Just so I’m clear, you’re predicting the end of ad agencies in 2016. The world’s most successful and productive brands; Coca Cola, Nike, Geico will be moving $660B in global agency fees to 99 designs and the like in the next 14 months?
You indicate the problem is a lack of innovation and so as managing partner of an innovation agency you author an article with 15 external quotes and references as opposed to offering an original thought on perhaps how to solve the problem?
You lament the ad industry’s metrics of success, yet you boast on LinkedIn your ability to take Samsung from “0 to 100,000 fans on Facebook in 12 weeks” (cool story bro) so college graduates should jump with both feet into the “uber for blank” startup bubble as opposed to working for a company that actually makes profits, creates jobs both inside their company and by proxy from the success of their clients' companies and exposes young minds to a wide array of industries?
“Creative departments” create value for companies by building brands with their talent, intelligence, hard work and passion. Without them, Old Spice is just deodorant from the 70s. Geico literally translates to Goverment Employees Insurance Company. Kleenex (facial tissue) is the most low interest product on earth. Creative departments and strategists recast these brands into consumer juggernauts creating value for shareholders, creating new jobs and yes making consumers happy see: Disney.
What’s wrong with this industry is the phonies on the agency side who force clients to question our billable rates because all they do is give speeches, repurpose quotes from other people that have actually made a contribution, write articles with link bait headlines, jump from one client/agency to the next and pontificate endlessly without ever actually creating anything of value in this world.
Lastly, it’s wrong to discourage a generation of hopeful students from the marketing and advertising industry, they’re the ones best suited to bring forward the innovation you so desperately seek.
