Yahoo Chief's Audience Left Cold by Late Arrival
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:38 pm
By Suzanne Vranica
The Wall Street Journal
For media companies, the Cannes advertising festival is all about getting face time with top media buyers and advertisers. Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Marissa Mayer missed a golden opportunity to do just that last week.
Last Tuesday evening, Interpublic Group of IPG arranged a dinner at the swanky French Riviera restaurant L'Oasis for Ms. Mayer to meet executives from marketers such as Mondelez International Inc., brewer MillerCoors and Greek yogurt maker Chobani Inc.
It was supposed to be a chance for Interpublic and some of its clients to get a firsthand update from Ms. Mayer on what Yahoo had to offer.
But Ms. Mayer was nearly two hours late, and several dinner attendees, including IPG Chief Executive Michael Roth, ended up leaving before she arrived, according to people familiar with the matter.
Ms. Mayer told some attendees that she had fallen asleep, some of the people said. She told one of the attendees that she had been up for 20 hours.
MORE
The Wall Street Journal
For media companies, the Cannes advertising festival is all about getting face time with top media buyers and advertisers. Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Marissa Mayer missed a golden opportunity to do just that last week.
Last Tuesday evening, Interpublic Group of IPG arranged a dinner at the swanky French Riviera restaurant L'Oasis for Ms. Mayer to meet executives from marketers such as Mondelez International Inc., brewer MillerCoors and Greek yogurt maker Chobani Inc.
It was supposed to be a chance for Interpublic and some of its clients to get a firsthand update from Ms. Mayer on what Yahoo had to offer.
But Ms. Mayer was nearly two hours late, and several dinner attendees, including IPG Chief Executive Michael Roth, ended up leaving before she arrived, according to people familiar with the matter.
Ms. Mayer told some attendees that she had fallen asleep, some of the people said. She told one of the attendees that she had been up for 20 hours.
MORE