Media owners, especially technology driven ones; have created an eco-system where they approach and work directly with senior marketers; leaving the agency partners as passive contributors.
As a former ad guy and now marketer; I have found this uncomfortable because it undermines the value that agency partners can bring to the table; especially creative agency partners.
While a lot has changed in the marketer-agency relationship – increase promiscuity, reducing fees and fledgling talent pools at agencies; one thing still rings true – for whatever period the relationship lasts; it is one of intense proximity and high passion.
This is borne out of the fact that even today; the biggest factor in creating consumer demand; prior to the retail environment; remains a compelling, branded piece of communication.
This maxim is a common goal that bonds the creative agency and marketer.
When marketers choose to work directly with media owners; this fundamental bond gets shaken. It is only fair for the agency to feel less like an owner and more like a discardable vendor.
For marketers, it creates another partnership that they need to work with directly; increasing the effort and resources required to execute. More pertinently; it is a drain on the senior marketing resources because that much more effort is needed to ensure that the work stays on proposition.
Avoiding this should be a no-brainer. Yet it has become a norm.
The probable reason –
The new generation of marketers don’t view creative agencies as equal owners of the proposition. A sense of narcissism drives them to believe that they are the sole owners.
This belief drives a lack of investment; of time, money and energy in cultivating strong talent for our business within the agency.
Equally agencies are less invested in a marketer’s business than before. The good old rigor of consumer immersions and category involvement is missing. This creates a knowledge gap within agencies; which makes it tough for them to command the seat of a brand owner.
Agency skeptics will argue that this is a function of reducing retainers from businesses. This is partly but not wholly true. Even on well-funded businesses, agencies are unable to bring the consumer into their conversation because they don’t invest enough time with the consumer. In today’s times,
marketers do spend more time meeting consumers than agencies do.
The answer to this is RE-INVESTMENT.
1. Invest money to ensure that agency folk spend enough time with the relevant consumer group.
2. Invest faith in their abilities as a creative fraternity. They are meant to spend a good part of their day thinking about your proposition. You have the full 6Ps to worry about.
3. Invest time in explaining your business to agencies. The more they know; the more confident they will be. And the more confident they are; the more vested they will be.
To get the best from agency partners; it is necessary to begin with an investment of faith.
And working directly with media owners is not an investment of faith. It is a breach of it. It pulls at the delicate thread of a marketer-agency relationship, a risk every marketer should consider diligently before making that call to Facebook or Google. Directly.
As a former ad guy and now marketer; I have found this uncomfortable because it undermines the value that agency partners can bring to the table; especially creative agency partners.
While a lot has changed in the marketer-agency relationship – increase promiscuity, reducing fees and fledgling talent pools at agencies; one thing still rings true – for whatever period the relationship lasts; it is one of intense proximity and high passion.
This is borne out of the fact that even today; the biggest factor in creating consumer demand; prior to the retail environment; remains a compelling, branded piece of communication.
This maxim is a common goal that bonds the creative agency and marketer.
When marketers choose to work directly with media owners; this fundamental bond gets shaken. It is only fair for the agency to feel less like an owner and more like a discardable vendor.
For marketers, it creates another partnership that they need to work with directly; increasing the effort and resources required to execute. More pertinently; it is a drain on the senior marketing resources because that much more effort is needed to ensure that the work stays on proposition.
Avoiding this should be a no-brainer. Yet it has become a norm.
The probable reason –
The new generation of marketers don’t view creative agencies as equal owners of the proposition. A sense of narcissism drives them to believe that they are the sole owners.
This belief drives a lack of investment; of time, money and energy in cultivating strong talent for our business within the agency.
Equally agencies are less invested in a marketer’s business than before. The good old rigor of consumer immersions and category involvement is missing. This creates a knowledge gap within agencies; which makes it tough for them to command the seat of a brand owner.
Agency skeptics will argue that this is a function of reducing retainers from businesses. This is partly but not wholly true. Even on well-funded businesses, agencies are unable to bring the consumer into their conversation because they don’t invest enough time with the consumer. In today’s times,
marketers do spend more time meeting consumers than agencies do.
The answer to this is RE-INVESTMENT.
1. Invest money to ensure that agency folk spend enough time with the relevant consumer group.
2. Invest faith in their abilities as a creative fraternity. They are meant to spend a good part of their day thinking about your proposition. You have the full 6Ps to worry about.
3. Invest time in explaining your business to agencies. The more they know; the more confident they will be. And the more confident they are; the more vested they will be.
To get the best from agency partners; it is necessary to begin with an investment of faith.
And working directly with media owners is not an investment of faith. It is a breach of it. It pulls at the delicate thread of a marketer-agency relationship, a risk every marketer should consider diligently before making that call to Facebook or Google. Directly.
Comments