The most dangerous people in marketing. They steal time and waste budgets, they frustrate CEOs and CFOs.
They aren't the people who usually get a bad rap – new-age strategists, or digital gurus, social media zealots, content spewers or dilettante creatives.
They are the marketing drones.
They most likely did a marketing course at a college somewhere, have only ever worked in marketing, probably in a massive department in a global company. It's unlikely that they've ever been involved in the development of truly great work. They aren't senior marketers, but they're dangerous because they have some control, and the ability to waste precious budgets.
They are the most likely to latch on to the latest fad, and pay attention to lame industry conferences, the most likely chase spurious proxy goals like Facebook likes, Youtube hits, Twitter followers and shares. They have just enough power and little enough responsibility to spend much and achieve very little. And they tend to have very little real understanding of how advertising and marketing can really help businesses.
Without them, the rantings and ravings of the new-age strategists, or digital gurus, social media zealots, content spewers wouldn't really matter. A crazy only causes problems if you actually listen to them. Agencies spend inordinate amounts of time trying to keep these people happy. A truly dangerous bunch.
Over the last sixteen years I've noticed one consistent theme – the companies that get the best out of their advertising are the ones that don't involve the drones – where the most senior marketer and even better, the CEO are most closely involved with their agencies and the development of advertising.
The Conquest Of Indifference
This should be required reading by anyone and everyone working in advertising and marketing today. It's a brilliant reality check that puts paid to some myths and nonsense peddled by the krazee Kool-aid drinking brigade who pollute the business with their idiotic beliefs and shit ideas that end up wasting clients' money.
Jammy Sod
Whilst we're discussing how best to sell things to people, top bloke and Photographer Elliot Cole is bimbling around Sri Lanka taking some pretty cool photos - so I thought I'd share his blog.
http://elliottcole.co.uk/blog/
Usually I avoid like the plague anyone wanting to show me their holiday snaps - but Elliot's blog makes me want to throw my oyster card away, cancel the Campaign magazine subscription and get on the next plane out to a beach in South East Asia.
Once he's finished having an awesome time and making the rest of us jealous - I'm sure he won't be short of Editorial and Travel commissions.
http://elliottcole.co.uk/blog/
Usually I avoid like the plague anyone wanting to show me their holiday snaps - but Elliot's blog makes me want to throw my oyster card away, cancel the Campaign magazine subscription and get on the next plane out to a beach in South East Asia.
Once he's finished having an awesome time and making the rest of us jealous - I'm sure he won't be short of Editorial and Travel commissions.
Amazing Chemical Reactions...
These really are worth a watch. I like the simple way this is done and presented...
Alan Alan, the worlds shittest escapologist
Newsreel archivist British Pathé have uploaded their entire 85,000 film archive to youtube. There are some crackers in there, here are a few of our favourites.
Cricket Balls
Ten Stone Baby (Teased With Chocolate)
The Cutest Ever Baby Gorilla takes a Bath
Vintage Political Posters From Cuba
Stumbled across this terrific collection of Cuban political posters. There's many more here on the treasure trove that is 50 Watts.
Are Ad Agencies Wasting Talent?
Ben Kay's latest blog post is interesting. You should have a read if you haven't already. Loosely, it's about the notion that it takes a lot of effort to do brave work, and that people are naturally disinclined to put in that effort if the chances of the good work being used seem slim.
It's especially interesting if you read the comments, there appears to be a lot of disenfranchised creatives out there, who appear have given up on producing good work and are just phoning it in.
What a sad state of affairs that is for the industry. But I don't think it's the creatives' fault. There's a problem with advertising agencies – they have lost their sense of purpose. Their goals have become confused, they are now more about keeping the client 'happy', building relationships, doing what it takes to not lose the account, keeping the bean counters happy, keeping their awards scores high in the Gunn report, looking good in the trades. All of these distractions from what their purpose should be – that is, using creative thinking helping to their clients meet and exceed their goals.
Agencies have lost that single-minded purpose. The irony is, if they regained it, long-term the effect would be happier clients and better financial results. But they play the short game of not upsetting clients in the short-term, to the detriment of the work, the results and ultimately, the long-term relationship.
I believe there is still a huge pool of clever and talented people in advertising, but they are being crushed within agency systems that are completely off-purpose. It's no wonder you see this level of disillusionment.
When we set up Sell! Sell!, it was with the single-minded purpose of creating the best creative work. Everything falls out of that. Everything. Off the top of my head, to consistently produce great advertising (not just one or two hits a year amongst everyday dross) you need, amongst other things
Happy, relaxed, talented creatives who are challenged but given enough time and space to meet the challenges
Mutual respect between agency and client
Clients who understand (or are made to understand) that the best work doesn't come out of happy-clappy relationships where no one argues
Clients who give the agency space to answer the problem
An agency that is prepared to stand its ground, but respects the client's opinion
An agency focused on producing a great solution, not a menu of solutions
The problem-solvers (creatives) at the centre of everything
People who are afforded a good work/life balance, not worked to the bone every week, which means realistic deadlines, and realistic staffing
A strong and open culture of the single-minded purpose – "It's all about the work"
There are more, that's just a quick list. But all of these things fall out of the single-minded purpose. All of these things exist because that's the best way to consistently get great work. That's what everything we do, how we are set-up, how we work, is built around. Everything we do is built around the single-minded purpose of producing the best creative ideas to help our clients.
Until agencies regain their sense of purpose, I fear that the industry will be stuck in its rut. Clients won't get the best work, good work will continue to be the rarity, client tenure rates will continue to fall, and talented people will continue to be stifled, and their efforts wasted.
It's especially interesting if you read the comments, there appears to be a lot of disenfranchised creatives out there, who appear have given up on producing good work and are just phoning it in.
What a sad state of affairs that is for the industry. But I don't think it's the creatives' fault. There's a problem with advertising agencies – they have lost their sense of purpose. Their goals have become confused, they are now more about keeping the client 'happy', building relationships, doing what it takes to not lose the account, keeping the bean counters happy, keeping their awards scores high in the Gunn report, looking good in the trades. All of these distractions from what their purpose should be – that is, using creative thinking helping to their clients meet and exceed their goals.
Agencies have lost that single-minded purpose. The irony is, if they regained it, long-term the effect would be happier clients and better financial results. But they play the short game of not upsetting clients in the short-term, to the detriment of the work, the results and ultimately, the long-term relationship.
I believe there is still a huge pool of clever and talented people in advertising, but they are being crushed within agency systems that are completely off-purpose. It's no wonder you see this level of disillusionment.
When we set up Sell! Sell!, it was with the single-minded purpose of creating the best creative work. Everything falls out of that. Everything. Off the top of my head, to consistently produce great advertising (not just one or two hits a year amongst everyday dross) you need, amongst other things
Happy, relaxed, talented creatives who are challenged but given enough time and space to meet the challenges
Mutual respect between agency and client
Clients who understand (or are made to understand) that the best work doesn't come out of happy-clappy relationships where no one argues
Clients who give the agency space to answer the problem
An agency that is prepared to stand its ground, but respects the client's opinion
An agency focused on producing a great solution, not a menu of solutions
The problem-solvers (creatives) at the centre of everything
People who are afforded a good work/life balance, not worked to the bone every week, which means realistic deadlines, and realistic staffing
A strong and open culture of the single-minded purpose – "It's all about the work"
There are more, that's just a quick list. But all of these things fall out of the single-minded purpose. All of these things exist because that's the best way to consistently get great work. That's what everything we do, how we are set-up, how we work, is built around. Everything we do is built around the single-minded purpose of producing the best creative ideas to help our clients.
Until agencies regain their sense of purpose, I fear that the industry will be stuck in its rut. Clients won't get the best work, good work will continue to be the rarity, client tenure rates will continue to fall, and talented people will continue to be stifled, and their efforts wasted.
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