Madison Avenue Manslaughter

Only client results justify higher agency fees

There can be no doubt that we must change the way we work. From a soloist working style to a specialist talent working together with single-minded unity, is becoming a rapidly growing contributor to the client’s business. Different capabilities to solve different client business problems. Agency bragging about creativity is an inward-focused narcistic exercise that distracts agencies from more relevant client priorities. Creativity is not the only factor that matters, and it hardly provides sustainable differentiation from one agency to another. Agencies need to refocus their thinking, particularly in the way that senior agency executives define their roles. Where are the White Papers and thought pieces that give current and potential clients food for thought? Insightful papers, perspectives and presentations on issues of current concern to advertisers. Documents with our own intellectual insights about marketing and advertising effectiveness for clients. Meaningful content. We must elevate and expose the fragmented knowledge making it visible and essential. Knowledge must replace creative awards as the focus of an agency culture. We must increase our professional ambitions to be able to identify client’s performance challenges. As Bill Bernbach remarked: “Properly practiced creativity must result in greater sales more economically achieved”. On the other side of the coin, clients must close the gap between Procurement and the Scope of Work happening in the real world. So that Marketing and Communication can make use of relevant agency talent and professional agency support.