Kenny Lim
Feb 19, 2010

VIDEO: Saatchi & Saatchi chairman Bob Seelert on marketing and Mad Men

SINGAPORE - During a recent stopover in Singapore, chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi, Bob Seelert, took time out to talk about his experience, tips on marketing and the hit TV series 'Mad Men'.

VIDEO: Saatchi & Saatchi chairman Bob Seelert on marketing and Mad Men
Having started his career with General Foods Corporation, Seelert spoke about his extensive experience on both the client and agency sides while expounding on what are some of the most common mistakes made by marketers today.

“Marketing should always be about meeting consumers’ needs,” he says. “And it’s in the interest of the consumer that you should be acting at all times.”

Seelert, who has published a book called ‘Start with the answer’, billed as a success recipe for young aspiring business professionals and leaders, also had words of wisdom for marketing and advertising professionals who want to stay ahead.

“One of the pieces of advice is in the title of the book – ‘Start with the answer’,” says Seelert. “When you go into a situation, before you spend a lot of time or spend a lot of money, you ought to step back and reflect – where would you really like to see this come out?”

He also wrote an interesting article about the ‘Mad Men’ series and how things have changed since he started out in a similar environment 40 years ago. Based on that, Seelert spoke about the differences then and now.

“I did start my career on the client side way back in the Mad Men era and there are some things about this drama that are extremely well done and in truth, reflective of the way it was,” says Seelert.

On the differences now and where advertising and agencies are heading toward, Seelert notes: “But in today’s world, we no longer intrude into people’s homes and people’s lives. We really try to connect with consumers. We try to get invited into their homes or have them come seek us out. That’s one of the big changes that’s going on.”



Follow us

Top news, insights and analysis every weekday

Sign up for Campaign Bulletins

Related Articles

Just Published

Jan 29, 2026

Gemini 3 becomes the default model for AI Overviews

A pair of updates from Google see the tech giant attempt to gain a further foothold in the battle for AI-powered search supremacy.

Jan 29, 2026

Google criticised after blocking measurement ...

YouTube owner sent a 'cease and desist' letter to Barb and Kantar Media.

Jan 29, 2026

Inside Campaign Connect Indonesia: what matters to ...

Candid conversations on growth, AI and the cultural trade-offs of scaling brands, with more than 100 marketers in the room.

Jan 29, 2026

Meta hits $200 billion revenue milestone on ...

Meta reports double‑digit year-on-year revenue growth, with advertising once again accounting for almost all of the top line.