Menno Westinga:

It’s about finding new approaches because I like exploring things that haven’t been done before.

For my teams, it’s about thinking beyond the ordinary. There are roadmaps and ways of working, but innovation is thinking beyond what’s been done. For the agency, we want to attract clients who appreciate our creativity. For our clients, innovation is important in making them feel proud to work with us.

It’s important for customers or consumers because it’s about their connection and experience with the brand. So, if you have a brand that you feel connected to, you’re likely to like and buy the brand. It’s about that connection.

Playbook of Innovation:

How do you create an environment where innovation can flourish?

Menno Westinga:

It’s about allowing people to be different and finding creative people with alternative ways of thinking. We tend to create processes where we take the perspectives of people who think several ways about a given solution or problem.

So, yes, when we have a media briefing, we use our media specialists, but we also tend to have somebody from a more technical or creative background to help with our brainstorming and discussions. It’s also important for our strategists as they must find inputs to help them think differently. That’s it.

Playbook of Innovation:

So, if I got it right, it’s about having diverse teams with multiple skills and bringing them together?

Menno Westinga:

Yes.

Playbook of Innovation:

What inspires you?

Menno Westinga:

There’s only one answer: people.

Of course, looking at the industry, it’s also about brands that operate in a way that aligns with the company they want to be. Instead of focusing on efficiency and nothing else, ask: “Who am I as a brand, and what do I want to bring to the world?”

For instance, we work for HORNBACH, a brand well-known in Germany. HORNBACHs strategy is brand-focused with the belief that their brand will lead to sales. That belief is that there are performance KPIs, and they’ll meet them by being the best brand in their category. I’m totally into that strategy.

Playbook of Innovation:

Is there a tool, service, or product inside your agency that you consider a great example of innovation?

Menno Westinga:

We have several. We create a lot, have an extensive research department, and work with our Brussels office because they have strong data analysts and engineers. Rather than simply doing research, we look to build products from it that involve a collaborative team working between Brussels and Amsterdam.

We create marketing mix models or other well- known products but in our own way with the Amsterdam research team.We have our research structure, way of work, offerings, and products. And it’s better, more efficient, and cheaper than big research agencies. So, that’s one of my favorites.

Playbook of Innovation:

In your opinion, what’s the most innovative thing about Mediaplus?

Menno Westinga:

I started working at Mediaplus in Amsterdam with three colleagues. What I’ve always loved about Mediaplus is the entrepreneurial spirit. We are a group and not a network, but it’s positive in the way of collaboration, especially internationally. The integrated services of the Mediaplus Group also have an interesting aspect on what we do when looking at who’s doing what and identifying what we can work on together. This involves considering the knowledge of the group members.

There are many inspiring people within the innovation team, and Alex Turtschan, among other creatives, helps to build this sense of innovation. What I like about Mediaplus Group is that we find each other with openness and connection.

Playbook of Innovation:

Did your view of innovation change in the last years? If yes, why?

Menno Westinga:

Innovation is about adapting to changing circumstances, so yes, it changed [laughs].

This area of media and digital media changed from the beginning of the ’00s to where we are now with the development of tech, AI, and predictive modeling. So yes, innovation changes continuously because tech, media, and consumers are developing. Fifteen years ago, we didn’t even have Meta! We need to adapt to that change and be innovative when navigating new circumstances. We continuously bring and seek out new chances and opportunities.

Playbook of Innovation:

Thank you for your time and insights. We have a few surprise questions that we’d love for you to answer. Let’s start with the first.

- Cats or dogs?

Menno Westinga:

Cats [laughs].

Playbook of Innovation:

Why?

Menno Westinga:

I have five.

Playbook of Innovation:

You have five cats?

Menno Westinga:

Yes, I’m a bit of a cat lady [laughs].

Playbook of Innovation:

I’ll tell you what, the answers to those questions are always the most interesting. Okay, five cats. That’s super interesting. Do they ever come to the office?

Menno Westinga:

No, we have colleagues that bring their dogs to the office, but I’m sure cats in the office wouldn’t work.

Playbook of Innovation:

Thanks again for your time and playing our game. Before we let you go, is there anything else you’d like to share with other global offices from Mediaplus?

Menno Westinga:

Yes, I’d say, again, research is our superpower. Something that could, and should, be interesting for everyone we already have in place within the team, from brand research to brand tracking.