If there’s one constant in the agency landscape, it’s that everything changes—and although understanding, predicting and preparing for that change is incredibly hard, it is possible. At DAC, we have been able to successfully transform ourselves twice during the last decade—first from an analog agency to a search agency with local tech, then to a full-service performance agency—by adhering to three key principles.
1. Know that change starts at the top
Without clear and consistent commitment to change from the senior team, it is not possible to pivot. We have seen brands and agencies bring in talent to help drive their transformation, only to see those efforts fail when they were not given the appropriate support from the most senior members of the team.
At DAC, the alignment of the senior team around the shared goal of transformation has been one of my most important responsibilities. This has meant ensuring the path forward had enough breadth to encompass the various ideas of what it takes to proceed—because there is always more than one route to take. It has also meant making hard decisions. But without this alignment, we would not have succeeded.
2. Understand who you are and who you are built for
Our team had to align with a common vision or purpose, an understanding of who we are and who we are built for. DAC’s vision has been consistent for almost 50 years. We are built for national and international brands that need to connect with audiences at the hyperlocal level. We drive transformational growth by combining best-in-class digital media expertise with deep knowledge of our clients’ businesses to strategically engage customers, accounting for who they are and—uniquely—where they are.