What if agencies and marketers created products and services, not just ads? And what if they made these things for themselves, not just for clients? They do. But tackling these things isn't easy.
What if agencies and marketers created products and services, not just ads? And what if they made these things for themselves, not just for clients? They do. But tackling these things isn't easy.
{roduct design, creating new businesses or building complex real-world experiences requires a creative, technical, managerial and entrepreneurial spirit more associated with Silicon Valley than Madison Avenue. It demands new roles, agile approaches, external partnerships, technologies, investments and compensation models that can drive even the most hardened finance director crazy. And in some cases, it may even require a complete reboot from the ground up. The ability to make something that isn’t an “ad” is no longer optional in modern advertising. But it's certainly not easy, either.
So what can we learn from the makers, technologists and agencies already playing in this space? Turns out, a whole heckuva lot.
SXSW 2012: We made this, and it’s not an adPresentation Transcript
sxsw 2012We made this, and it’s not an ad.10 March 2012#wemadethis
Robbie WhitingDirector of Creative Tech & Production, Duncan/Channon Co-Founder, StoreBeam & maker of many other things
Robbie WhitingDirector of Creative Tech & Production, Duncan/Channon Co-Founder, StoreBeam & maker of many other things
Things I’m not here to answer:
Things I’m not here to answer:Should ad agencies act like start-ups?
Things I’m not here to answer:Should ad agencies act like start-ups?Should agencies actually make products?
Things I’m not here to answer:Should ad agencies act like start-ups?Should agencies actually make products?How fucked are ad agencies?
Why
Flickr: schmilblick
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012The brutal economics of the digital-ageNo mass audience = no mass mediaNo mass media = no mass advertisingNo mass advertising = oh shit
So what do agencies sell?
The future of marketing is not advertising. Flickr: jwelcher
The future of marketing is not advertising. The future of marketing is making things that people want. Flickr: jwelcher
The future of marketing is not advertising. The future of marketing is making things that people want. For our clients and ourselves. Flickr: jwelcher
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 17Why we make stuffNatural by-productBetter collaboration modelGet our hands dirtyProofAttract the right talentMoney Flickr: treveansalt
FINNELL / WILSON / RULL
Lessons I’ve learned.
TV Radio Print OOHObject-orientedPaid media-drivenFixed DeliverableEmphasis on ‘big ideas’
TV Radio Print OOH Sites Videos Banners Social Apps Experiences ProductsObject-oriented System-orientedPaid media-driven Consumer-drivenFixed Deliverable Continuous updatesEmphasis on ‘big ideas’ Emphasis on design
TV Radio Print OOH Sites Videos Banners Social Apps Experiences ProductsObject-oriented System-orientedPaid media-driven Consumer-drivenFixed Deliverable Continuous updatesEmphasis on ‘big ideas’ Emphasis on design
“ reative technology was born: C partly to… spread awareness across the board that where interactive work is concerned, creating involves making…” Igor Clark, Creative Technology Director, Wieden+Kennedy: “Why We’re Not Hiring Creative Technologists” blog post
Creative department Developers Creative technologist Ninja Rockstar Guru
Broad empathy Deep skill
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 43Makers under our own roofA teen paranormal author Founder of an AR platformA nonfiction author Improvisational theaterCreator of a fruit bar product Clothing designerTwo game developers Mixology writerA recording label founder Font designerSwimsuit calendar creator Television show creatorCeramics artisan Jam makerFurniture maker Antler bike designerMobile Sharing Engine Knife makerAs well as the usual creative roundup of writers, artists, designers,developers, photographers, musicians and directors.
If you just hire peoplewith ads on their resume,they’ll probably make yousome more ads.
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 53Real labs have tools, not just Twitter
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 56Google 20% time
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 57 Big Spaceship: “IP Fridays”“You take the traditional corporate summer Friday where everybody’s supposed to be allowed to leave at 2 p.m… we close to client work and spend from 2 to 7 working on our own internal projects. And the ideas for those come from anywhere in the company.” – Michael Lebowitz, founder and C.E.O. of Big Spaceship: “Hey, Rock Stars: Take Your Show Someplace Else” - nytimes.com
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 60 Fuseproject: skin in the game“Advertising is the price companies pay for being unoriginal.” – Yvés Behar
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 61 Anomoly“Marketing includes the product, the pricing and the distribution, as well as promotion.”– Johnny Vulkan, Co-founder of Anomaly, from ideaswilltravel.com
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 62What DUMBO means Creativity, not technology Products and services Collaboration over hierarchy
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 63MATTER ɚɚ Founded by former Sapient/Nitro executive and BBDO ECD ɚɚ 50% marketing, 50% product development ɚɚ Pods of diverse talent depending on project
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 65Documentary: versionsLong Short RawApproximately 45 minutes, segmented Approximately 10 minutes. Basically, For those who want to see and hear more,into chapters, and suitable for network this would be a cut-down of the 45–min- or prefer to be more hands-on in theirairing with commercials or public TV ute version, concentrating on interview viewing, we would also develop a full cutwithout. Available, in whole or in chap- highlights and the commentary of Yoko of each of the present-day interview seg-ters, on the Lennon Room website, social and Maurice, along with highlights, like a ments. Basically, these would representmedia and elsewhere. movie trailer, of the other footage. Avail- each interview in its entirety, with minor able on the Lennon Room site and else- editing to eliminate repetition, redundan- where and for sharing on social media. cy and mistakes. These would be available (tagged by speaker and divided into topi- cal subchapters) on the Lennon Room site and for sharing elsewhere on the web and on social media.
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 67 Documentary: versions Long Short Raw Approximately 45 minutes, segmentedjose.caballer@thegroop.net Approximately 10 minutes. Basically, For those who want to see and hear more, into chapters, and suitable for network this would be a cut-down of the 45–min- or prefer to be more hands-on in their airing with commercials or public TV ute version, concentrating on interview viewing, we would also develop a full cut without. Available, in whole or in chap- highlights and the commentary of Yoko of each of the present-day interview seg- ters, on the Lennon Room website, social and Maurice, along with highlights, like a ments. Basically, these would represent media and elsewhere. movie trailer, of the other footage. Avail- each interview in its entirety, with minor able on the Lennon Room site and else- editing to eliminate repetition, redundan- where and for sharing on social media. cy and mistakes. These would be available (tagged by speaker and divided into topi- cal subchapters) on the Lennon Room site and for sharing elsewhere on the web and on social media.
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 69Brands have heard the call
Final thoughts90 March 2012
Duncan/Channon We made this, and it’s not an ad 9 March 2012 71Final thoughtsDocumentary: versions1. What’s your reason for making?2. Find (or hire) your makers3. Beware old ideas in new clothesLong Short Raw4. Mistrust hierarchy, legacy structures and rolesApproximately 45 minutes, segmented Approximately 10 minutes. Basically, For those who want to see and hear more,5. Give people time to makeinto chapters, and suitable for networkairing with commercials or public TV this would be a cut-down of the 45–min- ute version, concentrating on interview or prefer to be more hands-on in their viewing, we would also develop a full cutwithout. Available, in whole or in chap- highlights and the commentary of Yoko of each of the present-day interview seg-6. Institutionalize collaborationters, on the Lennon Room website, social and Maurice, along with highlights, like a ments. Basically, these would representmedia and elsewhere. movie trailer, of the other footage. Avail- each interview in its entirety, with minor7. Be agile in thought and action able on the Lennon Room site and else- where and for sharing on social media. editing to eliminate repetition, redundan- cy and mistakes. These would be available (tagged by speaker and divided into topi-8. No permission required cal subchapters) on the Lennon Room site and for sharing elsewhere on the web and on social media.
So go make somethingthat’s not an ad(and then tell me about it)@robbiewrwhiting@duncanchannon.com
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