Michael Gass , who advises ad agencies on how to land new business, wrote “Four Ways Social Media is Changing Advertising Agencies New Business.” I won’t go into all four of them, you can read them in their entirety here . Anyway, three of the four ways seem harmless enough but the fourth one is interesting. But does it square?
Let’s take a look.
4. The growth of new media mandates agencies participation. Social media is now mainstream, your agency’s credibility is suspect if it isn’t walking the walk, not just talking the talk. I can’t imagine ever advising a client to deal with an advertising, PR, or interactive team that doesn’t get social media. One of the best ways to demonstrate your agency’s participation is to incorporate new media into your new business program.
First, I’m not sure that the growth of new media, presumably social media, mandates agency participation. At least not the agencies I’m familiar with. I say this partly because social media isn’t the kind of media you can buy. Oh, there are plenty of places that will gladly sell you social media, but you are not buying social media, you are buying mass media.
Secondly, I’m not sure social media is mainstream yet. A show of hands. Who’s mom is on Twitter? Okay, now who’s mom has an email account? Interactive yardstick: Email = mainstream.
Third, do not fear the agency (advertising, public relations, interactive or otherwise) who does not get social media. That is, unless they tell you they do. Most of them don’t and many of them won’t for quite some time. It’s okay. Your ad agency should get advertising, which is enough of a stretch for most of them. There is still tons of value in creating great advertising and great brands. Good agencies know how to tell good stories - a timeless currency.
Lastly, if your agency has social media in their pitch deck, ignore it. They want to experiment and you don’t want to volunteer for that. Experimenting is fine as long as it’s cheap and low risk. That’s something you and they can and should do on your own, not on each other. Hell, it’s practically free. Just go to wordpress.com or blogger.com or tumblr.com or twitter.com and give it a whirl. The fact that it’s so cheap is what makes it such a phenomenon - anyone can do it. Here in lies the other reason I don’t believe agencies have a mandate to participate. The ‘social’ in social media means you get to socialize. Like a real person. Like when your agency takes you out for dinner and drinks - kinda.
Anyway, I’m not trying to take the piss out of Mr. Gass, I’m sure he’s a great guy. My point here, rather, is to bring some perspective to all this, to quell the panic a bit. Social media is important and it’s getting more important. But if you try to buy it, you’re just giving away the learning you’re going have to do eventually anyway. Worse, you’re paying for someone else to learn. Just feel your way with it. This is one of those instances where you kinda have to dress yourself. You have to wear your own clothes as ill-fitting as they may be. But if you don’t, if you dip into the agency wardrobe, dapper as it may be, it’ll show. And people will know. They’ll call you out.
Look, this is everyday stuff. Day in and day out. It’s going to challenge and change the culture of your brand. But you gotta stand in there and grow. Remember junior high. That’s what this is - ugly but necessary. You may not get it right the first time. Or the second or third or fourth time. It’s possible your company or your brand isn’t ready yet. Fine. The thing is though your agency can’t do it for you. You just have to try it. Try. And try it again. But whatever you do, don’t buy it.
addenda
comment to a related post at Nick Lucido's Blog
[...This is a big issue in the PR world- within this lies the problem that many CEOs don’t have the time to blog or interact with customers via sites like Twitter. Often, we’re seeing companies/clients reaching out to agencies to have agencies blog for them- it can’t get any more impersonal than that.
I agree in a sense that if you’re going to say its from your CEO, it better be from your CEO, but I think it’s also fine if you have a company blog/twitter/facebook and don’t disclose who is running it. That way, you don’t put false impressions in the audience’s mind of who they are communicating with.
Ghost blogging is just a worldwide newsletter- an attempt at looking good...]
Glad to Have a Discussion
Gary, I thank you for even mentioning my post. We agree that for the most part, ad agencies don't get social media. They are woefully behind the curve. But I beg to differ that they shouldn't participate. I think they should use these tools for themselves. Not experiment with on their clients. Social media is something that has to be experienced first hand and motive matters. Social media is changing advertising as we know it. It is already an important component of communication regarding brands, even agency brands, and those discussions will take place with or without your participation. I didn't just declare that social media is mainstream, that came from a CMO study that was released in February that made that declaration. My mother might not be using Twitter (yet at least) but at 73, she has her own blog, emails all of her kids and grandkids on a daily basis, reads blogs, is using an online Journal and other social media tools. I've been working with small to medium size advertising agencies for their new business for over a decade and I can assure you, the way they acquire new business is drastically changing. Instead of pursuing prospective clients, it is more important that they create an large online footprint to be found by their best prospects, with an appealing and differentiating positioning from their competitors. I've discovered that social media is a great tool for ad agencies because it forces them to do the things they should have been doing all along. Be different. Focus on a target audience or category and become a resource for them. Build relationships and trust. Lead with benefits to the client rather than capabilities of the agency. It isn't about us it is all about them. Social media is changing our business and it is impacting the way we develop new business. Thanks again for providing this platform. I think it is excellent when we can discuss differing points of view.
Michael, thanks for the comment.
Michael, thanks for the comment. I do agree that agencies should use the tools as a way to socialize their brands. If that helps them get new biz, great. And I think they can help their clients understand what to try and how to go about. I'd even concede that they could help their clients create social media applications. But. They shouldn't do it for their clients the way they create other communication.
Even the concept of being social on behalf of your client takes me back to a horrible piece of advice I got from an agency VP when I was a budding copywriter. "Know your clients business better than they do." What laughable hubris. Not only is it not possible, unless you have a complete incompetent for a client, it distracts you from what your client presumably hired you to do - be great at advertising.
The value a company or a brand can retain and discover by becoming social, using social technology, is unique to that brand or company. To ask an agency to be social on your behalf is a waste of time, energy and value. Or worse it could do damage.