As a relatively recent convert to the agency world, having worked on the client side in retail all my professional life, I sometimes find myself seeing both sides of a problem, both in work we do for our clients and in wider industry issues.
Recently I experienced one such moment when, several minutes into a discussion panel session on ‘Tomorrow’s Advertising Formats’, I realized that in between the thinly (and in one speaker’s case, not at all) disguised adverts for their companies lay the answer to all their questions.
Diverging from the start from the main topic of the event, the panel quickly moved to discuss just why, oh why, are advertisers not driving forwards with new advertising formats and media channels or, in effect, why don’t our clients listen to everything we say? Speaking as someone who, in a previous life, was frequently sold ‘the next evolution in advertising’ or ‘a genuinely revolutionary way to engage with your customers’, and without exception found the offer to be wildly overpriced, poorly thought out and totally inappropriate for the business, it’s both enlightening and depressing to find that the sort of misinformation peddled by these people is constructed entirely within the closed circuit of their peers.
Whilst on the client side, something I’ve always looked for in an agency was someone who understood not only my industry, but who understood my brand, and the interaction my customers had with it. This applied to media buyers, to creatives and to full-service development agencies alike. Now, with this in mind, let’s look at a number of comments which that evening’s panel came out with, and consider how well these ‘industry-leading’ minds understand the customer:
“Bluecasting (broadcasting a message via Bluetooth, so that any Bluetooth-enabled devices in a specific area pick it up) is a fantastic way to engage with consumers at the most relevant times.”
“Television adverts generate an ‘emotional’ involvement from the viewer, whilst online video advertising promotes a more ‘rational’ interaction.”
“Marketing departments tend to actively prevent brands developing dialogues with their customers.”
“Some people pay a monthly amount for their mobile phone.”
“People like advertising – it’s how they find out about new things.“
Each comment more bizarre than the first, from the nonsensical (rational vs emotional?) to the outdated (anyone remember the fiasco that was bluecasting?) and the downright wrong, this selection neatly encapsulates the general themes of the evening.
One of the repeated complaints some of the panelists voiced was about how little Marketing departments and advertising buyers bought into their more innovative ideas. Call me a pedant, but personally I tend to be more receptive to innovation when it’s recommended by someone who truly understands both my position and the context of the market in which I operate.
What I noticed from the closed circuit discussions going on at this industry event was how little practical understanding was demonstrated in the room, and how most of the opinions voiced would render a seasoned retailer or media owner speechless. And that answers the complaint: develop a mutual sense of trust with a client, based on rock-solid sector knowledge, a thorough understanding of the customer relationships at work, and an acute awareness of core business drivers, and only then will your more progressive suggestions gain traction.
Because then, and only then, will the client know that your recommendation is made through careful, pragmatic business thinking, and not so you have something to brag about at your next industry panel.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I made the leap across the desk and joined Conchango.