What you need to know:

• Sir Martin Sorrell suggests world's attention span may have diminished with rise of digital, denies he is 'anti' Binet & Field on long-term brand building and investment but said it does need to be debated. 
• After bumper growth, he hints at overt tech play for S4, mulls third tech services division and reiterates admiration for Globant, the firm jettisoned "too early" by WPP, and which S4 is now wooing.
• Sorrell was talking to Mi3 for our 100th podcast edition, out next Tuesday.

Sir Martin Sorrell has denied suggestions that S4 Capital is a lower funnel tactical shop focused entirely on short-term gains. But he has again hinted at a big tech services tie-up, reiterating his admiration Globant, in which he invested a significant sum as WPP boss – and which his former holding group jettisoned soon after his enforced departure.

That move cost WPP a billion dollars, said Sorell, with a smile.

Speaking with Mi3 after “embarrassingly” strong month-on-month growth, Sorrell was unapologetic about the firm’s more tactical approach to advertising in a bid to deliver faster results at lower cost. S4 is a digital pure-play company aligned to tech platforms like Google, Adobe, Facebook and Salesforce which skew to performance and personalisation strategies over traditional approaches to brand building. 

“It may be that life has become shorter term. It may be that attention spans have diminished. It may be that we have to be more reactive or more activation focused than long-term focused,” said Sorrell.

Asked if that meant he disagrees with the likes of Les Binet and Peter Field and the UK's IPA, with its vast trove of advertising effectiveness data that shows unequivocally that neglecting brand investment quickly curbs growth, Sorrell returned fire.

“I’m saying our industry put its foot in its mouth during the pandemic… telling clients the moment it hit to spend, spend, spend. That was irresponsible.”

While Sorrell refuted suggestion that S4 Capital is wholly focused on lower funnel tactical marketing, he repeated that advertising – and the world – has left traditional models behind. 

“What we have to acknowledge is that with the rise of digital, that there may be a shift in timeframes.”

Sorrell was unambiguous about S4’s immediate focus, reiterating his desire for a tie-up with the likes of Globant, the tech services firm in which WPP acquired a significant minority share before selling – too soon in Sorrell’s view. And which, he thinks could make S4 Capital "the perfect competitor to Accenture".

“We have two practices. One around content, 70 per cent of the business; one around data and digital media, which is 30 per cent. Do we need to broaden?

“I’ve talked publicly about Globant, another company that WPP sold out too early – they've lost a billion dollars in value by selling that 20 per cent stake in Globant at US$52 when it now trades at US$220," he said. 

“But the point about Globant was that it approaches digital transformation from the tech services end. So do we need tech services as a third practice within S4?” he said.

“So upper funnel? I would acknowledge the debate. I'm not sure what the conclusion is, I would say we have to debate it.”

“But life has changed – and you have to bring fresh thinking.”

Sir Martin Sorrell offers a full and frank assessment of the ad market and its component agencies, in Australia and beyond, in next week’s 100th Mi3 podcast. It's a cracking edition.