What Kind of Agency Are You?

Argument About 'Traditional' vs. 'Digital' Misses the Point

Posted by Darryl Ohrt on 11.19.09 @ 12:54 PM

Darryl Ohrt

Small agencies are in a unique position of understanding both sides of this "leadership" challenge, as we sit on both sides of the fence every day. Smaller clients count on us as their one and only agency. Larger clients and other agencies bring us in as the specialists to accomplish specific tasks and goals.

When people ask about our agency, I often struggle with an industry categorization. I'd never use the term "traditional" to describe our operation, yet I don't believe that "digital" is the best descriptor, either. For that matter, do traditional agencies even call themselves "traditional"? Probably not.

I usually refer to us as a "digital creative agency," which is just vague enough to cover everything we do, while sounding relatively hot from a digital perspective.

But really...aren't we all digital? The term seems like a ridiculous descriptor. I can't even remember the last time anyone in our agency produced anything on boards, paper, film or tape. Even print campaigns are now digital at every step in the agency creation and production process.

So, what are we?

We're not an advertising agency, but we perform many ad-agency functions.

We're not a design firm, but we produce award winning design work.

We're not a branding agency, although we create brand campaigns.

We're not a social-media agency, although it's integrated into every project we touch.

I suspect that we're not that different than many agencies our size.

Meanwhile, the lines are blurred further with each day between the larger agencies, too. Bottom line? There are too many buckets. Creative. Branding. Design. Strategy & Planning. Promotion. PR. Social Media. Experiential. What are clients supposed to think?

So from here on in, we're sticking with "creative agency." If we're in the mood, we'll throw the word "digital" in front.

11 Comments

  By Paul | New York, NY November 19, 2009 02:29:13 pm:

I suspect you are an advertising agency in the broadest sense of the word. Onec upon a time, before holding companies and bean-counters all agencies were integrated. They did whatever their clients needed or wanted - traditional advertising, direct, promotion, packaging, whatever. The term "integrated" wasn't used. We serviced our clients and figured out how to make money, even if we farmed work out. Sounds like that is what you do. Bravo. Paul S. Gumbinner, President, The Gumbinner Company, www.gumbinnercompany.com

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  By Derek Walker | Grand Prairie, TX November 19, 2009 02:56:49 pm:

Thank you!!! I believe our future lies in our past as Paul as pointed out. We should be about meeting the needs of our clients, like we used to do. I think that is why Crispin and agencies like it have realized so much success - they meet their clients' needs regardless of the medium used. Imagine that. I'm not totally in love with the Crispin model but it does seem to work better than the drawing lines between what we will and will not do for our clients.

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  By Daniel Faintuch | Cleveland, OH November 19, 2009 03:03:16 pm:

I agree. With the exception of large companies that are looking for the most prestigious agency in a specific category, in most occasions we, clients, need an agency that can do a lot of different things.
It's ok if you call it "digital" but when push comes to shove, a lot of us will expect the agencies to do much more than "digital" work.

Daniel Faintuch
www.amarketersview.com

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  By PHILIP | CAMBRIDGE, MA November 19, 2009 03:37:50 pm:

Darryl, I like where you're going. When I first started PJA Advertising, I refused to use the word advertising as part of our identity because I wanted to be much more to our clients. In fact when I used to introduce the agency in new business meetings, I would often say, "no one here ever worked at an advertising agency before" and the audience would start applauding. The problem I discovered was that I had a category problem. I had to spend a lot of time defining what we were, if we weren't an ad agency. After looking at all the options, I threw our fate in with the advertising industry. It opened a lot doors and got us in a lot of pitches. Once we were inside, we could start showing people how we were different. Phil Johnson, www.agencypja.com http://twitter.com/philjohnson

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  By Charles | GLEN ALLEN, VA November 20, 2009 11:13:45 am:

Darryl,

Ever hear the really old story about the striking blonde in the tight red dress asking the ogling man "are my seams straight?" Maybe it's a bit of an analogy leap, but clients aren't too concerned about what you call yourself. What they DO care about are the services your firm offers, and what you can do for them.

I tend to like Marketing Firm since that expression gives you a great starting point. It's encompassing, it relates to many of their job titles, and it's simple. If you're engaged in pro-active outreach business development, it rolls off the tongue easily as you introduce yourself.

Category title does count when you place yourself in the on-line "find me" systems. Give clients the choice of ad agency, integrated firm, pr, digital, interactive, etc., and they do get confused. Our solution is to accept that and then be certain WE run their search multiple times for each appropriate category, regardless of what they selected at the onset.

Chuck Meyst
AgencyFinder.com

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  By russel | PLAYA DEL REY, CA November 20, 2009 11:48:48 am:

You are a marketing firm.

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  By gyevich | Delray Beach, FL November 20, 2009 01:56:30 pm:

This has been an ongoing conversation in my world for several years. How exactly do we position ourselves? Sure we engage in advertising, marketing, strategy, branding, web development, social media, interactive and so on, but coming to terms with our identity has been a long debate.

I've come up with a two-pronged approach. If I'm asked what I do I always answer Advertising & Marketing. To me it's become the simplest answer. Let face it, the industry is constantly evolving and with evolution comes new challenges, technology and buzzwords. When speaking with most small companies, words like analytical marketing, integrated marketing and integrated communication are lost. If I happen to be speaking with someone more knowledgeable about marketing, I will delve into specific capabilities for our clients.

If you happen to remember the end of the movie "The Breakfast Club", the group of students were required to write a letter of why the were in detention on a Saturday. The letter ended with the following: "You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is, a brain, an athlete, a princess, a basket case and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club."

So see us as what you want to see us...but in the simplest terms...we are an "Advertising Agency".

Greg Yevich
Creative Solved

web: CreativeSolved.com
blog: CerebralThinking.com
twitter.com/gregyevich

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  By darrylohrt | DANBURY, CT November 20, 2009 04:04:36 pm:

Greg:

You made my day with the Breakfast Club reference. Awesome.

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  By gyevich | Delray Beach, FL November 24, 2009 11:17:52 am:

Thanks. I'm glad somebody likes my humor.

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  By gpeak | TAMPA, FL November 24, 2009 01:51:34 pm:

We don't currently put the word "traditional" in the description of our 4As advertising agency...........but this discussion prompts me to think that we should!! Reason: Perhaps someone would actually ask: What does the "traditional" descriptor mean? I don't believe that today's clients understand that ad agencies were once considered true marketing partners (a term that has since been beat to death and misused). Better agencies were involved in marketing strategy, new product development, market research, package design, media planning and buying, collateral material (yes....even that stuff), promotional programs, and , oh yes, advertising that worked.

If "traditional" is about being generally observed, customary and long standing.........I think I like that label.

Glen Peak, President , PeakBiety Branding + Advertising..Tampa, FL

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  By bjcook | SAN DIEGO, CA December 9, 2009 03:46:05 am:

Being that I've worked with Darryl and his fabulous team before; I wanted to offer up some different ways to help: tag, label, categorize yourself

- Keyword referrals to your agency website
- What lists do you fall on in Twitter?
- What categories within web directories do you have links under?
- How do your partners refer to you?

Just my two cents. Great post D.

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