WarnerMedia's Joe Hogan On HBO Max, Shifting Ad Spend And Accelerating Through COVID-19

Joe Hogan and his wife flew to the far corner of northwest Florida in early March for a long weekend.

They’ve been there ever since.

“If we’re still working from home in a month or two, we’re going to suffer through the heat of the summer here, I’m sure,” said the EVP of sales and marketing at WarnerMedia.

As a long-time TV ad sales executive, working from home is new for Joe. This is the longest period of time he’s spent in his career without traveling to a new city to meet a client.

He’s realizing that work from home involves a lot more work than it sounds like. “Work from home equals more productivity,” he said.

The ad sales team at WarnerMedia is enhancing communication, both internally and with clients, who appreciate the transparency – especially without a typical upfront this year.

“[Clients] need to know what’s going on every day, not just a moment in time,” Joe said.

With sports and live events canceled, March and April were a flurry of shifting and canceling client spend commitments while helping brands reposition their messaging. That has since quieted down.

“We’re seeing a recognition now that social distancing is going to be with us for a while, and brands are creating plans for a new normal,” Joe says. “More … want to learn how to accelerate through this rather than just get through it.”

Must Read