Can You Collaborate..?
Most ATL and digital agencies are forced to ‘fuse’ as a result of their reluctance to admit they need each other. Clients want 360 and they are paying, so who the hell are agencies to say no? This ‘collaboration’ is mostly always a bun fight, not dissimilar to that of two children that can’t decide whose Uncle is the toughest. Ironically, on their own, neither idea probably isn’t all that, yet each party insists it’s bit is the best and should lead. The ATL being the brand guardian while digital delivers value etc. Sadly, and more often that not, the victim is the work. In the heat of battle agencies can forget about the people with whom they actually need to be speaking; the punter.
Meanwhile, both parties continually claim to be collaborative, and both are, provided it’s within certain internal parameters that don’t make either look weak in front of their clients. Both saying things like: ‘it will weaken the idea, blah blah…’ Time and time again, neither are willing to meet in the middle and so the output is disparate.
So what if you could actually mix the two? What if somehow, in all of this extreme difficulty and heartache, the misunderstood geek could work with the narrative addict? What if they could sit in a room and actually collaborate? Or, in other words, isn’t it time every one grew up and stopped thinking they are better than the others?
I want it to be different.
I want it to be different because it can be. Because you don’t need to be precious about your ‘killer’ idea and you don’t need to care about the stupid bullshit awards. None of it matters anymore. Nike consistently shows us that it doesn’t matter who owns the idea – if it’s good, it can happen. I’ve lived in both worlds and I know that they can co-exist. Yeah people are scared to make it happen, because loads of idiots would be out of a job, but it can be that much better. The work can be that much stronger; it just takes a few good people top be brave.
The reality is that no one is going to win this ‘fight’, because there is no one single prize. The big shops can, and probably will, out-gun the specialists and will consume most of them. No matter what you think, clients are still not ready for the digital agency to become the brand guardian, no matter how many say they are, they are not. Some tech companies maybe, but that’s not everyone is it? Those that are not consumed by the networks will build a different model around technology and selling - but even they will still need to advertise those products and services. And yes, experience is the brand, providing your brand can offer a unique experience - and that won’t always work without a little helping hand.
The funny thing is that while the whole industry is banging on about who will prevail, this is already happening, a whole load of people, like me, just want to get on and do it. And we will.
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I agree with many of your observations. I would add that an old dictum that still in my mind stands up is that clients get the work they deserve. One of the mistakes they make it to pick a couple of agencies, often from different disciplines, with different cultures and sensibilities and then, throw them a brief and expect them to work it out, get on like happy families and come up with gold. This almost never works, even if there is a will to succeed on the parts of the agencies and they can see beyond their ego’s. Clients need to stop this ‘over you you lads’ way of working, take responsibility and actually work collaboratively with the agencies to broker a way of working that is conducive to producing effective work.