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Imagine that you’re at a bar after work. You know this place - not necessarily a “regular” per se, but you know the people and you like the atmosphere. Only this day is going to give you an experience like never before.
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All the messages funneled into consumer homes, cars, and on the streets, it’s a full-time job for businesses to simply break through the clutter.
Riddle of the Day
Do consumers believe claims made by businesses for their advertised products?Many businesses spend millions annually trying to answer this question through research, focus groups, and other methods. In reality, consumers are a bit fickle about where they place their trust when it comes to an advertiser’s brand message.
Age demographics and level of education do play a role. The older the consumer, the more likely they will be skeptical about trusting a business’s brand message.
Conversely, the younger the consumer, the more likely they may accept a business claim in its product messages. Users are also split on whether they trust government regulators to ensure honesty in claims made by businesses in their advertising messages.
For consumers with higher education levels, there’s an (incorrect) inclination to trust government regulators versus an advertiser or the advertising industry to ensure claims are honest.
Those consumers who have not obtained a NCAA education tend to trust the advertisers and/or advertising industry more than government regulators. Of course, there will always be a percentage that will be skeptical of advertising claims.
Ensure when you advertise your brand message that the claims are honest! At the end of the day, it’s an uphill battle to resell a consumer once they have discovered a claim to be untrue.
Think of children, they are trusting to a fault - until they have a bad experience. With social media at everyone’s fingertips, you don’t need bad press from those who have embraced your product and are your brand ambassadors.“People remember the bad a lot longer than the good!”
With information traveling at the speed of light due to technology, it is a lot harder to change perceptions once formed.
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At this very moment, the biggest, most legendary ad agency in your city… is losing clients. And their biggest client, losing its lion’s share.
Brands that once ruled the galaxy…are now light years behind the pace. With teams made up of world-class aces in each discipline, how did this happen?
Conventional wisdom might suggest that this is a fluke. That these brands should be thriving.
But the digital cosmos is anything but conventional. And like many NCAA championship teams have shown in the past, nimble “T-shaped” talent is the make up of a dominant team. They build on their own unique skill set by learning the role that each team member plays.
This is the shape of synergy. Or in spirit of nostalgic cliche - Great players. Even better team.
The New Marketer is T-shaped
I recently met with the VP of Interactive at an esteemed agency. Like too many of the big city ad clans, the company is now rapidly seeking “interactive” creatives - due to what is clearly lost business on the digital front to the new wave of more nimble, scrappy hybrids.
Places where everyone contributes. Everyone has ideas. And everyone…is creative.
After our introductions and dry humor riff raff, we began discussing the firm’s culture. He told me about the 2 types of successful marketers today:- Those who learn multiple disciplines, and do each of them well
- The true linchpins that hammer home one focus, and that is where she dedicates her career
As a more “T-shaped” creative and digital strategist, I question the VP’s stance on this issue. Especially when the firms that are taking his clients are made entirely of professionals in the first category he mentioned.
However, Mr. Big clearly missed one key “class” of marketer - the one who has a specialty, and builds upon it. To quote the industry-revered creative Luke Sullivan:
“Today’s most successful creatives are a sort of hybrid, capable of expert contributions in their chosen fields of art direction or copywriting, but fluent enough in other digital disciplines to collaborate effectively, occasionally even executing things on their own.
The new creatives have both depth and breadth and today their job description isn’t “writing or art directing cool ads and TV spots.” It’s bigger. Your job is to create entertaining or useful experiences for your clients’ brands. That might involve an ad; it might not.”
There are several reasons for the tight correlation between being T-shaped and success in digital marketing. But here are just a few…
1. Improve your overall game
There will never be a “best-at-everything” marketer, digital or traditional. Everyone has a specialty. A niche. You know the subjects close to your raison d’etre, and by learning them, you’ll only get better.
With knowledge of the target, you have better aim. Knowing your competition gives you a better game plan. And in an industry that now demands better productsKnowledge of Strategy = More Effective Tactics
, better service, and better business ideas altogether, you can even build a better weapon
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2. It gives you a better “Long Ball”
If you’re a creative, then you knew this already. In fact, I know a few non-digital creatives who possess acumen in design, psychology, and brand strategy that would impress most. And they’re irreplaceable linchpins, all of them.
To move up and become a Creative Director, you have to know (and know well) the games of art and copy. And once you’re there, knowledge in project management, collaboration, consumer behavior, and team leadership had better be in your repertoire if you plan on staying there.
Digital takes “T-shape” demand to a whole new level. Web analytics, User Experience, Usability, Information Architecture, and Content Strategy are all key ingredients to success. And not just to one specific team member.
Most important: if you’re a freelancer, you can increase your capabilities. And your revenue.
3. Your team (and clients) will appreciate it
There’s nothing worse than a research/strategy/designer/writer team that delivers work separately. Designers appreciate those who speak the language.
Strategists hate the creatives who execute tactics to win awards, or “promote the importance of art” in advertising. They label them as granola nerds. Heady blow-hards. And they’re right.
“T” is NOT the Shape of the Future
It’s the shape of now. In an industry that requires constant shifts and nimble minds, focused digital specialists are often blinded by their one expertise.
They can’t spot new opportunities or, worse, can’t anticipate the slow demise of a niche. And even if they do, adaptation is difficult and unyielding to those with all of their eggs are in one basket.
To those who wish to build on their skill set, move forward, create change and make a difference, you’ve reached your crossing. -
At this very moment, the biggest, most legendary ad agency in your city… is losing clients. And their biggest client, losing its lion’s share.
Brands that once ruled the galaxy…are now light years behind the pace. With teams made up of world-class aces in each discipline, how did this happen?
Conventional wisdom might suggest that this is a fluke. That these brands should be thriving.
But the digital cosmos is anything but conventional. And like many NCAA championship teams have shown in the past, nimble “T-shaped” talent is the make up of a dominant team. They build on their own unique skill set by learning the role that each team member plays.
This is the shape of synergy. Or in spirit of nostalgic cliche - Great players. Even better team.
The New Marketer is T-shaped
I recently met with the VP of Interactive at an esteemed agency. Like too many of the big city ad clans, the company is now rapidly seeking “interactive” creatives - due to what is clearly lost business on the digital front to the new wave of more nimble, scrappy hybrids.
Places where everyone contributes. Everyone has ideas. And everyone…is creative.
After our introductions and dry humor riff raff, we began discussing the firm’s culture. He told me about the 2 types of successful marketers today:
- Those who learn multiple disciplines, and do each of them well
- The true linchpins that hammer home one focus, and that is where she dedicates her career
The second, he told me, is what they were interested in. And the former, nothing more than generalists who will never be great at any particular skill.
As a more “T-shaped” creative and digital strategist, I question the VP’s stance on this issue. Especially when the firms that are taking his clients are made entirely of professionals in the first category he mentioned.
However, Mr. Big clearly missed one key “class” of marketer - the one who has a specialty, and builds upon it. To quote the industry-revered creative Luke Sullivan
“Today’s most successful creatives are a sort of hybrid, capable of expert contributions in their chosen fields of art direction or copywriting, but fluent enough in other digital disciplines to collaborate effectively, occasionally even executing things on their own.
The new creatives have both depth and breadth and today their job description isn’t “writing or art directing cool ads and TV spots.” It’s bigger. Your job is to create entertaining or useful experiences for your clients’ brands. That might involve an ad; it might not.”
There are several reasons for the tight correlation between being T-shaped and success in digital marketing. But here are just a few…
1. Improve your overall game
There will never be a “best-at-everything” marketer, digital or traditional. Everyone has a specialty. A niche. You know the subjects close to your raison d’etre, and by learning them, you’ll only get better.
Knowledge of Strategy = More Effective Tactics
With knowledge of the target, you have better aim. Knowing your competition gives you a better game plan. And in an industry that now demands better products
2. It gives you a better “Long Ball”
If you’re a creative, then you knew this already. In fact, I know a few non-digital creatives who possess acumen in design, psychology, and brand strategy that would impress most. And they’re irreplaceable linchpins, all of them.
To move up and become a Creative Director, you have to know (and know well) the games of art and copy. And once you’re there, knowledge in project management, collaboration, consumer behavior, and team leadership had better be in your repertoire if you plan on staying there.
Digital takes “T-shape” demand to a whole new level. Web analytics, User Experience, Usability, Information Architecture, and Content Strategy are all key ingredients to success. And not just to one specific team member.
Most important: if you’re a freelancer, you can increase your capabilities. And your revenue.
3. Your team (and clients) will appreciate it
There’s nothing worse than a research/strategy/designer/writer team that delivers work separately. Designers appreciate those who speak the language.
Strategists hate the creatives who execute tactics to win awards, or “promote the importance of art” in advertising. They label them as granola nerds. Heady blow-hards. And they’re right.
“T” is NOT the Shape of the Future
It’s the shape of now. In an industry that requires constant shifts and nimble minds, focused digital specialists are often blinded by their one expertise.
They can’t spot new opportunities or, worse, can’t anticipate the slow demise of a niche. And even if they do, adaptation is difficult and unyielding to those with all of their eggs are in one basket.
To those who wish to build on their skill set, move forward, create change and make a difference, you’ve reached your crossing.
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In recent weeks, I’ve come across quite a few articles in big industry publications - each discussing why agencies need to be more integrated in their service offerings.
Digital agencies need to be more traditional, and vice versa. If you too have read theories like this one, it’s time you unlearn them. Here’s why…
Despite being known as the mecca for outside marketing ideas, strategic approaches, media buys, and tactical execution, most of today’s marketing firms (advertising, branding, collaborators, innovation partners, idea factories, insert new buzz word here) - do not take their own advice.
In fact, the list of mistakes that agencies make when marketing themselves is so robust that it should have its own encyclopedia. So in order to simplify, we’ll only cover the most common.
Digital is no longer a “niche”
With an endless array of digital agencies in the modern world, which one of them is the best? The answer - none of them.
Perhaps there is an agency that has mastered the online advertising game. Or one who rules the search engine kingdom. Another is perhaps the real “expert” in social media. Somewhere out there, you’ll find the “best” shop for website development. But they won’t be the best at mobile, email marketing, content strategy, or usability consulting.
Yet none of the above-mentioned players market themselves as such. But why? Wouldn’t they tell their client (s) to have the same focus they lack?
You’re NOT the best place for all things “ideas”
If you truly believe you are, then you should probably inform people at Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, or IDEO. I’m sure they could learn from what you have to say.
Your proprietary workshop, brainstorm approach, or strategic thought process model is not your position. Nor is the award you won. Or the elite agency list you made.
Each is simply a feature. And at the price premium I’ve seen attached to some of these, there had better be one hell of a benefit to the client.
Instead of trying to make your thought process the differentiator, try making it a shining example of your brand’s personality. If you can’t determine and clearly communicate the latter, do not pass GO.
If You’re Not Social, You’re Not Digital
Far too many old-school agencies are trying to move into the digital space. They create profiles and Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and so on. And each of them starve to death.
When you create a social presence online, you have to feed it with content. And the content should never be all about yourself. It should be a conversation, which is why no social medium should never be categorized as “media” - it’s a network.The Fortune 500 is Not a Target Market
Very few people realize that there is considerable success at the end of honesty.
If you have given big financial firms some big results, then you should have them as your primary target audience - rather than sending your New Biz team to pitch executives in sports, entertainment, or some other industry in which you’re nothing more than mediocre.
While there are probably hundreds of mistakes I failed to cover, these represent the most common that I’ve seen as of late.If I missed one that you feel is equally as common, feel free to add it.
(Source: branditlikebarker.com)
