To quote digital strategist Dave Allen, “Digital breaks things.” As human beings we become cozy in our role and our job. Then the ever-changing world of digital media and technology changes our limitations and breaks down the systems we are used to.
Advertising is not invincible to this. As anyone involved in marketing and advertising has seen over the recent past, digital does not mix into the ad industry hierarchy that was developed in the days of print and television. It is foolish to think that the two bodies of advertising and digital can mesh together without changing the way one of them operates and is organized. So what is the future form for of advertising agencies?
I see an invention company. By that I mean a company that is prominently digital and operates to create things not messages. If you look at the standard practices of current ad agencies, you can see that many of them aren’t needed in a digital world. For instance, campaigns are not relevant unless you are creating a message. In digital you create things that stay there, so it doesn’t make sense to think about them in a cyclical way like you would a campaign. Another example, again moving away from creating messages, is agencies of record. The practice of agency of record only makes sense when you are tied closely to another company for a long period of time. While digital companies establish relationships with other businesses, they can act on a somewhat case-by-case basis similar to the way a product design company like IDEO operates. A potential client comes to them with a problem and they create a solution.
I guess my vision for the future of agencies isn’t really an agency at all, but a marketing solutions company based in digital.
This post is not meant to tell you what to think but rather to give my point of view and leave an open question. What is the future model of ad agencies?
Here are some other models that have been put to use. Victors and Spoils. Agency Nil.
Other resources on the subject:
inventioncompany.wordpress.com 