Every year, consultants participating to the Summit write about the event and what  they learned during that week. Please find below extract of their articles and links to  the original source.

 

 

 

 10 Industry trends from Adforum Summit

by Philippe Paget AdForum  Global CEO on October 14, 2015

 

 

 

 

 The industry is slowly reaching a phase of maturity

(…Normalization…) Creative Agencies have digested the Digital wave and Digital agencies are now either  specialized or have entered the creative content world. (The agencies strike back! …Agency world has at  last got its act together … The advertising agency is not dead… Some classic agencies have evolved, so it  is possible).

Re-bundling communications services

Increased complexity is stimulating integration of agency services (Clients want simplicity… Going towards more integration… Back to integrated agency services) with Media (Creative agencies are rebundling their offering with media… More integration again with Media… Media Agencies are in trouble) as well as BTL (Production is back in Agencies … they are moving more towards Content, Experiential and Engagement… Content – Social – Integration … Content creation

but from ‘Silos’ to ‘Specialism’

Agencies have developed various models of integration In order to stay ‘agile and nimble’ (buzzwords of 2014) while offering integrated services (Back to integrated agency services with a few buzzwords … Changing models methods more agile, more exciting + future facing)

Technology is the norm but not the end

Digital is now everyone’s focus (Ad+ Technology …Clear digital focus now across every business we met) but not the differentiator any more (Digital pure players are moving in the non-digital space … Technology is not everything) even if (Some networks are applying the principles of digital better than others.)

From Big Data to Smart Data

As Data continue the transformation of our industry (Data is key … Performance accountability via more data), there is a shift from data mining towards data interpretation leading to action (Using big data… Increasing real-time marketing … smart metrics challenge)

It is about business, not just communications

As Agencies head back to the board table (Agencies are growing into consultancy), they meet a larger set of competitors (Entry of business consultants … Broader competitive landscape for agencies) in their goal of solving business issues (Transform business… All want to be “any businesss issue” native…Leading to Business solution orientation vs. Marketing)

Product innovation

Many agencies made reference to their involvement in product development ( DO more important than TELL… Products and Experience more important than ads … Product-first mentality… Product, not relationship)

The return of emotionally – grounded creative

While previous years agencies competed in showing their efficiency through all sorts of web tactics supported by an avalanche of Views and Likes, we witnessed the return of simple heartbreaking stories (The need for brands to be ‘authentic’

Iterative and real time marketing

Campaigns are developed in real time and using data in an iterative process of corrective steps

People Talent Collaboarate don’t brief

In line with ‘Specialism’ and ‘real time’, working processes have evolved in a more collaborative approcach between all parties including clients (Do not brief but collaborate)

 

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Outline Marketing Week viewpoint

by Peter Cowie  (co-founder of Oystercatchers)

 

Five insights Marketers must know today to create the optimum Agency model.

As digital, social, and mobile spending continues to move money and attention away from television advertising, advertising agencies are adjusting to the new world – what are the implications for brand owners and Marketers?

At Advertising Week USA, Babs Rangaiah, Vice President-Global Media Innovations & Ventures of Unilever, said that at his company, the trend is toward taking marketing strategy inside the company and using a trimmed down agency roster to execute, leveraging their specific tactical skills, on this strategy. He concluded, “I don’t think anyone knows what the right (agency) model is for the future.”

Last week in New York, Global CEOs of the world’s leading agencies shared their visions for the changing agency model at one of the industry’s most influential gatherings, AdForum’s Worldwide Summit NYC 2015

Peter Cowie, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Oystercatchers, decodes insights from the week and assesses the impact for Marketers.

The three new pillars of brand/agency partnership

Agencies are demanding three succinct roles from Marketers: Namely to frame the challenge, create a safe environment to work in, and to invite the right people to join in and collaborate. One theme propelling this change is ‘People Powered Marketing’ where content co-creation, harnessing the input of influencers and passionate consumers, is liberating Marketers, agencies and brand communications alike to go bigger and further than ever before.

It’s time for Marketers to manage risk and pull back from the pursuit of certainty

In our data-driven world measurement at the expense of creativity is stifling innovation. The pursuit of certainty is delivering the pursuit of average work. All sides agree that reason leads to conclusions while emotions inspire actions, so change must happen to better equip Marketers with the necessary tools to minimise risk & accelerate potential. The exciting development for all is that agencies are now enthusiastically exploring and launching new evaluation tools that go well beyond the norm. BBDO for instance has developed a methodology to measure the release of dopamine [confidence boosting and addictive] and oxytocin [bonding, trust and love] stimulated by advertising to measure the power of emotion and therefore the power to act.

Good examples included Guinness “Made of black”, Pedigree pet food “Feel the good” and Snickers “You’re not you when you’re hungry”.

Agencies simplify complexity

“Make complexity invisible” is an often-heard rallying cry from brand owners who look to agencies to help them navigate the complexities of the omni-channel world and integrated agency teams where every touchpoint of the customer journey influences purchase. We heard from a well-known global agency who had identified the dream team for the ‘Hyper bundled operating model’ that they aspired to; and it was made up of arch-competitors Wieden & Kennedy, RGA, Horizon Media & Geometry. There is real recognition that it is the agencies that collide & the people that collaborate and agencies are responding by putting partnership back on the table.

Massive data matters

The big-data tsunami has been building for years but big insights have not. (For example of increasing scale Wunderman reported that they manage twenty billion advertising impressions every month). More data is no longer helpful and the age of simply harvesting big data is at an end. The pressing challenge today is to deliver real solutions to new problems and do this in fast-time. Massive data will deliver massive solutions that focus on and unlock the real insights influencing behaviour.

The customer remains King and Queen

This old adage remains true. Of the 24 presentations we attended, there was one common thread: put the customer first if you want to succeed, and make sure that you know who your customer really is. Modern Marketers need their agencies to redefine meaningful connections, and top the one-dimensional activities that purely generate branding for branding’s sake. Sapient shared the back office complexities of developing the ‘Get cash without a card’ service for NatWest and the tangible difference it made to NatWest’s ‘Helpful Banking’ campaign was beyond words, creating unique experience-driven benefits for their connected customers.

Ultimately what came through loudest is that this is the most exciting time to work in Marketing. Change has happened, omni-channel communications fuelled by always-on media-channels are today’s reality. The ability to shape the future of every brand or company now lies with the customer, and the responsibility to harness this opportunity lies in the hands of the Marketing department. The agencies are ready, it’s time to go to work.

Original content  https://www.marketingweek.com/2015/10/16/5-ways-marketers-can-create-the-optimum-agency-model/

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The agencies strike back…at last!

TOP LINES FROM THE NYC ADFORUM SUMMIT

By Florence Garnier (Senior consultant UK – Founding Partner France
Roth Observatory International

ROI attended the New York ADFORUM summit gathering every year more than 25 marketing management consultants from all around the world. This opportunity to meet with the industry key stakeholders allows getting a deeper knowledge of the agencies and an overview of the industry key trends globally. This year the summit has mostly gathered creative agencies: 8 networks, 7 independent, 6 global digital and CRM, and welcomed Interpublic CEO Michael Roth, as well as David Jones Havas ex-CEO and founder of You& Mister Jones a “Brand TechCompany”.

Hot topic was : the reinvention of the communication agencies industry.

Agencies start to evolve under the pressure of a broader competitive landscape

As technology-enabled progress grows exponentially, marketing departments need to adapt

to get deeper consumer knowledge, a faster and more innovative product and services

development, as well as more targeted communications. Clients dramatically need support

to conduct the change in their business, opening new opportunities for different type of

stakeholders on the market. The agency competitive landscape has significantly evolved in

the last 5 years, as  “Everyone does the job of everyone” is now the rule. Different agency

types are competing against one another: PR agencies, digital agencies and media

agencies are selling the same content and media capacities to clients. Consultancies such

as Deloitte and Accenture go to client with a business transformation proposition, coupled

with an operational capacity (Deloitte digital for example). Media owners also go to clients,

as their relationship with media agencies grow less and less exclusive. Some media group like

Hearst, created agencies (I Crossing) to have better access to both content and media.

Lastly, Martech companies (Salesforce, Adstream…) go to client as some brands are

internalizing functions (CRM, Content distribution…). Challenged on every dimension of their

offering (strategy, creation, production, contact planning and media buying), the agencies

have started restructuring their offering.

 Agencies are simplifying their offering: the rebundling agency model

Putting stories together, being able to create an environment fostering creativity is one key

differentiator for the agencies. In terms of skillsets, the agencies tend to simplify their offering

to structure around three key pillars: reputation, content, digital, as Publicis Worldwide with

Publicis, MSL and the recently acquired Nurun.. “Clients want better, faster, cheaper” in order

to deliver up to their expectations, some agencies have started rethink their organisation and

ways of working. Most of the creative agencies we have met have now integrated a

media/contact planning division in their organisation. (Mullen Lowe, TBWA etc…). As digital

communication is now fully integrated in most of the creative agencies capacities, it is not an

agency differentiator anymore… Digital Pure players (Possible WW, I Crossing, Work&Co,

Wunderman, Mirum, Sapient Nitro…) move away from digital communications to develop

their offering in product innovation and business transformation. For example Sapient Nitro

supported Natwest in simplifying the mortgage allocation process thanks to digital.

 Actions speak better than words: agencies implement new ways of working with their clients

Most agencies are getting rid of the linear creative process to bring more added value and

ask their clients to team with them. Some of them reposition the relationship at CEO level to

get more from the strategic process: TBWA has implemented a “gang of four” weekly

meeting with Apple’s CEO, CMO and their counterpart on the agency side, to generate top

league ideas. Teaming with clients also to produce content allows a greater speed of action.

For example, DDB Chicago involved his Mac Donald’s client’s lawyers in the room during the

Superbowl, in order to interact live with the audience on social networks. Moneywise, some

agencies move away from the old “remuneration by the hour” model, judged as a source of

inefficiencies: TBWA client AirBNB has implemented a number of nights sold based bonus

scheme…. the agency is currently rolling out the model to other clients globally….

Influenced by their Silicon Valley clients, and under high competitive pressure, agencies

have started to renew their offering in order to be more entrepreneurial and agile. This

positive shift will be for the benefit of clients, provided they can rebuild trust…

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Notable notes; and quotable quotes.

by Cam Carter, Managing Partner of Navigare,

It was an awesome week.

Awesome as in sounds like ‘ahsum’ \ˈä-səm\, not awesome as in awesome \ˈȯ-səm\.

Tell someone you are having a good day? Awesome.

Being seen again as part of the group? Awesome.

Leaving a tip with the barista? Awesome. Just being positive and upbeat? Awesome.

There was a cacophony of ‘c’s: complexity; confusion; craft and crafting; culture; customer; competencies; capabilities.

It continued with a conspiracy of ‘co’s: co-creation; conversations; collaboration; cooperation; colocation; cohabitation; conductivity; connectivity and connected.

There was a multitude of ‘multi’s: multicultural; multi brands; multi skilled; multi-talented; multi-specialist; with multi specialisms.

And that may well be the word-of-the-week: specialisms.

Finally, and delightfully, in this data-driven, technology-influenced world we operate in, was it not a thing of joy to receive so many variations of Moleskine note pads, with pens, from so many contemporary digital-at-the-core-as-part-of-our-DNA agencies?

These multi Moleskine moments were a testament to the enduring (and endearing) power of the hand-written word.

——

And of those words, what might be quotable?

Andrew Robertson (BBDO)

“I know what I’ve got to do. I just don’t know how to make it interesting”

(quoting Sen. John Warner on the occasion of his marriage to Elizabeth Taylor.)

“Reason leads to conclusion; but emotion leads to action”

“We keep telling clients they need to be bold. We should tell them to manage risk.

The pursuit of certainty will inevitably lead to average”

——

Maarten Schafer (Cool Brands)

“Facts can change attitude. Stories can change behaviour”

——

Andrew Bruce (Publicis)
“Organic growth; the leading indicator of an agency’s health”

“You need to make your complexity invisible to me”

(quoting what a CMO said to the agency)

——

Alex Leikikh (MullenLowe)
“All agencies start out different and end up the same” (quoting Frank Lowe)

“Always think like a challenger”

“Being number one means always thinking like number two”

——-

Keith Weed (CMO Unilever)
“…there’s a real risk for brands that we end up working with individual agencies that maximize a particular channel rather than maximize the overall brand” (Quoted at MullenLowe)

——–

Dan Khabie (Mirum)
“The Accentures of the world are becoming major competitors”

——–

Matt Powell (KBS+)
“It took me 10 years of working in the agency to realise I was in advertising.

I didn’t want to interrupt anyone. I just wanted to build cool shit”

——–

Nigel Vaz (Sapient Nitro) I think
“Social – it’s conductivity as much as it is connectivity”

——–

James Vincent (TBWA)
“If you’re meeting with the CMO, you’re one step away from what’s happening.

You have to meet with the CEO”

——–

Michael Roth (IPG)
“People collaborate. Agencies collide”

 

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The view from Madison Avenue

by Jeff Estok, Managing Partner of Navigare,

The AdForum Worldwide Summit in New York is a unique and highly focused ‘by invitation only’ event that Navigare has had the good fortune to attend for the last twelve years.

This year, 31 leading consultants from ten countries around the globe descended on New York in October to meet, and interact with Agency network CEOs and management from all disciplines. In total, we saw presentations from nearly 30 Agencies over the course of the week.

Last year was about ‘transformation’. Agencies adding new capabilities (specialisms, to use the industry’s newest buzzword) to help transform their Clients’ businesses; and transform their own business models to maintain relevance, lest they be marginalised.

A year on, we saw the impact that this transformation was having. While there were no real seismic shifts or trends, here is what we observed.

Client consolidation and the ‘new era’ of the integrated Agency offering. We’ve come full circle on this it appears, but with an interesting twist. Years ago, Clients sought integration with one, maybe two, Agencies. But with the uncoupling of media, and the explosion in channels, many Clients opted for a multiple-Agency, best of breed roster. But to quote Keith Weed, Unilever CMO: “There’s a real risk for Brands that we end up working with individual Agencies that maximise a particular channel rather than maximise the overall Brand.” This has led many Clients back into consolidation, but with an important difference. Many of the RFP’s are now being received at a Holding Company level, with the ‘ask’ being to assemble the best of the best from within the Group. But this ask comes with a mandate, as expressed by another CMO: “You need to make your complexity invisible to me.” Interesting challenge for Agencies, indeed.

The three common behaviours of successful Clients. To get the best from their Agencies, successful marketers perform three key roles: they frame the challenge; they create a safe environment to work in; and they invite the right people to join in and collaborate. Those marketers that ‘lock arms’ with their Agency partners are enjoying far greater success than those with a ‘supplier’ mentality.

Collaboration has never been more important. This isn’t just an Agency challenge. Collaboration starts with, and is led by, the Marketer. Particularly as collaboration now extends beyond Agencies to media owners, content providers, and the like. Success here lies in picking the right people as champions for collaboration. As one holding company CEO stated: “People collaborate; Agencies collide.”

The data challenge now is to turn Big Data into Big Ideas. The focus on collecting and harvesting more data has been replaced by the need to synthesise the data and turn it into meaningful services, products, and experiences that deliver competitive advantage. That requires a culture built around insights and innovation; and where failure is accepted as part of the learning and refining process.

Brand authenticity has never been more important. There used to be a saying that nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising. Well, death comes quicker these days, thanks to the power and pervasiveness of social media. The lesson for marketers is simple – work hard to understand and relentlessly stay true to your Brand truth.

There is an emerging body of scientific proof that advertising that elicits an emotional response is far more effective than that which doesn’t. The power of emotion has long been argued by Agencies, but a couple of Agencies are moving beyond the ‘trust me’ argument and backing it up by science. One Agency has gone so far as to measure the effects of dopamine and oxytocin release. Why, you might ask? The answer is that while reason leads to conclusions, emotions inspire action. Recent effectiveness studies show that emotion-eliciting advertising is up to 10 times more effective. And with Agencies being held more and more accountable for a single metric – sales – it is in their (and Clients) best interests to maximise the efficacy of their product.

 

To quote Mark Twain: “the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated”. A couple of years ago, people were questioning the value of Marketing, and were predicting the demise of Agencies. But with the customer taking more control over Brands and messaging, Marketers, and their Agency partners, have an opportunity like never before to create value for their organisations, and possibly get that seat at the table that they have long been denied.

 

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       Stephanie Pitet (Fondatrice associée – Pitchville)

DERNIERES NOUVELLES FROM NY!

(ce qu’il faut savoir pour anticiper 2016)

Cette année encore, Stéphanie PITET, cofondatrice de PITCHVILLE, a eu le plaisir de participer à la 14^e édition du Global Summit organisé à NYC par notre partenaire Adforum.

Le principe est simple et très attrayant : 30 consultants (venus de 10 pays d’Europe, Afrique et États-Unis) dont le métier est de conseiller leurs clients Annonceurs dans leurs sélections d’agences, se retrouvent 5 jours pour rencontrer 23 agences new-yorkaises (appartenant à un réseau international ou capables de travailler pour un client hors USA), afin d’échanger et de se ressourcer sur les tendances de demain dans notre industrie de la communication.

ANNONCEURS, AGENCES,
QUELS ENSEIGNEMENTS POURRAIENT VOUS ÊTRE UTILES ?

 

Des agences “every new challenge” natives

C’est la 6^e participation de Pitchville à ce sommet made in USA, et définitivement, les agences new-yorkaises (dont on peut dire qu’elles représentent bien la catégorie, tant elles sont amenées à travailler dans une dimension internationale) ont muri. Elles ne se définissent plus par leur métier d’origine ou culture dominante (publicité, digital, RP…) mais véritablement par leur capacité à apporter des solutions aux problématiques marketing et business de leurs clients (ce qui permet aussi d’adresser la demande de simplification réclamée par les clients).

Face à l’élargissement de leur champ d’action, et le regroupement de leurs offres (« hyperbundling ») plusieurs se sont même définies par « ce qu’elles ne sont pas  », ou se qualifient de « modern agency » qui est une terminologie délicieusement ironique eu égard à l’univers hautement technologique dans lequel nous évoluons.

La plupart ont donc grandi de façon organique, croissance générée par le business développé chez les clients existants, avec des augmentations d’effectifs hallucinantes
(en 12 mois, Publicis est passé de 650 à 1000 personnes et Work & Co créé en 2014 compte aujourd’hui 100 collaborateurs !).

Si cela est porteur de grande valeur ajoutée pour les clients qui sont de plus en plus assurés de voir leurs questionnements appréhendés de manière globale et transversale et très proches du business, cet élargissement du terrain de jeu nourrit en revanche l’éternel débat sur les frontières, les agences nous ayant confié être de plus en plus souvent mises en compétition face à des Bain et Company et Deloitte… cabinets qui eux-mêmes se sont équipés de ressources créatives !

Cette tendance va par ailleurs de pair avec évolution de la formulation des livrables en compétition : positionnement stratégique d’Entreprise, transformation du business model, réorganisation/ pédagogie en interne… autant de sujets où ces cabinets se sont toujours sentis légitimes.

À suivre donc, après la stratégie média, ou le déploiement digital, la bataille pour la stratégie marketing & business !

Des agences qui s’organisent différemment

Dans le prolongement de cette volonté de répondre le plus exhaustivement possible aux demandes des clients, les agences cherchent à adapter en permanence leur organisation :

• Elles renforcent leur process pour toujours plus de co-construction (ou de « collision », en anglais dans le texte), avec les clients, pour faire émerger les idées (@Wunderman).
• Elles créent leur propre plateforme sociale pour profiter des contenus à partager (@Possible) ou repenser les lieux pour favoriser la coopération (@Mirum).
• Elles continuent de miser sur les data pour inspirer les créatifs car celles-ci fournissent de précieuses informations sur le comportement des gens (@Wunderman). Les agences cherchent d’ailleurs aujourd’hui à les modéliser ou codifier pour faciliter leur utilisation et le partage avec les collaborateurs (cf. les « behaviors scientists » @Publicis) et déboucher sur des actions concrètes à mettre en place.
• Elles multiplient les centres d’excellence (@Nurun, @Publicis, @Possible), ou les formats de travail, où les équipes évoluent dans des centres de ressources autonomes, avec certes des séquences de contrôle mais le management est au centre… et tout le monde est responsable du produit stratégique et créatif ! (@Bigspaceship)
• Elles initient des partenariats avec les « frenemies » d’hier : Google, Amazon, Facebook, Vice, Adobe… De véritables échanges de data en temps réel, de contenus ou de services (produit disponibles uniquement sur Amazon par ex.).
• Elles réfutent l’idée que les clients puissent confier leur présence sur les médias sociaux à une agence spécialisée, déconnectée de l’agence principale… un vrai pédalage à contre-courant ! En effet, il ne s’agit plus de créer une simple application ou de générer une conversation… il s’agit de vivre avec en permanence, puisque tout est une question d’attitude et de comportement!
• Elles cherchent (toujours davantage) à mettre en avant l’expérience conso en la rapprochant du produit: c’est possible aujourd’hui de connecter réellement le social et le mobile au commerce (enfin !). A noter le succès d’@Work & Co, agence indépendante qui développe des digital expériences (produits et services) que les consommateurs utilisent chaque jour.
• Elles procèdent à des rachats ou fusions significatifs: Hawkeye (CRM-Digital) chez Publicis ; Fusion Mullen et Lowe (avec rebranding de l’offre intégrant également Profero, le media et l’activation dans une seule offre), lancement de Mirum (la réunion des agences d’entrepreneurs Digital et Innovation marketing) chez JWT.
  Elles se rapprochent également de leurs ressources média.
• Elles sont ouvertes à de nouveaux modèles de rémunération, davantage basés sur la performance, voire même @Airbnb, une agence payée au nombre de nuitées louées !
• Elles challengent leur propre Holding le cas échéant. Selon le modèle vertueux d’IPG en « open architecture », le client doit faire confiance à l’agence et l’agence doit faire confiance à sa holding pour fournir capitaux et recruter/retenir les talents !

Des agences pionnières, qui persistent et signent,
avec succès, dans leur positionnement

Mention spéciale pour le best in class Sapient (13 000 collaborateurs, 37 bureaux !) qui a rejoint le groupe Publicis fin 2014. À la frontière entre technology et story
(le « storyscaping » que nous avions découvert dans une édition précédente),
ils accompagnent la transformation business de leurs clients en identifiant, à l’aide de data, des insights particulièrement pertinents sur le comportement des consommateurs, leurs parcours d’achat et les produits. Exemple anecdotique mais parlant : la data nous dit que les jeunes mères consomment des jeux sur leurs smartphone pendant leur temps de shopping… ne serait-ce pas plutôt qu’elles ont laissé le téléphone à leur enfant pour l’occuper ? Leur savoir-faire unique, combiné à la qualité du portefeuille de clients de Publicis, nous promet de remarquables case-studies pour les années à venir.

Des agences qui savent se réinventer, comme le brillant exposé de TBWA qui nous a démontré à quel point la disruption (« Disruption is our software ») est un concept qui n’a pas pris une ride, et ne sera jamais achevé (« Always in beta ! ») ! Le nom est d’ailleurs devenu un générique dans la profession. Ils se positionnent résolument comme l’agence des marques du XXI^e siècle. Grâce à la « Disruption Strategy », Airbnb a ainsi fait voler en éclats la vieille croyance du « On ne parle pas aux étrangers », pour faire de l’hospitalité autour du monde leur marque de fabrique. Par leur nouveau mode de gouvernance, ce sont ces clients challengent eux-mêmes l’agence !

Les clients plus traditionnels (Gatorade, Nissan, Mastercard) chercheront dans la « Disruption live » nouveau concept enrichi de la Disruption, à avancer « at the speed of culture » dans un cercle vertueux et permanent  (définition d’insights pertinents, discussion dans un open briefing réunissant toutes les parties prenantes, passage par la cellule d’audience planning p