14 Comments

About time too. Reform within the ad industry!
action man
2009-10-02 17:38:35

'outsource the whole creative department" so that the agency becomes just about working out the strategy, then choosing the best creative freelancers to come up with concepts and execute whatever needs to be done.'

Hmmm, interesting, but sounds to me like a last gasp to retain enough control to justify those expensive office spaces. Those 'creative freelancers' you mention, they're generally a lot sharper, more savvy at marketing their own skills and certainly more in tune with billing, than a lot of agencies out there. When I freelance within creative departments, I'm shocked at the time-wasting, chatting, and general bullshitting that passes for 'work'.

Not only is the art director/copywriter team outmoded, so is the idea that companies need to house people under one roof to impress clients. The real work is being done by an amorphous mass of people out there who choose not only which job they work on, but also choose not to be controlled and to not have to sit at desks to justify the salaries of of the managers. The real outsourcing will in the future be decided by in-house teams, within the clients departments, ad agencies will be no more. Intelligent planners will work for companies, and will find creatives who can conceptualise what the client wants, without the interference of an agency. I'm just saying is all.
The Bunk
2009-10-04 17:58:02

This is really interesting and something which reflects the model, we've already moved to. We do have creatives but they holding client consulting roles, as do our Planners. So the question in actual fact comes about not for the death of the creative dept, but the death of the account team.

We have become a much more clearly defined agency structure, more like a law practice, with broad cultural thinkers, a mass of good progressive insight and the ability to advise brand direction, creative concept generation and then work with the client's roster of specialist discipline led supplier agencies to build on the strategy/ idea and implement the core cross medium.

It's also worth mentioning we're independent and just 20 people strong which means the client's value to us is a vested director level long-term relationship, so continuity isn't an issue.

So all this change sounds great to us. But. There's still a sticking point - other than the really 'on it' client companies, many are still trapped in either contracts or agency working structures where they are struggling to understand how to move from an agency roster which isn't delivering against new marketing challenges, but the uncertainty of moving to a new approach feels untested and risky.

Such is the way with periods of change I guess, but one thing is for sure, it is happening.
Clyde McKendrick from Open
2009-10-05 14:47:00

To do away with a Creative Department would leave accounts without a creative brains trust. Sometimes the best work is done by teams who have a history of working on an account, and have insight based on an organic accumulation of knowledge of that particular brand.

The challenge in the future is for creatives to broaden their skills. With the public increasingly resistant to traditional advertising, no longer are pure brand campaigns the norm. Creatives must acquire the ability to think through creative solutions over many platforms in order to continue to have a place at the table.
thewongnumber
2009-10-05 14:53:31

Could you outsource the creative department? Well yes, in theory. But you'd have to sign up to the consequences.

For one thing, you're likely to pay the price of not getting the A-list freelancers you need when you need them. Now, if you're one of the monolithic agencies, you will probably have a better chance of getting these people but for the other 90% it'll be a struggle.

You'll also face the prospect of re-educating these teams about your client, their industry and their issues on every single job and watch while they take time to get to grips with it all. Probably not an issue if you're selling ice cream but try that on the more complex assignments. And one thing is certain, these days speed is a defining challenge right across the industry so you can't hang around.

Yes, jobs are more complex than ever. The traditional writer/art director combination is not always the best model. Agencies need great relationships with all manner of talent (whether freelance or partner companies). And creativity and strategy can take many forms (the number of times I've seen winning strategies come from creatives rather than planners is not insignificant).

These days there is no time for "the time-wasting, chatting, and general bullshitting that passes for 'work'" that The Bunk mentions. Agencies need to deliver the goods and do it fast. Those that do will do well. Those that don't are toast.
Jason Ball
2009-10-05 15:01:45

A very interesting point, and one which will likely stir up some strong opinions.

I'll add my view before it gets lambasted.

Another difference between Movies and Advertising though is that great agencies, like my point on http://is.gd/3Yzeg touches on, have a definite personality and stance. This particular approach is something clients either buy into or not. Movies are the vision of the creators, and then need the most suited production people to realise this. We still outsource specialist talent and production for the same reason, but creatives in the agency are hired around a single-minded leadership approach.

Freelancers are usually used to control peaks and troughs for for a key skill, and everyone's wages would near-double overnight if we freelanced... which isfine by me, but not for Auntie Beryl who's butter just went up by a quid due to a new totally freelanced campaign.

In-house teams works for some, but when the brand needs to move forwards, or change direction, a whole process of evolution has to take place for in house teams. Selecting another agency with a suitable approach can be chosen and pick the ball up right away.

So okay, lay off everyone. Because those of us who can think and create will become more in demand and better paid. I just don't see the end result benefiting from such an approach.

The model is changing internally and it's not as simple as it once was. But wholesome agency single-mindedness will remain the most formidable reason to select an agency in our world, and for good solid reasons.
Graham.Creative.
2009-10-05 15:20:13

Outsourcing creatives? It could be a cool thing. As a person who's worked on the film side AND the ad side, all you need to do is be a good networker. Keep track of the creatives you like, and match their skills and personality to your projects. Afraid of not having a full time job? There are so many layoffs in the ad industry, it seems like people are constantly rotating, anyway. Being your own boss, with your own set of agency "clientele" might actually give you MORE stability, not less. Good talent is always in demand, and the best ultimately find themselves busy enough to have to turn down work now and then.

How to ensure your favorite talent is available when you want them? It's all about relationships. Just treat 'em well, and they'll be there for you.
April
2009-10-05 15:49:59

The creative department are the only people doing anything while everyone else is busy overintellectualizing on panels like this.

Yes, the model of the future should be more like film projects. Best pay = best directors, best creatives, best production. Mediocre pay = mediocre work, and so on. Plus, we can hold this over clients heads to have more creative control as our careers are tied to the end product. Always will depend on who the creative leader is though.

But do this for all, to keep costs down, as well as highly reward the best. Including planners. That's how we'll see how worthless most actually are.
Michael
2009-10-06 05:39:48

The trouble with entrusting work only to freelancers is the type of work that you get back. This is not to say the work isn't good, its usually just a lot safer. As a freelancer you are expected to crack the brief everytime, otherwise you don't get asked back. But part of the process with in house creatives is exploring avenues which could well end up not working, and this is the important bit, but get you to a more interesting place, and therefore better work.
Mike
2009-10-06 14:40:37

Ty, in answer to your question, "Can you outsource the entire creative department?" - This is exactly the agency model we set out to bulid/explore from day one, five years ago when we formed Mechanica.

http://www.mechanicausa.com/#/about/

Our experience has shown the available talent pool to be both deep and - equally importantly - wide. (We're not just talking about tapping the same folks who already populate the halls of agencies.) We have held firm to the belief that "Infrastructure predetermines solutions." and feel that the range of thinking and solutions we have brought our clients would have likely been more difficult - if not impossible - in a more "traditional" environment. That is not to say agencies staffed with creatives would not be capable of similar thinking, but there are other obstacles, among them investments in departments that need to be fed therefore making it hard to explore solutions outside the usual boundaries. (Can you recommend your hotel client spend their money retraining employees as a result of a newly developed strategy rather than running ads when you're already paying for a creative department, but have no hospitality training department?)

It's a model that is not without its own set of challenges, but for the many reasons being discussed, one that I think we will see more and more attempting.
Jim Garaventi
2009-10-06 15:01:16

I think there are a few people feeling insecure right now, we wouldn't be talking like this if there was work and jobs to spare. It's all b/s I'm afraid, who gives a monkeys where the works done, freelance or otherwise.
I think the question we should be asking is who decided on tall stools with such a low ceiling? Quite a challenge squeezing all those egos in such a small space I imagine.
Jonathan Madden
2009-10-06 15:55:52

Love this idea. I'm a copywriter and have run a small virtual shop since 2001. Back then I definitely saw a trend that said - not everyone in an agency is really needed. By going virtual, we began building networks of talented people who are disciplined (and don't suck.) No, I don't solicit to 'big agencies' but rather create a level of service that rivals big agencies on everything from strategy to creative development to production (of any kind).

With the advent of even multier (sic) media, no *way* does any agency own the talent necessary to develop and deploy communications for clients. Too many variables in play. Too much overhead to keep under one roof. But I still believe in the power of the big idea that is carried over into every possible media outlet imaginable. and that (thankfully) is where the value of the creative is still relevant. The ideas. How to execute the ideas - any schmo can contribute to that. ;)
Jim Mitchem
2009-10-07 18:07:43

Firing the entire creative team sounds like a business decision. At Moving Brands we value the creative processes and outputs of a core team, each of whom bring a different skill set to a project. Working together over a period of time allows teams to have, discard and return to ideas - making for a more ethical and, ultimately, more efficient studio. We’ve found that a full-time creative team can form the deep relationships which allow them to develop well-rounded creative ideas that shape the vision of the company.
Moving Brands
2009-10-08 16:02:05

Could the creatives outsource the advertising agency!

In my experience the 'creative' people in the bigger international advertising agencies are not creatives at all.

They have good political skills, talk well, are good at manipulation, rather than creativity, are unpleasant to work with and are bad at describing things visually, which says a lot about where their priorities lie.

In many bigger agencies, the creative department disapeared a long time ago. Clients miss it.

If the advertising agencies get rid of the little remaining creative staff that they have, the clients will go direct without their input. They aren't properly providing that service themselves anyway and haven't for a number of years. Suits get on better with suits. The creative employees are a distraction from the main business of milking clients of their money.

After all. Advertising is about renting space and charging for the management of media.

Why should they have anything at all to do with creativity!
Tom Byrne
2009-10-08 21:59:21

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