Comments on: Advertising, Disrupted

By: Andy Didyk

Andy Didyk — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:59:35 +0000

Nick, I totally agree with you when it comes to the way in which an agency presents itself to the client will affect the way the client perceives the agency.

Being able to choose your work, or to at least appear as if you are able to choose who you work for, can make all the difference in the world with the right client. Of course, with the wrong client, it works well too because you are able to weed them out right away. Thanks for the thoughts.

By: Nick Rice

Nick Rice — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:41:59 +0000

I also tend to think that most agencies feel like they need the work and therefore tend to be much less ballsy and creative than they would like to be. They always justify it with, “well, the client would never accept that idea.” or “it’s too risky” or something similar.

Look to CP+B to see how they’ve risen through the ranks to become one of the top agencies in the world through innovative, truly out of the box ideas. They have clients lining up to work with them.

A funny thing happens when you approach clients with an “abundance” mentality as opposed to a “scarcity” mentality; they love the ideas and they’re willing to pay for them simply because they can sense that you don’t need the work and that means you know what you’re talking about.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:41:28 +0000

I agree with you that most agencies don’t push the envelope, preferring to fail with traditional approaches that are safe, than risk making mistakes. Somewhere I read stats revealing that less time is spent on creative than we might assume. In the real world, the obvious and mundane solution prevails because resources are strained to deliver the goods. I believe that most agencies still live in the analog world and have little idea what’s really going on. It may be time to revisit Marshall McLuhan’s 1964 classic, “Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man” where he proclaimed that the “medium is the message.”