This Much I've Learned, Part 1: Agencies

This first go focuses on agenciesamp160 Later subjects will include people management research and media vendorsWhile it39s clearly silly to say that one channel or a thousand makes no difference it is true that basic media principles still apply regardless of how many outlets existWe were always rubbish at understanding how media forms work in combination let alone what happens when you add channels like PR or events to the mixamp160 We still areAd campaigns work best when media and creative work togetheramp160 Forget digital retargeting tracking microprecisiontargeting questionable data claimsamp160 Nothing beats a great idea placed in the most appropriate positionSeparating media from creative was a bad ideaamp160 That said it happened and there39s no point whining on about quotthe good old daysquot especially as they weren39t universally wonderfulamp160 What needs to happen is to recreate the working partnership that existed between the best creatives and the best comms plannersThe network agencies talk of integration whereas what they actually mean is quotgive me all of it even if I don39t know what to do with itquot True integration means finding a way for the best talent to work together whatever the organizational structure in which that talent sitsThe giant media agencies had a choiceamp160 Build up relationships with creative talent or try to sell additional services to their clients around the media processamp160 At one stage a media agency in London of my acquaintance had 11 separate internal profit centersamp160 How can internal squabbling over who can charge extra for what help the clientAgencies have flourished when they39re focused on doing their best for their clientsamp160 Back in the dark ages ad agencies only built networks because their clients wanted them to open offices to match where the client had a needamp160 Move away from serving client needs and you failamp160 It might take a while but you39ll failOnce you39ve failed and a US FBI enquiry would suggest that the media agency world has at the very least a major problem you can rebuild in the image you should have been aiming for in the first placeamp160 There are signs this is starting to happenAgencies creative as well as media are potentially great places to workamp160 It used to be that the word quotpotentiallyquot was unnecessary Agencies were fun relaxed hardworking hardplaying places full of creative thinking interesting people across all disciplinesamp160 Some still areBut far too many aren39tamp160 They39re more serious more corporate less fun and as a result less creativeamp160 You need the right atmosphere for creative thinking to flourish and we are at risk of losing the ingredients that are essential for advertising to workThe business used to be about people those in it and those we were trying to reach and influenceamp160 These days it39s more about data algorithms and meaningless gross impression numbersamp160 Which is sad a major step backwards and needs to changeClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160amp160

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This Much I've Learned, Part 1: Agencies

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Brian Jacobs

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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Brian Jacobs

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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