Experience Matters

Agency Organization - Grey is the new black (Part Deux)…

In part one I discussed the false-choice the Marketing/Advertising industry has created for itself… What will be the SINGLE organization model for Agencies in the future. This entry will discuss the fact that

Client Types

Some clients prefer to work with a group of Best-in-Class agencies from each media type, regardless of holding company affiliation. These clients are willing to take on incremental work required to coordinate the agency interfaces to get the best possible marketing assets for every channel. Some clients prefer the efficiency of using a single holding company and are willing to accept a little bit lower work quality in some mediums to avoid coordinating across multiple agencies. Of course, some folks will take issue with my assumption that one gives up some quality when one chooses a one-agency approach. However, experience tells me that a marginally sub-optimal result is the typical outcome of choosing a One Agency model. The synergies promised from working with a single Agency/Holding Company can also be elusive, but that is a topic for another conversation.

A key to success is for the Client to get clear within its own organization as to what approach it wants to take, Best-in-Class or one Holding Company. The Client then needs to choose its agencies with this fact in mind. If they want all their needs met within one Holding Company, they need to be get clear on what mediums are the highest priority and where they have tolerance for deliverables that are good but not breakthrough.

If the Client wants to take a Best-In-Class approach they need to look for agencies that deliver amazing work AND can work and play well in the sandbox with other agencies! The list of agencies that are capable of both amazing work and can collaborate with others in the achievement of a creative vision is limited.

Net, Net…

My view on this is pretty simple.

Just as there are multiple types of consumers that each have different needs, so there are different clients. There never has been and will never be one “right” agency structure. Agencies should organize in the way that best serves their direct clients, and their client’s consumers. Given that clients’ companies are all different, it only follows that there will be room for agencies organized in many different ways.

With that off my chest, I am going back to the cocktail party!  Pass me that Gin-n-Tonic. What topic should we take on now? What do folks think about Net Neutrality?