A Weighty Responsibility
We’ve got a new friend - Dave Birss, ex-CD of Poke. He is writing a number of articles on his great blog about how ATL agencies can and must adapt to digital skillsets. He reluctantly has come to the conclusion that money talks and it is the big boys who are going to win the traditional vs digital agency debate - and he sees it as his role to help them do the best work. Fair enough.
There are many points we can debate until les vaches make it back, but let’s just talk about the money. If ATL agencies are going to succeed in doing the best digital work they need to look at their processes and resultant costs. Digital is a dynamic medium whose beauty is in its efficiency. Efficiency in targeting and reaching hard-to-find audiences. Efficiency in ability to adapt and modify. Efficiency in being able to constantly improve itself. But MOST of all efficiency in cost and speed to market.
ATL agencies are however so governed by the hyper-charged ATL disciplines of planning, big creative ideas and naval-gazing that their digital work, may look good but it is too-often being charged for way, way over the odds and is often strategically (in terms of how people engage with the Internet) highly questionable.
This is NOT good for the industry. And it is NOT good for the clients. ATL agencies have a responsibility to deliver VALUE for money for their clients.
We watched one medium sized digital agency flush with embarassment earlier this year when they presented a case history of a brilliant campaign for one of the most revered brands in the country as they admitted that it cost a whopping £60k! £60k - that’s “thinking” money to many ATL agencies.
If the internet becomes all about big-boys, with big wallets pushing big-brands we will be back to the bad old days of Web 1.0 - god they were dull!
Filed by sam.brownfield on November 18th, 2008 under Rant or Rave? | 1 Comment »
Ten years from now, all agencies will be digital agencies
Or at least that’s what Clark Kokich, CEO of Razorfish in the States thinks:
“Ten years from now, all agencies will be digital agencies,” Mr. Kokich said. “The question is just what process people take to get there. We’re both starting from different places, but we’ll end up in the same place.” Read the full article here: As the Lines Blur, Digital Agencies Are Taking Lead
Filed by sam.brownfield on November 14th, 2008 under Rant or Rave? | Comment now »
Integrating Digital into Traditional Agencies
We’ve just come across a new voice in the wilderness (Devon). An anonymous blogger who has detailed the “tip of the iceberg” on why it is so difficult for traditional agencies to take on digital work. Our new friend says “Successful integration is based around one very simple concept: don’t think of integrating digital into traditional. Think about it as integrating traditional into digital.” Ha, you don’t hear that very often!
It’s a long post and its techy, but here is someone who has clearly been there. There is much that he says that needs to be listened to on Charlotte St, Marylebone, Paddington and just off Regent St. Here it is.
Filed by sam.brownfield on November 11th, 2008 under Rant or Rave? | 1 Comment »
End of Term Report - Digital in 2009
2009 isn’t quite over yet, but we thought we’d get in early with our end-of-term report rather than wait for the New Year hangover. It’s been a pretty good year with fantastic integrated digital work for Walkers, McCain, Volkswagen, Diesel, Innocents and Carling to name but a few.
2008 has been characterised for us by a number of calls from major clients around last Easter all of whom had the same problem. They spend large amounts on digital, often with incumbent ATL agencies who want much bigger budgets for 2009. And they don’t know whether they are getting value and/or the best direction.
Indeed the ATL agency land-grab of digital has continued a-pace and the war stories continue to shock and awe us. Outsourcing is still rife. As we have long said outsourcing is OK, but profiteering from one’s own in efficiencies is absolutely not. One client employed their ATL outfit to develop a site which they duly delivered to general applause. What the client didn’t know is that the agency outsourced the work. What the agency didn’t know is that the outsource agency outsourced it again. What the second agency didn’t know is that the third agency used a freelancer! Thus there were four layers of cost and mark-up passed onto the client. Ouch!
So what of 2009? Clearly the economic situation is going to lead to tight budgets and with luck a subsequent increased use of digital to reach audiences in a cost-effective manner. Clients are going to be looking for truly clever thinking and appropriate charging. So will the industry step up to the plate and react to the realities of the clients situation? Our fear is that too many will still follow the age-old agency ethos of finding fair means or foul to grow their accounts and achieve billings of last years fee plus a percentage. Evidence of the fee proposals we have seen so far says foul!
A worrying trend is the development of major websites where no-one considers the cost of maintenance in the year after go-live. Many sites are being developed that unwittingly lock the client into the agency for the lifetime of the site. There is nothing wrong per se with that – until the relationship deteriorates or the agency demands unreasonable ongoing fees. The balance of power should always remain with the client – they pay the bills. And that means knowing how to plan a technical strategy, write a brief and structure a contract.
Meanwhile, the rise of Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) brings a very interesting convergence between ATL and digital skills. Never before has ATL advertising had the potential to be used so tactically and with such speed to market. In turn we will see mobile interacting with DOOH next year. The opportunities for the creative and technically minded are truly endless.
So what does that all mean for the agency panacea? We believe continued convergence of digital channels will have to drive transparency. Agencies admitting they outsource is one thing. Making a virtue let alone a benefit of it to the client is another. There is an irony that as technology gets better and more available, and clients eyes are opened to the opportunities, that specialist agencies will be ever more in demand. Why? Because more than ever, one agency won’t be legitimately able to handle it all.
The agencies that will triumph in 2009 will be those that can find a model that enables them to operate profitably and inventively at the same time as passing on cost benefits to their clients.
Clients that will commission the best work are those that can operate from a position of digital knowledge and confidence, while knowing where to find and how to listen to the best advice.
Clients are catching up. Greed will not be good in 2009. Prudence combined with brilliance will!
Filed by sam.brownfield on November 7th, 2008 under Rant or Rave? | 2 Comments »
Sam on TV - Westfield Shopping Centre - Digital Outdoor Advertising
Here is our Sam being interviewed by Reuters about the digital advertising at the new Westfield Shopping Centre. 5 minutes cropped to a fabulous 5 seconds click on the image to link to Reuters and see the whole story.
Sam’s longer view was that in such an impressive and imposing environment that Westfield is any advertising is going to struggle to get stand-out, and digital is definately the way to do that. What is exciting is the way DOOH can be used tactically to react to the weather, the economy or what the competition is doing. Just look at the the way The Independent trumped The Times new ad campaign recently with “ahead of The Times” the other week.
What is also exciting is that DOOH represents a further mergeing of skillsets between ATL agencies and digital agencies. While each have been eating each others lunch over recent years DOOH represents a true convergence and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out.
The future of DOOH is also very exciting - it won’t be long at all before your iPhone or your very person is interacting with the media. And when the creative and technical bods get their act together the proverbial “eyes in the moosehead” are going to be following us as we walk around shopping malls. Scary? - Maybe. Fun? - Definately. Impactful - ABSOLUTELY!
Filed by sam.brownfield on November 5th, 2008 under Published Articles | Comment now »
Andy Allen on Diesel SFW Viral
Here is Andy’s article from Marketing and here is the brilliant Diesel SFW work he’s talking about.
Filed by sam.brownfield on November 5th, 2008 under Published Articles | Comment now »
Have you seen our new site?
As the UK’s only truly specialist digital intermediary and unswervingly independent digital consultants we’ve taken the opportunity with our updated site to show what can happen when three different agencies are given the same brief. Click on the 3 images on the Tradewind homepage and you will see 3 very fine executions - each of them stand up individually, but which one would you choose if you were us?
Filed by sam.brownfield on October 28th, 2008 under Rant or Rave? | Comment now »
Integration does not mean salvation..
Brand Republic is running a piece today on “10 tips to maximise the marketing spend in a downtown.” Much of it makes perfect sense and there’s no doubt everyone in industry is going to have to work both harder and smarter in the 12 months, however, there is one point that I am inclined to disagree with:
Point 7, ‘harness the power of integration’ begins by making a very valid comment- it is indeed vital to ensure that your different channels integrate in order to get really stunning results, take Walkers’ Do Us A Flavour campaign for example, but it then goes on to add:
‘Similarly, using one-stop shops for all your communications will presumably result in significant cost-savings, too’
In terms of digital, this is something that does not always ring true. The market is still relatively immature, with many of the agencies still looking to really establish their digital departments whilst trumpeting their ability to “do digital” to the world, and this makes it a difficult time for a client. Whilst it’s true there are some agencies out there who can now claim a digital offering that is very capable in its own right, there are plenty that really aren’t up the scratch. If yours happens to fall into the latter bracket you may well get some improved integration but the quality of the output could be at serious risk, and by the articles own admission the creative execution is more important than just about any element to an ad’s (and therefore your budgets) effectiveness’.
In our experience, there can be some fantastic results from scratching the surface of the digital market place and going with some of the less obvious names. One of our client’s recently met with a number of specialist agencies, and were left reeling from the types of results possible for budgets far lower than they’d been handing their above the line agencies. This was not a one of occurrence, we see regular horror stories of good budgets and poor results and there are often a number of simple things missing that the agencies involved, could and should have dealt with.
Most digital agencies are used to working with a number of other businesses on projects, so this route it does not mean that you’re going to end up with fragmented campaigns, just that all your channels are pulling their weight.
Clearly, using specialist agencies for digital and not asking one business to take care of all your requirements is not without it’s own risks, but with some research, knowledge and guidance the rewards can be nothing short of spectacular.
Filed by sam.brownfield on October 13th, 2008 under Rant or Rave? | Comment now »
The market is growing quicker then the talent pool
As any one that works in the industry will tell you, there is a shortage of good digital people. The industry has gone through a huge period of growth, and the talent pool simply hasn’t been able to grow with it. As more and more agencies try to take a slice of the digital pie, it’s liable this situation will get worse before it gets better so what does it mean to agencies and clients?
For the agenices, the problems are clear; if you have good staff, producing good work, you’re going to have to work hard to keep hold of them and if you’re an agency wanting to grow your digital department you’re going to work even harder to bring suitable people in. With this in mind, factors other than money are going to come into play. We’re an industry full of creative people, and creative people need a stimulating environment; It’s all very well taking on huge, dry, corporate projects which have great margins, but you can’t then be surprised if the guys who’ve been slogging their guts out every day (and often night) whilst slowly dying inside creatively up and leave. Particularly if there’s little else to motivate them.
I spend my time meeting and talking to agencies and those that really invest both time and money in their staff’s well being have noticably less churn than those that think throwing a summer and christmas party is going to hold onto their most prized assets.
For the client, the danger is that the team that wooed you at the time of appointment might be entirely different 6 months down the line, which can understandably cause problems, particularly if the change of personel also brings a change in creative direction. With this in mind, it’s important you look behind the slick presentation and showreels when you coming to appoint your agency partners. Don’t be afraid to ask difficult questions about staff turnover and the internal culture of any prospective agency; those who have really made the investment will jump at the chance to talk about it.
(Andrew Allen. September 31/09)
Filed by sam.brownfield on October 1st, 2008 under Rant or Rave? | Comment now »
Digital Crunch for Breakfast?
Now that bankers have joined speed cameras and Paul Gadd at the top of the least-loved poll of GB, what does the credit-crunch mean for those who never smile in Campaign?
A quick search of consensus on the blogosphere says, consumer spend down, ad media spend down, search is fine, radio and outdoor bad, digital will be the last to suffer. Indeed we believe that the digital ship will be the least battered when this storm abates.
However, even prior to the latest financial turmoil it was becoming clear throughout 2008 that clients were looking to get a firmer grip on both the demonstrable effectiveness of their work (and thus return on investment) and the costs for developing it. With the credit crunch now in full-swing, 2009 will see this cautionary approach become the norm.
At the same time with budgets being squeezed, digital will become the obvious destination for prudent but widespread marketing spend. The opportunity is therefore there for all those who seek to deliver cost-effective, quality and effective work.
Stories of multi-million pound white elephant developments will diminish and the digital market will recalibrate as it finally takes its place swimming in the mainstream.
