The Inkstained Mind: What if you don't need an Ad Agency to do Advertising?

17 Jan 2010

What if you don't need an Ad Agency to do Advertising?

There is something wrong with advertising today.

Suspicion.

I think the problem is three-fold:
1. Marketing exercises tend to be media-specific
2. There is a plethora of media available today
3. It is unviable for an Ad Agency to retain experts in every domain

As a result, the overall thought-process tends to get funnelled toward the familiar, the conventional. Leaving numerous possibilities unexplored - and leaving everyone involved rather suspicious of each other's capability, commitment and interest!

Could there be a better way? I'll hazard a wild swing at this...

Suppose - just suppose - there was a lean, result-focussed, media-neutral Agency+Brand team constituted solely to identify strategic opportunities. The alliance is exclusive and closed-ended. There is no scope for a conflict of interest here.

And now suppose there is a loose, open-ended federation of execution experts wedded to no client - freelancers, if you will - who are commissioned based on skill (or available budget) to draw-up, co-ordinate and execute the various media facets of a campaign.

In short... What if you don't need a traditional, and usually awkwardly, joined-at-the-hip Strategy and Creative team to do Advertising?

What if, eh?

2 comments:

Subramaniyan SSS said...: i feel that advertising agencies is a MUST,

but only if the agency take the responsibility or an accountablity on whatever the communication it does, i think the whole scene will change.; Friday, 22 January, 2010
Dolly Bhasin said...: The what if scenario presented here is already evident and showing up as newer models like PAY FOR PERFORMANCE and MARKETING CONSULTANTS driven approaches.; Sunday, 21 February, 2010

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WHAT IS ADVERTISING?

It's often called the world's second oldest profession.

But while the scope of the oldest one has changed little over time, the evolution in the way we communicate has had profound impact on Advertising.

In the ancient and medieval world, Advertising meant word-of-mouth. In the 1500s with the development of printing it became a 'paid public notice', disseminating the message to many. And it had Copy & Art.

Then came radio, TV, computer, cable TV, Internet, mobile phones, Internet on mobile, and it's still not done... Even what we perceive as 'change' is changing. Continuously.

So what is Advertising today?

Honestly, I don't know.

But I do know from a dozen years evolving with the business, that Advertising is most valued when it can make a tangible difference for the advertiser.

That has not changed. And probably won't.

UPDATE: Nothing's changed. But in a way, everything has.

As you see, my focus has shifted - evolved in a way - to a larger canvas. The shift or evolution was gradual, and may be have been discernable to the more observant reader.

While I was delving into the influence of media in society to better understand how perceptions are created, evolved and disseminated, I chanced upon a thread of knowledge that I frankly never knew existed.

My conclusion is that a deep pool of awareness and consciouness exists beyond the shallow narcissistic boundaries created by the convention view of social media and the Internet.

My aim is to send my readers down any path that can lead to this quenching pool.