It’s often heard in the industry that agencies are in danger of being left behind. The typical case has three core, interlinked parts: 1. agencies aren’t that innovative; 2. the lack of innovation inhibits them from attracting the right talent; and 3. clients have ceased to look at agencies as critical partners.
That was the bill of particulars I put to Digitas CEO Colin Kinsella and Havas Digital Co-CEO Anthony Rhind in a session titled “Evolve or Die” at the Monaco Media Forum. Kinsella and Rhind gave full-throated denials (for the most part) of the three factors afflicting agencies. In fact, both made the case that things couldn’t be better in the agency business.
“Advertising is growing, agencies are growing,” Kinsella said. “It’s getting more complex out there, and clients have to go to an agent to help them master that complexity. It’s never been better to be an agency.”
Rhind believes measurability is helping agencies prove their worth. “It’s a very exciting time to be an agency,” he said.
See the full session for the case they make.