Is it me or are ad agencies going out of style?

Just wondering because I see more and more clients dropping their agencies. I have worked in the agency world for a while and nothing is more apparent to me than how so, sooooo, many agency people want to sell what they think is best. Hello, McFly… just because it looks great or sounds cool doesn’t mean it will deliver the return that the client wants. And here’s another concept: just because some new technology was in Adage last week doesn’t mean your client needs it.

Here’s an idea, listen to what your client really wants. Then solve their problems instead of selling them something you want or need to add to your portfolio.

I went into another market down south a month ago and was astonished at how shitty the marketing and advertising was. Then, I realized that I had to stop myself. Who am I to say something doesn’t work? If the bar is set low, why should someone come and raise the bar if the same old shit is working? And why would a client listen to someone selling something they don’t have a need for yet? It’s like asking for inflation to take effect early.

I do believe that this thinking and the shifting media landscape will kill off a lot of agencies and force them to go into project mode. There will be an agency revolution and I believe many new agencies that get technology and efficiency will become the leaders of our agency world.