Do you think the model might be broken?

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The 20th annual Salz Survey of Advertiser-Agency Relations is just out, and it ain’t pretty.
      
According to the results, clients’ views of ad agencies are at
an all-time low, and vice versa. For example, when asked about teamwork
between client and agency, 59 percent of client respondents said there
was more teamwork than last year, but only 25 percent of the
agency-side types agreed. The 34 point gap is the second largest in
survey history. So, what’s up with that?
      
At the same time, when cliennts were asked if there were more,
fewer or the same amount of "hassles" with their agencies, 35 percent
said "more." That’s the highest total ever. And, 43 percent of agency
folks also answered "more." That’s the second highest level ever
recorded in the survey.
      
Man, there are a lot of unhappy advertising types out there.
What’s causing their angst? A couple of things. As Stuart Elliot
observed in his November 21st New York Times column, a lot of the
dissatisfaction has to do with the splintered marketplace, the rise of
the consumer as king in deciding what products to buy and the plethora
of new ways in which to reach consumers. It’s that last point where
Elliot and his advertising media brethren continually miss the mark.
They keep publicizing new advertising campaigns from hot agencies
without realizing that the traditional 30-secnd spot is dead as a
doornail. Consumers have tuned out commericals in favor of Tivo,
blogging, mobile marketing, word-of-mouth and God knows what else.
      
Traditional advertising is in a freefall. The sooner the agency
types realize it and retrofit their offerings to reflect how consumers
are actually getting their news and, based upon that input, making
their buying decisions, the sooner they’ll turn thing around on the
Salz survey.
      
Advertisers are unhappy. Their agencies are unhappy. So, rather
than point fingers at each other, maybe its time for them to figure out
new and different ways to stay ahead of changing consumer behavior.
Ever hear of public relations?

2 thoughts on “Do you think the model might be broken?”

  1. Ad agencies have plenty of skills that are transferable to other forms of communication. The smart ones embrace integratrion the rest are, frankly, complacent. A good first move would be to get the master ad planners out to PR agencies and teach them a thing or two about planning. If you don’t share your knowledge in this day and age you get left behind. Simple as that.

  2. “maybe its time for them to figure out new and different ways to stay ahead of changing consumer behavior”
    Advertisers and brands need to wake up and realize they have one of the most powerful tools for interacting with the consumer (mobile phone).
    The problem that most advertising agencies have is they don’t know how to tap into it. A different type of creativity will be needed.