Your big, complex and time-consuming creative agency review might actually be a proxy for a different problem. (Hint: it might be time to update your marketing strategy instead.)
3. ‹#›
IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF
BRANDS ARE LAUNCHING
CREATIVE AGENCY REVIEWS
THESE DAYS.
4. ‹#›
BUT WHEN I THINK
ABOUT THE CURRENT
MARKETING CLIMATE,
I HAVE TO WONDER …
RISING COMPLEXITY
RAPID CHANGE
RAMPANT DISRUPTION
5. ‹#›
WHAT IF ALL THESE
CREATIVE REVIEWS ARE
ACTUALLY PROXIES FOR A
DIFFERENT PROBLEM?
WHAT’S REALLY MISSING FROM
YOUR BRAND SALAD?
6. ‹#›
OF COURSE, I DON’T KNOW
WHAT SPARKED THESE
REVIEWS. WE ALL KNOW
THAT CLIENT-AGENCY
RELATIONSHIPS CAN BREAK
IN SOOOOO MANY WAYS.
ONE REBRIEF TOO MANY?
8. ‹#›
… AS BRANDS TRY TO COPE
WITH THE CURRENT CLIMATE
OF CONSTANT CHANGE AND
RISING COMPLEXITY.
9. ‹#›
SOMETIMES ADAPTING IS
PARTICULARLY TOUGH ON
AGENCIES—IT CAN BE HARD
TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU
WORK. OR COME TO TERMS
WITH A LESS DOMINANT
ROLE ON A BIGGER ROSTER.
10. ‹#›
“WE WANT TO MAKE
GREAT SHIT BUT IT’S A
WAR TO DO IT EVERY DAY
BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T
WANT TO GET OUT OF
THEIR STANDARD
OPERATING PROCEDURE
AND WHAT THEY KNOW.”
—SHANE SMITH, CEO OF VICE ON
COLLABORATING WITH AGENCIES
11. ‹#›
OTHER TIMES, THE CLIENT
STRUGGLES MORE. THEY
KNOW THEY HAVE TO
CHANGE, BUT THEY DON’T
KNOW HOW. THEY HAVE
TROUBLE PARSING THE
SIGNAL FROM THE NOISE.
THE FUTURE IS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE
13. ‹#›
USUALLY THE CLIENT AND
AGENCY ARE EQUALLY
CHALLENGED BY ALL THIS
CHANGE. I GET IT. IT’S HARD
TO DANCE TOGETHER
GRACEFULLY WHEN THE
GROUND IS SHIFTING
BENEATH YOUR FEET.
14. ‹#›
SO IS THERE A BETTER WAY
TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM?
I THINK SO.
START BY RISING ABOVE
CHANNELS AND SILOS AND
LOOKING AT THE WHOLE
MARKETING MACHINE.
PERSPECTIVE DEFINES POSSIBILITIES
15. ‹#›
DO THIS ALONE.
OR—AT THE VERY LEAST—
WITH A PARTNER YOU
CAN TRUST TO GIVE YOU
UNBIASED ADVICE THAT’S
MORE THAN A THINLY
DISGUISED SALES PITCH.
16. ‹#›
LOOK CAREFULLY AT HOW
ALL THE PARTS WORK
(OR DON’T WORK)
TOGETHER.
AGENCIES
TECH
VENDORS
TEAMS
BUDGETS
CHANNELS
17. ‹#›
HOW WELL (OR NOT SO
WELL) ARE THEY ALIGNED
WITH MODERN DIGITAL
CUSTOMERS AND THE
CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES AROUND
CONNECTING WITH THEM?
NEW EXPECTATIONS
18. ‹#›
LOOK AT HOW CHOICES
ARE MADE.
HOW INSIGHTS ARE
TURNED INTO ACTION
(OR NOT).
HOW PERFORMANCE IS
MEASURED.
19. ‹#›
LOOK AT THE WHOLE
BRAND ECOSYSTEM FROM
A CUSTOMER’S POINT-OF-
VIEW.
DO YOU SEE A TIGHTLY
KNIT WHOLE?
OR A SPRAWLING MESS?
20. ‹#›
BASICALLY … FORGET THE
CREATIVE WORK ENTIRELY
FOR A SECOND.
FORGET THE TACTICS.
LOOK AT THE STRATEGY.
22. ‹#›
RECOGNIZE THAT IN
TODAY’S WORLD,
CREATIVE IDEAS ARE LIKE
ONE WHEEL ON THE CAR.
IMPORTANT, BUT JUST
ONE PART OF THE RIDE.
23. ‹#›
CONSIDER THAT IT
MIGHT BE TIME TO
PUT THE AGENCY
REVIEW ON HOLD
AND UPDATE YOUR
STRATEGY INSTEAD.
FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU’RE
SHOOTING FOR FIRST, THEN
WORRY ABOUT WHAT KIND
OF TEAM YOU SHOULD PUT
ON THE FIELD.