Episode
Digitas EMEA's CEO: Meeting clients where they’re at – Sam Hawkey
- Published
- Jul 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2409
- Processing state
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- https://the-immortal-life-of-ag.captivate.fm
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Summary
Today’s guest is Sam Hawkey, CEO EMEA at Digitas and former CEO of both Saatchi & Saatchi and AMV BBDO. He shares his perspective on how clients and agencies must evolve together. He talks about prioritising genuine client fit – getting beyond the excitement to really understanding the likelihood of working well together. Sam unpacks his two most important criteria – the client's readiness for change and their willingness to adopt new commercial models. He also talks about the impact of genuine differentiation, as well as how Digitas promise and then deliver on outcomes, enabling clients to pay them in modern and progressive ways. Practical, optimistic and grounded in experience, this is a thoughtful conversation about building stronger client relationships and a more sustainable agency future. HIGHLIGHTS: [04:00] From advertising to CX [07:30] An orchestration mindset [09:18] Preparing clients for change [14:38] Expectations build trust [17:29] Substance and charisma [24:12] Knowing when to walk away [29:18] Relationships change remuneration [33:42] Creating pricing power [37:25] Sharing responsibility for change MORE ABOUT SAM: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/samhawkey Website: digitas.com/en-ae HOST SOCIALS: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robinbonn Twitter: twitter.com/robonn MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: 4As Blog: Before Reinventing Pricing, Agencies Must Reinvent Value MORE ABOUT CO:DEFINERY: Website: codefinery.com Book: Market of One Mentioned in this episode: Get Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire Is your agency really as differentiated as you think? And have you fully embraced the commercial disruption that AI is bringing? To find out, take five minutes to complete Co:definery's diagnostic questionnaire. It's quick, free, and thought provoking, and you get a tailored…