Suggestion for a New Agency Buzzword: Partnership

Finally, the age of anxiety about creative technology partnerships for advertising agencies is coming to a head.

More and more you’re hearing and reading about agency leaders who have seen the light about what collaborations with companies – yes, companies like Centro – can do for a business.

For instance, I just read an article, “Why Successful Agencies Lean on Strategic Alliances,” which emerged from the iMedia Agency Summit in early December. In it, iMedia Connection associate editor Jennifer Marlo quotes John Montgomery, Chief Operations Officer of GroupM Interaction North America, from his keynote address:

“Partnerships in our data-driven tech world are critical, and you can’t survive without it,” Montgomery said.

He went on to note, according to Jennifer, that there is something in the “agency DNA” that compels agencies to want to do everything in-house. “Montgomery conceded that the do-it-yourself businesses model worked when he began his agency career 30 years ago, but that the explosion of technology has made it virtually impossible for today’s agencies to fly solo.”

I’m glad to see candid observations like these in print because I hear them all the time as I call on prospects and clients who are, as this insightful article points out, looking at new partners not just as vendors, but as allies in creating growth and spurring innovation.

As our own partners know, Centro offers agencies the opportunity to stay ahead of the game in everything digital media – and not just in the minutiae of running campaigns efficiently, but also in providing forward thinking that delivers value directly to the client.

While out in the field, we’re hearing from independent and large holding company agencies alike that their sole biggest challenge is in activating digital media. The energy and time spent sorting out the layers of complexity accompanying the new wave of interest in – and commerce on – mobile devices is only getting greater.

This is the main reason why agencies small and large alike are looking for valued partners that can help them activate their overarching strategies and creative ideas within that space. And it’s one reason why the word is getting out that there’s plenty of upside and opportunity in not “flying solo.”

Check out “Why Successful Agencies Lean on Strategic Alliances,” then come back and let us know whether you agree, disagree, or having any points to add to the “Golden Rules of Partnership.”