Recently we were called in to help a small 5-person marketing firm set up a new business system. After a day-long session, they decided that their new brand, something they had spent over a year working on, was out of touch with the realities of our market.
- Recapturing the high ground isn’t for everyone, but for the right firm it’s much better than climbing out of the tactical world one step at a time.
They had not recognized how much advertising agencies have lost intellectual altitude in the eyes of prospects.
Many ad agencies are discussing this very issue behind closed doors… The changing position of agencies and what agency leaders can do to avoid further marginalization by clients. They’ve noticed that the trend is not good. Many have questioned the future of agencies in light of the sweeping winds of change. A few of the leaders have complained publicly about very poor attitudes towards agency compensation and fees.
On the other hand, design firms don’t seem to be as impacted. In fact, many design firms are in a boom with former agency clients shifting to using design firms to do ads. The reason: less costs and less hassle. And many design firms have added strategic and brand consulting to the services they offer.
We feel agency leaders need to get their heads around the facts, look over their brand and their service promise and develop a new strategy but do not-not-not-not sit still to be plucked more.
We are now working with the agency to recapture the high-ground.