Thebrandisonthefiringlineeveryday, butwhataboutitsadvisers? Rememberwhenitwascustomarytowritetheagencynameintheupper-right-handcorneronprintads? (Ohyes, Ibeganinadlandtwodecadesago. Apologiestoyoungerreaders.)
Thatacthassignificance. Likeanartistsigningaworkorsigningforahousemortgage, itcomeswitharesponsibility. It’syourneck; it’syourlegacy. Itshowsyou, asanadviser, tookyourworkseriously. Justbecausemostadvertisingworkissoshort-livedisnoexcuse. Whentheadcarriesyourname, itprovidestransparencyandaproductionliability. Andmaybehavingthatnameoutthereforpublicscrutinycouldforceagenciestotakemoreresponsibilityandpotentiallyacceleratemuch-neededchange.
Foranindustrythathypesitselfasbrandbuildersandpositioningexperts, isn’titironicthatallagenciesswiminthesamegenericsoup, shouting, “Lookatourawards! Lookatourwork!”? Wehaveasignificantroletoplayinpositivelyshapingbusinessesandbrandsgoingforward, butonlyifwestriveformorethansimplybeinganaward-winningsausagefactory. Aclientcomeswithabrief, andoutcomesasausageasdesired—ormaybetheartdirectoraddedasplashofthisseason’shypedPantoneredcolor.
Nowonderclientsdon’twanttopayasmuchanymoreforourcircusclownballoon-blowingabilities. They’restrugglingwithbiggerproblemsthana 30-secondaward-winningad. Arisingtideraisesallboats. Let’sstrivehigherasanindustry, whichwillultimatelyprotecttrillionsinbrandvalue. Adagenciesshouldn’tbecomeconsultancies; ourkeystrengthisstillfindingcreativesolutionstobusinessandbrandchallenges. Andclientsstillneedaninfusionoffreshperspective.