Irreverent Thinking

The current experiment of running a (YouTube) video on our site has been met with a mixed response. But it has gone rather viral (in a small way). Frames have been grabbed and photo-shopped by a number of people outside of my immediate network. This made me realise that, in a small way, we had created a viral storm - or a viral storm in a tea-cup as I now call it. These storms are quite interesting as it does drum up interest in our company. Which is a “good thing”.

Those that had a negative view came, primarily, from the “old money” agency economy. The gist of this view was that the “production values were too low”, “you must use an autocue”, “look at better post-production”, “it’s all in the editing”… You get the drift. Interestingly the view was not “the content is rubbish and you are spouting poo” but just that the production value (i.e. the video) was not up to the standard used in a 30 second Guinness advert.

And then on Wednesday I watched Manchester United beat Chelsea in the Champions League and saw an advert for Ford Football. What the hell? Are Ford now manufacturing footballs or are they simply copying Nike’s move into vertical markets?! But I digress. The advert was a series of (low production value) videos shown in a (YouTube style) frame. So maybe it’s true, and shock video has taken over the world. Maybe people simply no longer trust over-produced, over-glossy videos. I somehow prefer the real world version and don’t trust the gloss.

The upshot is that we are going to have a crack at recording more videos for our site, based around environmental and personal information. This forces the production values to be non-glossy, immediate and very relevant. No doubt we will see a polarisation of viewpoints. First one goes up today, have a look and pass a comment. I’d love to hear what you think about this experiment!

Unashamedly lifted from Jeff Lanctot (original is here) as it is so of the minute, so topical, so right on. I’ll make myself feel better by saying I am helping to spread Jeff’s wise words

—–

Agencies: Change or Die

May 6th, 2008 by Jeff Lanctot
I’ve recently listened to and participated in several conversations regarding the evolving role of the ad agency. Most marketers and agency types seem to agree that a radical change is necessary. I agree, but I think that change is going to be a harder one to make than many realize.

For many agencies, incremental change feels comfortable. It tacitly acknowledges the greatness of days gone by. It politely suggests that they can get even better. It gently nudges the business forward. The leisurely and familiar pace with which agencies change is also the very thing that threatens their future.

The most effective agencies must live squarely at the intersection of marketing and technology. They should be sprinting to that intersection. Not just digital agencies, but all agencies. As all media becomes digital, any agency that doesn’t view itself as a technology company should commence reflecting fondly on the good ol’ days. The road ahead is likely to be significantly less fulfilling.

Agencies need to make this shift in order to not just lead, but to stay relevant at all. The most engaging customer experiences will be created by designers working collaboratively with developers. The most powerful campaigns will be delivered by creatives that embrace social networks and media planners that understand auction theory. And the most successful agencies will rely on data platforms that give marketers a single view of the customer across all marketing touchpoints. Increasingly, technology is inexorably linked to marketing.

Of course, consumers have already rushed ahead, embracing new technologies without the apprehension and hand-wringing that has marked agency dalliances with the digital world. From Tweens to Seniors, consumers are sharing, publishing and collaborating. They are the new voice of authority in the marketing world- a voice that once exclusively bellowed from the windows of Madison Avenue. Just as they must embrace the role of technology in the business of marketing, agencies must now view customers as colleagues. The passive “target audience” of yesterday is now an active participant in shaping how brands are perceived.

There’s no middle ground for today’s agency. Make small, incremental changes and comfortably drift toward a date with irrelevance. Or make the hard choice to radically reinvent the industry, with the promise of becoming more valuable to marketers than ever before.

—–

End of post