Levine, Huntley, Schmidt and Beaver.
Needham, Harper and Steers.
NW Ayer.
D'arcy Masius.
Benton & Bowles.
Ally & Gargano.
Geers Gross.
Geer DuBois.
Kenyon & Eckhardt.
Leber Katz.
Calet Hirsch.
DKG.
Rosenfeld, Sirowitz.
Dancer Fitzgerald Sample.
Lord, Geller, Federico, Einstein.
SSCB.
Over the next fifteen years or so, which of today's traditional agencies will join the defunct ones listed above? The shops on my list didn't all of a sudden sink into suckdom but they did, for the most part, become obsolete because they failed to adjust to the changing world.
Now this comes in from England, the land of clotted cream and innovative agencies.
"Online media is set to transform the marketing services industry and will destroy the old model of agencies that base campaigns on 30-second television ads. In future, television, print and other executions are likely to be the extra sparkle on top of campaigns that begin online."
Here are some other quotations I've excerpted (with full journalistic integrity--if that ain't an oxymoron):
"Agencies producing mainly television ads will be "boutiques" and the digital agencies the mainstream shops."
"TV is no longer a lead medium for many brand owners and this is something established agencies fail to grasp. It is becoming a support medium, even for big brands. Its role is shifting rapidly towards digital."
You can find the entire Marketing Week article here: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/item/56543
Of course, this could be the laserdisc of advertising trends. In other words, it might never happen. One thing I know is happening though. It's the giant sucking sound of dollars heading online.
If we limit the predictions to the brands sizable enough to afford TV and major media, and the impact those large enough clients have on the industry, it's clear the industry has to go where these clients want to go.
ReplyDeleteIn some cases their incumbent agencies, the traditional agencies of today, will be able to go in step with the changes needed.
In other cases ignorance or lack of capability or both will see the implosion of large agencies and their entire networks.
It's clear that the internet and IP and digital won't go away. It's clear that digital is going to lead to further fragmentation.
Which leads to a much more complex business.
Clients will always need someone to help them and lead brand management.
Thus organizations that can offer a totally media agnostic starting point will be best suited to manage and lead the process. whether it's through all disciplines under one roof
or as a consultant/production company of sorts.
Then of course, the quality of the work will continue to be the factor that decides who's going to be biggest and most beautiful.
Brand knowledge as of today resides mostly within the traditional agencies whether large or small.
The question is of course where the smartest people are going to work in the future.
If they choose to go to or remain with the traditional agencies and thereby help transform them, the guess is that the map may not look too different ten years from now.
If a large portions of these guys choose to join the new internet centric shops the map may look totally different.
The big holding companies can help determine the names on the doors.