The Marketing Agency Talk

I was reading the Marketing Interactive and was striked by Matthew Fanshawe’s words. Fanshawe is the Managing Director of Euro RSCG Singapore.

In a recent study, CEO and CMOs were asked their opinions on what agencies can bring to them to address their current challenges. The simple response was ideas and innovation, and lots of it. They did not only mean advertising ideas, rather using our skills to create ideas that can drive or even change business strategy and that will innovate their products, give their brands a competitive edge and deliver topline growth. Simply put, it is open season for creative ideas — not just advertising ideas.

Are we, as an industry, ready to do this? Our world is divided — boutique agencies that can deliver ideas but who cannot necessarily implement them globally, and global networks with the ability to deliver ideas but who are too big or slow to change or react as nimbly as boutiques. Media agencies are hiring creative talent, creative agencies employing media experts, and there is the “I” word — integration, over used with true integration as hard to find as weapons of mass destruction. If we cannot find a way to respond, we are in danger of being marginalised further as clients chose to set up in-house departments or outsource to small partners, effectively only using global networks to implement the campaigns.

So true.

Can the boutique agency and big agency collaborate? Possible. However, will it then be a joint-account with both companies’ names mentioned? Or will the smaller agency be hiding in the shadow of the big brother? Will the big agency feel that it is losing face and credibility for seeking help from a minor player? Will the client agree too? Will the smaller agency think that it is been bullied? Will it be a fair collaborate and harmonious relationship?

We once seek collaboration with a bigger agency to work on a big account. The other agency’s head laid down his rules:

• His team fronts the show
• His company’s suits will service the account
• He will take 70%

The impression was he took a pity on us and therefore was willing to offer some crumbs off the cake. When a collaboration is not based on a win-win mindset, it is not going to be a “you watch out for my back and I watch out for yours” relationship. We didn’t pursue further with them.

The truth is, we are in an era when clients need more help than ever — fragmented media channels, new business models, changed consumer behaviour all mean that ensuring the right message is delivered at the right time through the right channel is essential.

The interesting question is: how do we help seamlessly, regardless of our size?