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Internet World: Future of Agencies
StumbleUponA panel discussion at the Internet World show this morning concerned the ways digital agencies might embrace or resist the threats and opportunities of a changing marketplace. Ian Delaney reports.
A panel discussion at the Internet World show this morning concerned the ways digital agencies might embrace or resist the threats and opportunities of a changing marketplace. Ian Delaney reports.
The Panel
Moderator: Wayne Arnold, Managing Director, Profero & Chairman of the
IPA
Jon Bains, Chairman/Planning Director, Lateral
John Owen, Planning Director, Dare
Jo Hagger, Joint MD, Glue
Arnold described the current climate as most exciting time in the last ten years. This is an industry that is now worth £2bn according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. And as digital is moving towards the forefront of brands' use of media generally, it is a period of some disruption. There are a large number of mergers and acquisitions, leading to consolidation. People you wouldn't expect are becoming involved in the digital space - with Lord Puttnam's recent appointment as the chairman of Profero being a case in point.
At the same time, there is considerable unease and distrust. Forrester found that only 21 per cent of US companies would recommend their agency, said Arnold, and he quoted Dick Metzler of DHL who said that the relationship between many advertising and media planning agencies is like watching two porcupines mate: it's painful for everyone and no-one is quite sure who is in the lead or whether the mission has been accomplished.
Jo Hagger from Glue said that the main changes were positive as far as she was concerned. Digital agencies are now getting opportunity to pitch as lead agency. The company had recently pitched for Eurostar (unsuccessfully) and for mobile network 3 (watch this space). The climate is providing a lot of new opportunities. Digital agencies share many challenges, however, the most clear being the search for talent and the difficulties in keeping it. They also feel a threat from above-the-line agencies, which are becoming more digitally inclined. While the agency of the future remains difficult to predict, Hagger believes that the core principles of success remain the same - people, vision, and client relationships. Perhaps what might change is an increasing need to be flexible and recognition that we all need specialist partners to fulfil some activities. Agencies will move to even more collaborative working.
John Owen of Dare suggested that the assumption made in the discussion's title about the agency of the future might well not be realistic. There is not just one model for the future. If you go back 40 years then this was the case; there was just one agency. However, now situations are far more diverse and this trend will continue. We face a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary future. What's also happening is that fundamental things are changing in how consumers meet technology - they are becoming empowered. Brand marketing is not just a linear process any more. Brands and consumers are looking for interactive brand experiences; doing rather than telling. Again, Owen believes collaboration will become more and more important. He also believes that hierarchies and perhaps the idea of a lead agency are under threat.
Jon Bains from Lateral suggested that digital people have ghettoised themselves by insisting on their specialism and that the rest of the world is now encroaching on this space. The advertising world is arriving. In the last dotcom boom, between 1998-99 there was the first land grab from traditional agencies. This was mainly a failure because the traditional agencies making the acquisitions couldn't actually assimilate their new purchases. It's happening again and sadly, the purchasers may not be much smarter than they were before. Large organisations often don't have much focus and so can't get to grips with the new communications model. Decision-making about digital is moving further up the food chain as its importance continues to increase - the marketing manager is now interested and so relationships will change.
Owen suggested that our biggest challenge is managing this tremendous growth. It may be the case that advertising agencies might be able to offer good things. He pointed to Persil's move from its traditional 'Persil washes whiter' message to its new 'Dirt is good' campaign. 'Dirt is good' may not have been initiated as a digital campaign, but it is nonetheless intuitively interactive - it sparks the consumer to say 'Hang on - what do you mean dirt is good? - you guys are supposed to be all about cleanliness'. Digital specialists are well placed to harness and extend ideas like this because they invite participation.
Bains suggested that there may be a move to vertical engagement agencies. These people would find an audience and then work with them over a long period of time. There will be a move from campaigns to deeper thought about communications over an extended period. Once again, digital agencies are well placed to take advantage of this as brands move from thinking about a campaign to thinking about communications platforms.
In her closing statements, Hagger spoke about the consumer revolution - that 'interactive' is becoming more than a buzzword as consumers claim their role in the production of brand identity. She stated that there is a shift from what you might call two-dimensional to three-dimensional marketing.
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