. . . if they follow this advice from the Forrester Research group [independent research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology].
Noted marketing blogger Edward Boches wrote about THE FUTURE OF AD AGENCIES from the Forrester point of view in a recent blog article.
As a long-time teacher of advertising to college students, I threw out all my textbooks last year [for which I was applauded by Seth Godin], and I now depend on Twitter to send me links on Advertising’s Future.
Here’s what the agencies MUST DO:
1. Understand HOW and WHERE to engage Today’s Consumer . . . and coach their clients to get engaged.
2. Because consumers trust consumer more than brands, companies need to mobilize their fans and followers to be the organization’s cheerleaders.
NOTE: Consumers are now the “creators” and “sharers” and “distributors.”
3. LISTEN. LISTEN. LISTEN: 3.5 billion brand conversations happen every day.
4. Firms must be more honest and authentic: (a) only 5% of people say they believe ad claims and (b) half of consumers say brands don’t live up to promises.
5. Forget MASS anything; it’s all about customization.
6. Learn Digital or Die
7. Measure as much as you can: learn analytics and USE them.
8. Social media does not promise to do everything; there needs to be integration with traditional vehicles of communication, but “pushing” tactics don’t work. It’s now all about Inbound, i.e., the customers pulling in a company’s message.
9. Successful agencies will think more about community than campaigns, learning to crowdsource.
10. Clients need IDEAS, INTERACTION, and INTELLIGENCE.
Did we forget anything?
Hi Shari,
As a Marketing graduate, I could not agree more with these 10 fundamental “must do’s” for survival.
As stated by rule 3, it is vital that ad agencies listen. Far too often do I see ads that state how I can benefit from the product, but I often find myself wondering if the ad agency actually listened to consumer’s needs or if they guessed what today’s consumers wanted.
Additionally, I could not agree more with rule 4, be honest. I am tired of the vast deceptive advertising in today’s culture and want a product that actually does what its supposed to do. I want to know that I can count on a particular brand because of the “trustworthy” image I have gained as a result of its usage.
Thanks for posting these helpful tips!