Working towards a different agency model
Do clients need advertising agencies? That’s the question posed by Claire Beale in this week’s Campaign magazine. As we move to an always-on, 24/7 digital world where brands can communicate with consumers instantly and on a one-to-one basis, do clients really need, or want, an external agency occupying the space in between them and their customers?
The two extremes put forward in the article are for brands to move all their marketing in-house or to entirely outsource it. After all, why should a client pay for things they can do themselves? For me, this brings up two issues: can clients really do this for themselves (as discussed by Jon Davie in his recent post), and are these really the only two options?
I’d argue that while there’s no question the consumer relations landscape is changing, what we need is a different agency model. Agencies have the specialist knowledge and skills on tap, and are able to monitor and swiftly adapt to new trends and technologies on and off line. What we have to strive for is a way to work effectively with clients on the fast turnaround of exciting and impactful ideas, concepts and communication.
With all our clients, we work with them and their marketing teams to gain a deep understanding of who their customers are and what drives them. We, as the agency “in between”, then use our editorial craft, design skills and technical acumen to ensure the right messages reach those customers in the best way possible, whether that be through Mothercare's email newsletter, New Look TV's YouTube channel or Coca-Cola's website articles and tweets.
Agencies handling ongoing customer communication for clients is nothing new; it’s where Zone began, acting as a customer publishing agency and producing magazines for brands. The media channels available to us and lead times to respond may have changed, but the understanding and expertise of how to work within each of them still requires a close collaboration between clients who understand their customers and agencies truly immersed in these emerging digital worlds.
The in-house versus agency argument is also nothing new, and will no doubt continue for another 30 years. However, the solution remains the same too: agencies are uniquely placed to provide effective and pioneering creativity and experience, and are able to recruit, attract and develop the best staff for the job. What agencies like us can offer is a rigorous publishing culture and supportive infrastructure to meet the demands of always-on, 24/7 communication.
