Look beyond the long lunch: Building long-term partnerships that last
Long-lunches, junkets and hospitality have been the lifeblood of the publisher/agency relationship for decades. But the changing nature of the industry means we need to look at more effective ways to build genuine connections together, argues Maddie Basso, head of Yahoo DSP, Australia.
This is the piece the hatted restaurant industrial complex doesn’t want you to read.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that over the decades billions of dollars of business in the advertising industry have been done over the lunch table. Places like Macchiavelli and Vue de Monde have been de facto offices for the powerbrokers in our industry.
Some sales people are so much a part of the furniture they have a regular table, standard order – and a sommelier who remembers their name and affinity for a full bodied Cabernet.
The goal? To wine and dine important stakeholders to build lasting relationships In pre-digital days, there was even the odd IO scribbled on the back of a napkin.
But in the past few years the rules of engagement have shifted, the new generation of agency folk have different priorities and like so many things in the marketing industry, we need to consider a new way of doing things.
This isn’t a treatise against long lunches – and to be clear, I do love a good bottle of red. These were just the means by which we were able to entice people to spend some time with us in a bid to build relationships and ultimately trust.
The challenge now is that we’re dealing with new workforce dynamics, hybrid working meaning people’s in-office schedules are erratic, evolving expectations and a reality where video calls now outnumber coffee catch-ups ten to one.
The lunch table has been replaced by calendar invites and rapport has become another tab on a laptop screen, competing with Slack notifications and email pings to maintain someone’s attention.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never woken up in the morning hoping someone had invited me to another video call.
The long ‘business’ lunch might be a thing of the past.
At its core, this industry runs on trust, not transactions. On mutual investment, not just media schedules. And on honest conversations – the kind that are hard to have when you can’t look someone directly in the eye.
At Yahoo, we’ve challenged ourselves to rethink how we engage with our agency partners and in doing so, we’ve landed on something that’s surprisingly simple, but profoundly effective: doing good, together.
While we enjoy the white tablecloth, we’ve also discovered that rolling up our sleeves together creates room for a deeper, valuable connection. We now partner with organisations like Ronald McDonald House to cook meals for families in need with our agency colleagues. It’s hands-on, it’s collaborative and yes – it’s still social.
But more importantly, it’s purposeful. Ronald McDonald House for example provides accommodation, support, and resources to families with seriously ill or injured children who are receiving treatment in hospital, allowing them to stay close to their child while reducing financial and emotional stress. It can be a really confronting thing to be in front of people going through so much in their lives, but that’s what makes it all the more rewarding because you know you are doing something meaningful.
And that makes all the difference.
What started as a creative experiment is fast becoming one of our most in-demand formats. Agencies are actively coming to us and asking for these sessions in place of the standard sit-down lunch. We’ve had to bring on a second kitchen partner just to meet demand.
Why? Because these moments cut through the noise. They allow people to be fully present. No screens, no distractions. Just a bit of manual work in service of something real and worthwhile, something that gives you a real reset in perspective. This kind of collaborative effort has been incredible, nothing builds trust and rapport faster than having to work as a team to serve up lunch for a room full of people. It creates a shared experience and a stronger foundation for the strategic work that follows.
If you’re wondering how you sell this to your boss – there’s also a clear business case.
In-person collaboration is proven to speed up decision-making, improve creativity and spark ideas that don’t always surface in a Teams call.
Research from Harvard Business Review shows 95% of people say face-to-face meetings are key to long-term business relationships. And a recent study by Deloitte found that 42% of Gen Zs and 39% of millennials have turned down jobs or projects because the company’s values didn’t align with theirs.
Maddie Basso
Younger professionals are increasingly looking for purpose alongside performance and they’re bringing those expectations into the vendor relationships they value too. Put simply, the emerging generation of marketers doesn’t just want to be sold to. They want to be part of something that matters.
It’s why things like UnLtd continue to be a shining example of what the industry can achieve when it aligns around a higher purpose. By creating platforms that bring media, creative and tech together in service of community impact, they demonstrate the deeper connective tissue that binds us beyond quarterly results.
The success of events like Big Clash and Adland Bailout proves there’s an appetite (pun intended) for doing good at scale. It’s an ecosystem where impact and relationship-building go hand-in-hand. There’s a tangible win-win to be had.
Of course, this isn’t about abandoning all traditional networking. The point isn’t that you should never meet a client over a glass of wine again. It’s that we need more options. More meaning. More alignment between how we spend our time and what we say we value.
In an industry that’s under increasing pressure to do more with less, where every headcount and media dollar is under scrutiny, there’s a risk that relationship-building becomes a ‘nice-to-have’ item on a checklist – sacrificed in the name of efficiency. That would be a mistake.
Let’s not make human connection another victim of the algorithms.
Because strong relationships don’t just make the work better, they make the process faster, the feedback sharper, and the results more effective. They’re the difference between being a supplier and a strategic partner. Between the email that gets opened first, and the one that gets buried.
Looking ahead, it’s clear the media industry is entering a phase of rationalisation. Fewer players, smarter spend and AI and automation challenging some of the functional muscle we once relied on people for.
In that kind of environment, what becomes scarce – and therefore more valuable – is trust. Creative judgment. Lateral thinking. Human relationships that can flex, adapt and solve in real time.
If we’re honest with ourselves, that’s not something you can build in a spreadsheet. It’s created through shared experience – showing up, supporting each other and chopping onions side by side to help our community.
So no, advertising isn’t saving lives. But it is driving business, shaping culture and funding some of the most influential platforms in society. And that means we have a responsibility to our clients, our teams and our communities to bring more humanity, intention and meaning into how we work together.
Now, it’s time for something with lasting impact.
I’ll bring the apron.
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