About Tom Hespos

  • Tom Hespos, Principal Consultant

    Tom Hespos entered the world of paid media with his first job at Young & Rubicam, just as the web was first being commercialized. In the time since, he built an integrated media agency – Underscore Marketing - and several online communities – all from the ground up. He knows where the landmines are and will do whatever it takes to get you and your media investments to a better place.

What’s in a name?

Abydos is an ancient city in Egypt, the history of which spans the entire length of ancient Egyptian civilization.  The first Pharaohs are buried there, due to their desire to be buried as close as possible to the Temple of Osiris, the ruins of which still exist in Abydos today.

Abydos is a remarkably important archeological site, and important discoveries are still being made there today.  Some of these discoveries have completely upended our understanding of ancient Egypt and its early history.  For instance, in 1991, archeologists discovered a fleet of 14 royal wooden boats dating back to Egypt’s First Dynasty, revealing details of important rituals and the boats’ role in ferrying the early Pharaohs to the afterlife.

The city is so ancient that 10 temples were built successively to Osiris on the same site over the course of the first 26 Egyptian dynasties.  It is also the site of what may be the earliest brewery in the world, dating back to approximately 3100 BCE.

What makes Abydos so critical to understanding ancient Egyptian culture is the fact that its history spans the entire history of ancient Egypt, yet important new revelations come from its excavation even today.  In short, Abydos allows us to take a look at 5,000 years of civilization and see what it did right and where it steered itself off course.

Similarly, Tom Hespos has not only seen, but been an active participant in the entire history of the modern paid media business.  He arrived just in time to help the old guard of print, radio and television begin to adapt to this newcomer to the paid media landscape – digital media.

That experience led Tom to not only lead the paid media departments of several respected agencies, but to also run his own for 18 years.

This gives Abydos Media rare experience and perspective with respect to where the evolution of paid media leaped forward and when it took steps back, and why.  To understand the pitfalls and potential traps along the way to developing your paid media capability, you need to have that overarching perspective – that deep understanding of the systems and norms that govern paid media and dictate whether or not your organization can effectively and profitably address modern paid media challenges.

Together, let’s use the sum total of paid media’s unique and rich history to make new discoveries today.