Recently, I have been reading a lot of articles about the “new agency.” The term is being used to describe a niche organization that offers expertise in one specific area. These agencies have their place and can provide valuable services in particular circumstances. In fact, I partner with many of these agencies. But it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that, for the most part and over the long term, clients need a full partner that can provide the whole range of services needed to ensure customer engagement. That means a mix of management consulting, branding, creative services, strategy and technical know-how talent.
Throughout a career that goes back to the early 90s, I’ve learned how important it is to bring all those services together in one place. While my career has always been rooted in the fact that I’ve been a digital expert from the very beginning, I am really a hired problem solver and have designed my agency around that one simple description. While the designation itself may sound simple, making it work in real-world practice is anything but.
Over the years, I have found that—while others have tried to pigeon-hole me as simply a digital expert—my early and significant expertise in the ever-evolving digital world has been a means to an end: building a career and agency that works as a full-service problem-solver for companies seeking to boost their market engagement and success in the marketplace. I believe we are creating a new species of agency—the problem solver. It’s a chameleon-like animal that changes based on whatever a client’s new problem is. And we know that there will always be new problems brought on by changes in customer behavior and based on responses to technology advancements.
In our problem-solving agency, one moment we are researching and providing business analysis on an operational issue, while the next we are developing a strategy and an infographic to communicate findings and/or suggestions. And, then in the next nanosecond we may be exploring an organization’s customer base and developing engagement plans, a creative look and feel, and even the tone and voice that should be used in brand messaging to elicit the best response. At this very moment, I can point to many different projects at my agency and say that we are working on just as many creative engagement campaigns as we are helping organizations think through how to internally organize their operations and internal talent to be better marketers, salespeople or engagement experts.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the REAL “new agency” is one that is forever adaptable, tapping into specialized talent when needed, and offering a full array of “on the ground” and “30,000 foot visions” to service clients based on their changing and developing new needs because of enhancements in technology.