2. Who am I?
Goodby,
O&M Direct Ogilvy & Mather BBH Silverstein
& Partners
Account
Planner
+
Account Deputy
Manager Planning
Account Director Managing
+ +
Planner Partner
Account Business
Planner Director
+
Managing
Director
6. The agency dilemma
Q: “If you had to choose,
would you rather be
interesting or right?”
—Malcolm Gladwell, GQ Magazine
7. The agency dilemma
A:
“If I were President of the United States, I would
rather be right than interesting. If I were a CEO of
a company, I would rather be right than interesting.
But I am a journalist—what journalist would rather
be right than interesting?”
—Malcolm Gladwell, GQ Magazine
14. Auditing the agency
Consultants Press
EXTERNAL GSP
Industry Headhunters
INTERNAL GSP
15. External perceptions of the agency
(the industry)
We were number one:
“The shop that makes the best hires”
“The shop with the best reel”
“Best at Consumer Insight”
“Best at Strategic Planning”
Source: Adweek, Industry-on-Industry Survey, 2005
18. External perceptions of the agency
(the industry)
But we lagged behind in:
“Most creative”
“The shop with the best reputation”
Source: Adweek, Industry-on-Industry Survey, 2005
19. External perceptions of the agency
(the industry)
We didn’t even appear on the attributes
that defined the future:
“Best at Branded Entertainment”
“Best at Branded Integrated Solutions”
“Most Media Neutral”
Source: Adweek, Industry-on-Industry Survey, 2005
20. External perceptions of the agency
(the pitch consultants)
“I don’t associate GSP with integration.
”
—Russel Wohlwerth, Select Resources
“Is there an ability to tap into
interactive and the nontraditional?”
—Judy Neer, Pile & Co
21. External perceptions of the agency
(the headhunters)
“It feels very ad driven.
”
—Gary Stolkin, Stolkin + Partners
“I am not sure people know that
you’re fully engaged in interactive.
”
—Rachel Law, Kendall Tarrant
22. External perceptions lagged
behind agency reality
GSP Historical Head Count 11
5
4 15
2 9
4 5
2002 2003 2004 2005
Interactive Creative Interactive Production
We were the 2004 One Show Interactive Agency of the Year
Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
24. External perceptions of the agency
(the advertising press)
“Personally, I feel under-informed
about the agency’s work. ”
—Ellie Parpis, Creative Editor, Adweek
“Crispin have got two people who just
work the phones. That’s all they do.
”
—Stuart Elliott, New York Times
27. Internal perceptions of the agency
“ We’ve got Crispin envy.
”
Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners Agency Interviews
28. Internal perceptions of the agency
“ ”
Our biggest single issue is lack of
a clearly articulated identity.
Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners Agency Interviews
29. The vision thing
The lack of vision led to questions
about the leadership of the agency
32. A quick formula for efficiency
Ideas Generated Ideas Generated % Hit Rate
& Produced & Not Produced
Creative/Client X X XX%
TV Print OOH Radio Web Other
33. A quick formula for efficiency
Ideas Generated Ideas Generated % Hit Rate
& Produced & Not Produced
Creative/Client X X XX%
TV Print OOH Radio Web Other
Who’s performing? Who’s not performing?
34. Agency productivity, 2005
Ideas Generated Ideas Generated % Hit Rate
& Produced & Not Produced
2005 804 1,413 37%
Low strike rate clients with correlated problem relationships
35. How we worked
“There are too many creative teams on
assignments. The result is no ownership.
Everyone thinks someone else
will crack it.
”
Source: Internal Agency Interviews
36. How we worked
“We’re a big agency with small agency
processes. We need to address
this because we’re starting to
kill people.
”
Source: Internal Agency Interviews
37. How we worked
“ We work dumb.
”
Source: Internal Agency Interviews
38. Managing our most expensive resource
We committed to full-time, high-level resource
management of the creative department.
40. Our workload
(percentage of GSP projects)
82%
May 2005
18%
Web/Interactive
Traditional Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
41. Our output was evolving
(percentage of GSP projects)
82% 58%
42%
18%
May 2005 May 2006
Web/Interactive
Traditional Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
42. So we needed to change
our creative resources
(percentage of head count)
37%
The Creative
Department
May 2006
49%
14%
Traditional
Traditional + Interactive
Interactive Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
43. The shift in our output was dramatic
Web = 29%
Print = 23%
TV = 11%
58% Alt media = 11%
50%
42% 50%
OOH = 11%
P Of Purchase = 8%
Radio = 5%
Brochures = 2%
May 2005 October 2006
Web/Interactive
Traditional Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
44. More flexibility in our
creative resources
was our goal
28%
The Creative
Department
October 2006
41%
31%
Traditional
Traditional + Interactive
Interactive Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
46. We were recycling creative resources
TBWA Chiat Day Crispin Porter + Bogusky
Goodby,
Fallon Silverstein & Wieden + Kennedy
Partners
47. Different output = different resources
The Sci-Fi Channel
Sweden YouTube Star,
Music Video The Rappin’ Jelly Donut
Production
Punk Rock
Zine
Interactive Agencies
TBWA Chiat Day Crispin Porter + Bogusky
with Dangerous-sounding Names
Sketch Comedy Troupe
(“Killing My Lobster”) Goodby,
Fallon
Silverstein & Wieden + Kennedy
Partners
Best Buy
Film School
UCLA Media Lab
Design Firms
Planning at Hal Riney & Partners
Malcontents in London, São Paolo,
Stockholm and Berkeley
49. A simple approach to increasing
digital competence
Traditional Interactive
Art Director Art Director
From two distinct
creative “camps” +
Traditional
+
Interactive
Copywriter Copywriter
Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
50. A simple approach to increasing
digital competence
Traditional Interactive
Art Director Art Director
From two distinct
creative “camps” +
Traditional
+
Interactive
Copywriter Copywriter
To a consciously mixed Traditional ADs and CWs
+
creative resource Interactive ADs and CWs
Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
52. In the words of Jeff Goodby...
“It’s going to get worse,
before it gets better.”
—Jeff Goodby
53. In defense of failure
“Making mistakes is a great
American freedom. The goal shouldn’t
be to eliminate failure; it should be to
build a system resilient enough
to withstand it. ”
Source: Time Magazine, March 22nd 2010
54. Goodby was right—It got worse
before it got better
2005 2006 2007 2008
1. Crispin 1. Crispin (695) 1. TBWAChiat (565) 1. BBDO NY (845)
2. TBWAParis 2. TBWAParis 2. Crispin 2. TAG SF
3. GSP (300) 3. AMV BBDO 3. Saatchi + Saatchi, NY 3. McCann Erickson
4. W+K London 4. DDB London 4. R/GA 4. Fallon London
5. TBWAChiat 5. DDB Chicago 5. DDB London 5. Saatchi NY
6. Taxi 6. JWT London 6. DDB Chicago 6. TBWAChiatDay NY
7. DDB London 7. Dentsu Tokyo 7. BBDO NY 7. Crispin
8. Fallon/NY 8. Forsman +Borden 8. BBH NY 8. GSP (260)
9. Almap/BBDO 9. Taxi 9. Leo Burnett Chicago 9. Saatchi Singapore
10. W+K/Portland 10. GSP (155) 10. Fallon London 10. DDB London
11. DDB Brasil 11. Fallon London 11. Saatchi + Saatchi, Singapore 11. TBWA Paris
12. Dentsu/Tokyo 12. W+K London 12. W+K Portland 12. W+K London
13. Springer + Jacoby 13. Saatchi + Saatchi, NY 13. TBWAParis 13. Saatchi + Saatchi, NY
14. Arnold 14. Nordpol Hamburg 14. W+K Amsterdam 14. Nordpol Hamburg
15. The Jupiter Drawing Room 15. Leo Burnett London 15. Fallon Minneapolis 15. Leo Burnett London
16. 180 Amsterdam 16. Lowe Hunt Sydney 16. GSP (115) 16. Lowe Hunt Sydney
Source: Creativity Magazine, top 20 creative agencies at the awards shows
56. A more holistic approach to
developing strategy...
Account Media
Planning Planning
Consumer Brand Media Consumer
Insight Insight Insight Insight
Message Content Channels
How can the message and channel
work hardest for each other?
57. ...driven by a focus on ideas
Account Message Media
Channels
Content
Planning Planning
People engage with ideas, not channels.
Ideas drive channel behavior.
58. Change the way we create strategy
Do what Bernbach did by combining
Copywriters and Art Directors…
we could implement with Account Planning
and Media Planning
59. One department called “strategy”
Brand Media
Strategist Strategist
Focused on how the message and channel
can work hardest for each other
63. Speed of change
“Creative firms of all kinds
(including ours) know that
they must evolve at LEAST
as fast as the world is
changing around them. ”
—Tom Kelley,
General Manager, IDEO
65. Increasing industry convergence
Traditional
ad agencies with Integrated “Larger” digital Digital
“bolt on” digital ad agencies agencies production shops
(e.g., DDB, Euro) (e.g. GSP, CPB) (e.g. R/GA, (e.g. Big
Razorfish, Spaceship,
AKQA) Firstborn)
66. A looming turf war
Traditional
ad agencies with Integrated “Larger” digital Digital
“bolt on” digital ad agencies agencies production shops
(e.g., DDB, Euro) (e.g. GSP, CPB) (e.g. R/GA, (e.g. Big
Razorfish, Spaceship,
AKQA) Firstborn)
Implications for talent retention,
organic growth and new business
67. Creative output alone
will not be enough to succeed
Top four most important
elements for an ad agency
1. Understand my market
2. Creative
3. Understand company direction
4. Strategy and thinking
Source: Reardon Smith Whittaker survey of 184 key marketing decision makers, October 2008
Heidrick & Struggles survey of 111 senior marketing executives at firms with $1B+ in annual revenues, December 2008
68. Creative output alone
will not be enough to succeed
Top four most important Top four most important % Very
elements for an ad agency elements of digital Satisfied
1. Understand my market 1. ROI 18%
2. Creative 2. Analyses of Web behavior 13%
3. Understand company direction 3. Search 19%
4. Strategy and thinking 4. CRM 17%
Source: Reardon Smith Whittaker survey of 184 key marketing decision makers, October 2008
Heidrick & Struggles survey of 111 senior marketing executives at firms with $1B+ in annual revenues, December 2008
69. Creative output alone
will not be enough to succeed
Top four most important Top four most important % Very
elements for an ad agency elements of digital Satisfied
1. Understand my market 1. ROI 18%
2. Creative 2. Analyses of Web behavior 13%
3. Understand company direction 3. Search 19%
4. Strategy and thinking 4. CRM 17%
A need for fluency from “the work” to how the work works; the “what” to the “why”
Source: Reardon Smith Whittaker survey of 184 key marketing decision makers, October 2008
Heidrick & Struggles survey of 111 senior marketing executives at firms with $1B+ in annual revenues, December 2008
70. One final observation
The Agencies of the future
may not be the Agencies that
have dominated the past
74. Setting the right metrics for the agency
An Annual GSP Our performance
Client Relationship at the major
Survey Creative Award Shows
To be the best advertising Agency in the world, as judged
by our peers, based on the quality and effectiveness of our work
Our performance
An Annual Agency
at Effectiveness Awards
Staff Survey
(EFFIES)
76. The changes helped make us more productive
Ideas Generated Ideas Generated % Hit Rate
& Produced & Not Produced
2005 804 1,413 37%
2006 1272 1,214 51%
Source: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
77. Historical Creative Performance
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
1. Crispin 1. Crispin (695) 1. TBWAChiat (565) 1. BBDO NY (845) 1. GSP (680)
2. TBWAParis 2. TBWAParis 2. Crispin 2. TAG SF 2. Crispin
3. GSP (300) 3. AMV BBDO 3. Saatchi + Saatchi, NY 3. McCann Erickson 3. Saatchi + Saatchi NY
4. W+K London 4. DDB London 4. R/GA 4. Fallon London 4. W+K Portland
5. TBWAChiat 5. DDB Chicago 5. DDB London 5. Saatchi NY 5. Droga5
6. Taxi 6. JWT London 6. DDB Chicago 6. TBWAChiatDay NY 6. BBDO NY
7. DDB London 7. Dentsu Tokyo 7. BBDO NY 7. Crispin 7. Dentsu Tokyo
8. Fallon/NY 8. Forsman +Borden 8. BBH NY 8. GSP (260) 8. TBWA NY
9. Almap/BBDO 9. Taxi 9. Leo Burnett Chicago 9. Saatchi Singapore 9. CumminsNitro
10. W+K/Portland 10. GSP (155) 10. Fallon London 10. DDB London 10. Leo Burnett Lisbon
11. DDB Brasil 11. Fallon London 11. Saatchi + Saatchi, Singapore 11. TBWA Paris
12. Dentsu/Tokyo 12. W+K London 12. W+K Portland 12. W+K London
13. Springer + Jacoby 13. Saatchi + Saatchi, NY 13. TBWAParis 13. Saatchi + Saatchi, NY
14. Arnold 14. Nordpol Hamburg 14. W+K Amsterdam 14. Nordpol Hamburg
15. The Jupiter Drawing Room 15. Leo Burnett London 15. Fallon Minneapolis 15. Leo Burnett London
16. 180 Amsterdam 16. Lowe Hunt Sydney 16. GSP (115) 16. Lowe Hunt Sydney
Source: Creativity Magazine, top 20 creative agencies at the awards shows
78. AGENCY WINNERS 2009
1. Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (680)
2. Crispin Porter + Bogusky (365)
2009 3. Saatchi & Saatchi NY (345)
4. Wieden + Kennedy Portland (320)
CREATIVE 5. Droga5 (295)
AWARDS
6. BBDO NY (205)
7. Dentsu Tokyo (200)
8. TBWA Chiat Day NY (200)
9. CumminsNitro Brisbane (200)
10. Leo Burnett Lisbon (200)
Source: Creativity Magazine, September 28, 2009
79. AGENCY NETWORK WINNERS 2009
1. BBDO (1375)
2. DDB (985)
2009 3. Leo Burnett (965)
4. Saatchi & Saatchi (885)
CREATIVE 5. TBWA (765)
AWARDS
6. Ogilvy (700)
7. JWT (615)
8. Wieden + Kennedy (470)
Goodby would have placed seventh in this 9. Y&R (420)
ranking, even though it’s a one-office agency
10. Crispin Porter & Bogusky (400)
Source: Creativity Magazine, September 28, 2009
80. We were named the most
awarded agency in the world
“The most awarded Agency of 2009 is GSP, a shop that simultaneously was named
Cannes’ Digital Agency of the Year and, according to our count, had the most awarded TV spot
this season with ‘Rabbit’ for Comcast.
“What’s more, the San Francisco–based Omnicom agency didn’t earn this distinction for
hitting one home run that won everything—last year’s top winners could chalk up success to
standout campaigns like HBO’s ‘Voyeur’ and ‘Halo 3.’ A broad range of award-winning work and
strength across media proved fruitful for Goodby, which won for work like the YouTube-quaking
‘Wario Land Shake It!’ for Nintendo, the split-screen ‘There Can Only Be One’ spots for the NBA
that inspired spoofs on the cover of Time Magazine and on SNL, the ‘Save the Honey Bees’
campaign for Häagen-Dazs and the virtual haunted ‘Hotel 626’ for Doritos. Goodby also won
for the first augmented-reality campaign for a major advertiser, the GE Plug into the Smart Grid
Web site, as well as the data-crunching Sprint Now widget.”
Source: Creativity Magazine, September 28, 2009
81. 2009 saw a real cementing
of our digital interactive credentials
We were the Cannes Digital Agency of the Year
(with work for seven different clients)
We were the One Show Interactive Agency of the Year
(with work for six different clients)
82. And 2009 wasn’t just about creative awards.
Media got in on the act too...
We were the #2 office in the world at the
Festival of Media Awards in Venice
We won six (out of a possible 16) awards at the
Creative Media Awards in NY for four different clients,
including the Grand Prix
