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.
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