New Agency Models Glyn Britton 11 December 2007

Get this presentation www.albionlondon.com/blog Thanks to the Flickr community for the use of most of the images in this presentation.

We are Albion, and we are a New Model Agency.

Why digital must be at the heart of an agency any New Model Agency

What is a New Model Agency? Integrated. Media Neutral. Solutions Agnostic. 360 ° Branding. Engagement Planning. Transmedia Narrative. Urgh!

Integrated.

Media Neutral.

Solutions Agnostic.

360 ° Branding.

Engagement Planning.

Transmedia Narrative.

Who are some New Model Agencies? (IMHO) New Model Agencies Poke Love Techlightenment Kessels Kramer Anomaly Live|Work Glue Figtree CONSULTING DESIGN ADVERTISING DIGITAL

New Model Agencies are defined by an attitude, not a medium or a heritage. We can’t speak for anybody else, but here’s what we think makes us Albion…

Entrepreneurial

Belief that we can do anything

Small egos

Diverse backgrounds, blurred roles

Open plan, no departments

Doing, not talking about doing

New heroes

Telling the truth in interesting ways

Making useful stuff

Giving people something interesting to talk about http://albionlondon.typepad.com/albioncookiefactory/

Digital at our heart

But we’re not (just) a digital agency

What is digital? More than making online advertising. More than making Facebook apps. It’s about ‘getting it’. Getting the modern world. Getting modern consumers. Getting modern business. Behaving in a non-stupid way. It’s a way of thinking about things. Being interested in how things work. Not just what’s in them. Having a go at making things better. Just having a go.

More than making online advertising.

More than making Facebook apps.

It’s about ‘getting it’.

Getting the modern world.

Getting modern consumers.

Getting modern business.

Behaving in a non-stupid way.

It’s a way of thinking about things.

Being interested in how things work.

Not just what’s in them.

Having a go at making things better.

Just having a go.

Digital changes people’s expectations

Putting digital at the heart of our work with

Skype’s success 0 to customers in 2.5 years. Nearly 200 million customers today. Still growing at 200,000 new users every day.

0 to customers in 2.5 years.

Nearly 200 million customers today.

Still growing at 200,000 new users every day.

And how did that happen? Some innate things about Skype. Some things we did.

Some innate things about Skype.

Some things we did.

Some innate things Skype is a communications tool Humans are really, really, interested in things that help us communicate with each other more and better. From cave paintings to mobile phones, it’s always the same.

Skype is a communications tool

Humans are really, really, interested in things that help us communicate with each other more and better.

From cave paintings to mobile phones, it’s always the same.

Some innate things Skype is free Free is quite interesting to people. Especially free and good. If you tell your friends to get Skype too, you can talk for as long as you like without worrying about the cost or the distance.

Skype is free

Free is quite interesting to people. Especially free and good.

If you tell your friends to get Skype too, you can talk for as long as you like without worrying about the cost or the distance.

Some innate things Right idea, right time There was plenty of internet calling software before Skype. But it didn’t work very well, and lots of people still had slow dial-up internet connections. Plus it was called VoIP, which was a bit off-putting. Skype was called Skype instead, and it just worked. And it arrived just as lots of people were starting to get broadband internet access.

Right idea, right time

There was plenty of internet calling software before Skype. But it didn’t work very well, and lots of people still had slow dial-up internet connections. Plus it was called VoIP, which was a bit off-putting.

Skype was called Skype instead, and it just worked. And it arrived just as lots of people were starting to get broadband internet access.

Some innate things Simple and easy Skype worked really hard on making Skype as easy to install and use as possible. We knew it was easy enough when Geoffrey’s grandma could use it. (Geoffrey is one of the original Skypers.) Ease of use is important for busy young people too. Hence the iPod, people moving to Facebook…

Simple and easy

Skype worked really hard on making Skype as easy to install and use as possible.

We knew it was easy enough when Geoffrey’s grandma could use it. (Geoffrey is one of the original Skypers.)

Ease of use is important for busy young people too. Hence the iPod, people moving to Facebook…

And how did that happen? Some innate things about Skype. Some things we did.

Some innate things about Skype.

Some things we did.

Got advocates on our side

Helped people discover

Helped people discover

Removed the barriers to trial

Helped people share

Helped people share

Helped people understand

Helped people understand

Kept the brand fresh

Worked hard at making it simple

Even made some ads!

Putting digital at the heart of our work with

Background eBay has 97% brand awareness in the UK. So it’s not a conventional brand communications challenge. The problem is that people can fall into thinking of eBay like a traditional retailer, and so feel they have seen everything on offer. So we need to reignite people’s enthusiasm, by reasserting what makes eBay unique - that it is a live, ever-changing marketplace.

eBay has 97% brand awareness in the UK.

So it’s not a conventional brand communications challenge.

The problem is that people can fall into thinking of eBay like a traditional retailer, and so feel they have seen everything on offer.

So we need to reignite people’s enthusiasm, by reasserting what makes eBay unique - that it is a live, ever-changing marketplace.

It’s all about the community, not the company

Make it a habit

Banners with a live feed, to show people what they’re missing

A live feed widget on TV

A blog in a press ad

eBaying in a social network

A physical catalogue for an online company

Website functionality in a TV spot Play Christmas ad

Play Christmas ad

How to put digital at the heart of your agency

What we’ve learnt Employ young people who’ve never known any other way. Employ outsiders with something to prove. Learn to see creativity anywhere. Use the web, and have a go at building bits of it. Think digitally, whatever you’re doing. Go on, give it a try. No grand theories. Don’t believe the hype. Don’t get too comfortable.

Employ young people who’ve never known any other way.

Employ outsiders with something to prove.

Learn to see creativity anywhere.

Use the web, and have a go at building bits of it.

Think digitally, whatever you’re doing.

Go on, give it a try.

No grand theories.

Don’t believe the hype.

Don’t get too comfortable.

Thank you [email_address] Skype me: glyndot