
6 SXSW Agency Sessions To Vote For Prioritizing Results Over Activity
The majority of agencies feel their business model currently incentivizes teams to focus on efficiency rather than results — with less than half believing they even have the tools needed to track them. Here are my top picks for the SXSW PanelPicker sessions below from agency experts and marketers trying to buck the trend.
If you have not looked at the most recent Hubspot Agency Pricing and Financials Report, you should (…after you finish reading this). The results and analysis of nearly 800 respondents would be shocking to the outside world, yet completely unsurprising to those on the inside like myself. I’ve spent nearly half my life speaking with agencies and marketers about creating better relationships to drive growth on both sides. Having founded and previously run a successful modern agency for nearly 15 years and now as the founder and CEO of Rova — I can tell you it’s always incredible to see how few agencies take advantage of seismic shifts in our business, but the majority still simply ignore them like they’ll go away.
Several years ago our industry entered another shift as technology + pop culture fueled the prioritization of data as a key factor in decision making. Whether visiting Yelp to see a rating before committing to a new restaurant, or visiting a third-party website site to check if indeed you’re getting the “lowest price guaranteed” — we all use data to make decisions daily — data we feel gives some integrity to the decision making process. C-level executives are no different and with the new breed of young people coming through the ranks and entering into prominent positions in our industry, it’s never been more important that we speak the language. That agencies create relationships based on results over activity — relationships based on a mutual understanding of how the client will succeed and how the agency is an asset to that desired outcome.
“The principal unit of value in knowledge work is effectiveness — not hours,” writes Ted Williams, Hubspot Agency Pricing and Financials Report Contributor
Each year, SXSW hosts its PanelPicker, a two-step online process launched to give the community a voice in the event’s variety of programming, including next March’s SXSWi. I’ve had the opportunity myself to speak at SXSWi the last few years, and will be back at it this year. Here’s a few agency-geared panels (including my own) that I’ll be voting for/checking out.
1. How to Keep Advertising Alive: Pretend It’s Dead
Agency executives Rick Eiserman from Engine US and Christina Cooksey from Deep Focus, along with marketers from SlimFast and US Bank, will discuss what agencies should be doing to demonstrate value to clients. With consultancies now competing for shared client dollars, how can agencies regain their footing? A topic near and dear to us at Rova. “It’s because by focusing on the business problem first and trying to solve with whatever means necessary helps create the best work. It’s today ultra-complex marketplace, solving a brand’s problem by uncovering its truth is what is going to drive long-term ROI with consumers.” Yep.
Learn More & Vote Here: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/77623
2. New Ways of Working Inside Advertising Agencies
“Nowadays there are a lot of new deliverables inside agencies. Day after day, we’re forced into thinking like consultants, data specialists, content producers. What kind of changes do we need inside our offices? Do we need new roles? Is this crucial for us to succeed or just a hype? Are we ready?” Daniel Martins, Operations Director at Ogilvy Brasil, will hopefully offer a sneak peek into what’s working at Oglivy in terms of structure, process and the expanding skill sets agencies may just need to succeed within this changing landscape.
Learn More & Vote Here: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/78620
3. Disruption, Innovation and the Agency Model
Providing more insight on the impact of consultancies, and more importantly how to implement more strategic and business-level insight at your agency, Charles Duncan, SVP Technology and Experience Design at Leo Burnett will present. How can agencies think and talk more like business consultants, and get the kind of talent they need to do so? The blurring lines between marketing and technology is trickling down to change agency teams, too, with creatives and other talent’s capability sets and expectations on “innovating” and “delivery” changing.
Learn More & Vote Here: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/77633
4. What Does “Digital” Mean to Your CxO?
Peter Fasano, Global Consulting Principal, Digital Strategy, OgilvyRED speaks to the evolving definition of the term digital. “Each CxO plays a vital role in defining the ‘digital’ priorities in capabilities, innovation, and transformation. Closing the language gaps is critical to your effective execution of the business ‘digital’ plans.” This in turn is changing who agencies work with on the client-side, with increased pressure to talk across the C-suite and provide value that impact KPIs across business units.
Learn More & Vote Here: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/78984
5. I Blame the Parents : AI Needs to be Raised Right
Like any conference or event I’ve been at this year, talk of AI is everywhere — and I commend Neil Davidson, Managing Director and Partner at HeyHuman, for bringing the AI conversation to where he proposes here. “AI headlines are dominated by dystopia, but what tangible examples are there of mastering machines to help humanity?” Can’t wait to see all the stuff they’re working on with AI at HeyHuman, particularly in the healthcare space, and what kind of results they’ve seen next March that will continue to push the industry forward.
Learn More & Vote Here: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/76013
6. Let’s Fix the Broken Agency/Client Relationship
And, of course, my session…I am planning on a hands on — go back to work, start using the new information you have to be better today. I’ve spent years speaking around the world to audiences of all shapes and sizes and my focus is always vision with tangible takeaway.
Here’s my session’s overview:
70% of CMOs say there is a mandate that marketing drive growth and add more value to the organization yet < 7% say they’re looking for strategic partnerships that drive growth. Huh? With no one connecting the dots, ultimately, the agency will lose. Agencies must deepen their role from commoditized resource to strategic asset — partnering with clients in a lead role to define success while providing definitive strategic business attribution and value along the way.
Learn More & Vote Here: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/75586
Originally published at Rova® — Results Over Activity.
