Hasta La Creative!

Having recently served as the first chairman of the 4A’s from a non-traditional ad agency, I’ve often been asked to share my perspective on the agency business. During this transformational era, are there any basic differences between how ad agencies and other marketing agencies are moving forward in today’s multiplatform communications world? What are the best approaches in how agencies are branding and positioning themselves to handle today’s challenges?

The short answer is, no matter what type of agency, it still comes down to addressing the basic question, “Who are you when you meet a client?” In a disappointing number of instances, the answer has become, “Whoever you need me to be.” And that’s the exact wrong answer if you want your agency to thrive. An agency is no place for wondering who you are, like Jason Bourne. Or obfuscating who you are, like Don Draper. And it’s sure as hell no place for pulling a Jim Rockford.

Jim Rockford (for those who only know streaming content, not dial-selected content) was a TV detective whose way of introducing himself was to print a fresh business card. He kept a tricky little instant printer in the back of his Firebird Sprint to create false identities wherever he was. He’d introduce himself as everything from a plumber to a publisher. Having multiple personas is good for a private detective, but not so good for agencies.

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