The lines between creative, technology and media selection in the digital space continues to blur.
The channel and media recommendations agencies make for their clients are now happening in different parts of the planning process than they traditionally have in the past. The linear nature of planning has become more fluid and immediate. The technology available to planners and creative technologists are allowing creative messaging and call’s to action to be targeted in both behavioral or contextual ways that could alter the messaging in real-time. This has ramifications for the creative process and also creative people that understand the power of the technical platforms that can help them create more relevant, targeted messaging that will almost positively have a bigger impact for the brand. I submit that the media/creative process become closer and more integrated than ever and this will have implications for the unbundled media and creative agencies. How can we as an industry cross-pollinate these teams in a way that makes sense for the client and for the bottom-line of said agencies?
This is the most exciting time in digital marketing in the past 15-years. For creatives, I can imagine that the people that take the time to understand the new and burgeoning digital advertising and marketing platforms, will be able to deliver their 'big ideas' in ways they never thought possible. For planners, adding value beyond just choosing the channel and the properties; but contributing to the ideation process in helping the creative teams concept around the digital technology available to them and then educating the client on the new buying patterns (buying audiences not networks, for example) will continue to help these two critical functions in the advertising work closer together and continue to add value for brands.
This world is moving and changing so fast that taking a segment of time on a daily basis to learn about new technology providers, application, platforms or system that will allow brands to connect with their customer segments in ways never thought before will help teams and agencies deliver value in ways clients are expecting. I submit that the agencies and planners that do not adapt to this new world and continue to follow the traditional planning process will go the way of the long-forgotten IAB standard sizes.
