In the first blog in this series on what the future might look like for the media agency we focussed on the difference between the public face of the agency (based on a deep and often profound understanding of consumers and their relationship with communication channels) and the more private reality, based around supplementing their meagre earnings through unofficial kick-backs and payments in kind from media owners.
Intellectuals and Power-Crazed Lunatics: The Future for Media Agencies – Part One
22 August 2013
It is generally acknowledged that the whole field of communications has changed unrecognisably over the last 10 years or so. And that the speed of change has been accelerating. Given this, is it still appropriate that those charged with advising their clients on how best to use communication channels to change behaviour, build brands, sell product are structured pretty well as they always have been?
The next few Cog Blogs will explore the future of media agencies. Have they lived up to their early promise? Are they set to prosper in the future?
Play It Again Jeff
19 August 2013
It was recently announced that Jeff Bezos, the Founder of Amazon has bought that great newspaper ‘The Washington Post’. It’s important to make the distinction that it is not Amazon that has acquired the newspaper; Bezos personally has bought it.
Aside from being an invitation for every wag on the web to crack the obvious joke (“Jeff based on recent purchases you might also be interested in ‘The LA Times’, ‘Newsweek’..”), it’s interesting to speculate on just why Bezos has done this.
Media Agencies’ Take on Research
15 August 2013
Two of the largest global agencies recently announced major research initiatives into how consumer behaviour is influenced by communication channels. Interestingly, neither is a research agency. MEC launched their Momentum programme at the Cannes ad festival, whilst OMD took to the pages of ‘Campaign’ to discuss their large-scale study predicting the future shape of British consumer society called (rather portentously) ‘Future of Britain’.
What’s Next for the Holding Company?
12 August 2013
Does anybody active in or around the advertising business (aside of course from some of those working for them) genuinely think that holding companies within the marketing services sector currently deliver better work than independent agencies? As the intended Publicis Omnicom merger has received what might at best be described as a lukewarm reception this seems a good time to explore what exactly these organisations are for.
Bigger, Better, Ummm
08 August 2013
One of the more frequently claimed benefits to clients of the Publicis Omnicom merger is that the new merged business will be able to compete better both with traditional media giants and with the likes of Google and Facebook. This simply doesn’t hold water.
Media: Too Important to be Left to Media People
06 August 2013
Back in the old days of full service agencies the often-told joke was that the media element of any client presentation had to be fitted in to the 10 minutes before the important matter of lunch. No matter that the allocation of millions of pounds was at stake, no matter that the client had just spent a jolly two hours debating where to shoot the next TV ad, 10 minutes it was. If you were lucky.
What’s in a Word?
01 August 2013
I have been worrying about social media forms. This is I admit a little sad, but the main players do seem rather beleaguered, what with Facebook’s share-price struggling to get back to IPO levels, Google coming under attack for not paying their taxes (quite aside for demonstrating a remarkable lack of regard for the facts by claiming that they’ve already killed TV as a medium), and Twitter for apparently failing to appreciate their responsibilities to those users attacked by trolls.
If you are one of the very few people who notice my Facebook comments you’ll be aware of my regular reporting on the (in)appropriateness of the ads served to me. I’ve never ridden a motorbike and am unlikely to start now – which no doubt makes me an ideal target for Harley Davidson. I have been very happily married for 30 years, so singles dating sites don’t really do it for me. And although I suppose I am mortal I don’t really engage with funeral planning services. And as for the portable catheter on offer at an attractively discounted price…
Mind you, LinkedIn isn’t much better – recommending as ‘news for you’ today a piece on America’s most miserable sports cities.