Reboot Your Agency: How Progressive Firms Are Transforming for the Future
A thought-provoking workshop that explores how agencies are reinventing themselves by developing new services, reconfiguring their business models, and exploring new revenue streams in the new digitally-enabled, multichannel marketing environment.
About this workshop
“Like a beetle preserved in amber, the practice of advertising has sat virtually unchanged for the last half-century. Over the years, the ad business became an assembly line as predictable as Henry Ford’s.
“That was then. But now, because of a combination of internet disintermediation, recession, and corporate blindness, the assembly line has been obliterated – economically, organizationally, and culturally.
“Squeezed by clients, agencies are also beset by a host of new competitors attacking from every direction. Technology companies have commoditized much of the ‘art’ of that old assembly line. And media companies are starting to work directly with brands, sometimes cutting agencies out of the conversation entirely.”
“The Future of Advertising” | By Danielle Sacks | Fast Company
The tumultuous effects of the recession, new technologies, and the new generation of consumer-controlled media have cause many agencies to lose sight of the real value they provide to their clients. Today, more than ever before, agencies need to redefine what business they’re in (because the answer isn’t “advertising”). This plays out in a number of ways:
- Agencies are stuck in a structure that churns out advertising ideas instead of business-building ideas.
- Clients are hammering agencies on price and speed for work they perceive as a commodity.
- Clients know that it’s increasingly about the consumer’s actual experience with the brand, but the agency skill set is around the perception of the brand.
- Clients are moving their time, money and attention to two areas most agencies are least prepared to address: database and digital marketing.
- Agencies are still focused on long-term campaigns at a time when clients are focused on short-term measurement.
Agencies that are leading the transformation of the industry are adopting new viewpoints and new skill sets. Here are some of the most important.
From money as currency to ideas as currency. It’s takes a lot of money to buy a million views on network television, but a million views on YouTube can only be bought with a strong idea. The highest-rated blogs have nothing to do with quantity of money, only quality of content. It’s time for agencies need to persuade their clients to spend as much on creative as they do media.
From brand perception to brand experience. The main area of focus for most agencies is in the “pre-sale,” where brand awareness is created. But increasingly brand success is defined by the consumer’s actual experience in the brand. Learning to help clients in the “sale” and “post-sale” phases of brand building represents an important opportunity for agencies to not only become more valuable partners, but develop new sources of revenue.
From media placement to media creation. The most interesting opportunities in media aren’t in placing it, but rather creating it. The internet in particular give brands and their agencies the opportunity to create and cultivate their own media vehicles.
From one-to-many to one-to-one. The future of advertising is predicated largely on two things: the internet and databases. Agencies who have resisted the idea of “direct marketing” haven’t yet realize that the world’s biggest direct medium isn’t mail or DRTV, but rather the internet. Instead of mass persuasion, agencies now need to be skilled in mass customization.
From digital department to digital competency. The digital department of today is much like the agency “TV department” of the 1950s; it’s simply a competency that should be understood and represented throughout the entire agency, not housed in a separate department. To remain relevant, agencies need to adopt the policy of “ISL” -- Interactive as a Second Language.
From long-term to real-time. Agency professionals are taught to remind their clients that building brand awareness and preference is a long-term proposition (which of course is still true). We employ periodic tracking studies to show the progress the brand is making. But in the world of digital, results are created in real time, and the effectiveness of digital work can be optimized just as soon as it appears. Today’s agencies need to be able to work in both dimensions.
From creation to co-creation. Involving the consumers of the brand in helping to co-create the brand is not only a powerful way to create affinity for the brand, but very often results in inspired ideas. The truth is brands will have consumers creating content whether the brand likes it or not, so much better to embrace than to resist.
From full scale to agile. Staying true to the concept of “full service,” agencies are in the habit of assigning and assembling complete “account teams” to each major assignment and client. Meantime, time and cost pressures are driving in the opposite direction. To better adapt to current client needs, agencies can take a page from software companies who have adopted the concept of “agile” development and production.
From selling time to selling value. Agencies shouldn’t be selling hours, efforts, and activities, but rather outcomes for their clients. Progressive agencies are experimenting with creative compensation agreements based on the value they create rather than the hours they work. Here are some of the principles and practices that your firm can use to capture more value starting today
Selected slides from this seminar
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Who this workshop is for
This workshop is designed for marketing communications professionals from all functions and at all levels.
About the instructor
The presenter is Tim Williams, founder of Ignition Consulting Group, America’s leading consultancy devoted to helping marketing communications firms create and capture more value. Tim is a frequent speaker and presenter for major industry associations, agency networks, universities, and business conferences in North America and abroad. As a recognized thought leader in the advertising and marketing business, Tim has been interviewed and quoted by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Guardian, Toronto Globe & Mail, Bloomberg News, Japan’s Nikkei News, and other business and marketing from Europe to Asia. He is a frequent contributor to leading trade and business publications including Advertising Age, Adweek, Communication Arts, Campaign, Admap, Marketing News, and The Advertiser. He is author of the book, Take a Stand for Your Brand: Building a Great Agency Brand from the Inside Out ranked by Amazon as one of the top ten books on brand building. His newest book is Positioning for Professionals: How Professional Knowledge Firms Can Differentiate Their Way to Success.
What others are saying
“Ignition presents a “no holds barred” look at the future of the advertising agency business. Tim not only provokes thought but offers actionable ideas about how agencies can adapt in our rapidly changing environment – remaining relevant and valuable to clients, and ultimately securing our own future.” Sue Butler, Butler/Till
“Easily the most valuable seminar we've ever attended. We are full of excitement about reforming our agency. This was definitely a seminar about a big idea, and the differentiator we've been seeking so passionately all these years.” Doug Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Ervin & Smith
“I’ve been to my fair share of seminars. Yours, I’d have to say, was one of the best. I found myself aspiring to put into place many of the implications you outlined. It was truly fascinating content I plan to put into place with my executive team. Thank you again for the valuable content and excellent delivery.” Nancy Bistritz, Director of Marketing, Nurun
“This seminar was fantastic. It crystallized so much of what I’ve been thinking recently, and gave real direction to this feeling I’ve had lately that I want to completely reinvent our agency.” Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin, CEO, Tribe
How to arrange for this workshop
Reboot Your Agency: How Progressive Firms Are Transforming for the Future is available in three versions: 90-minute presentation, half-day workshop, and full-day seminar.
For details and pricing about the the workshop, please contact us at info@ignitiongroup.com.
Questions or feedback? Contact us.
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