Page 12 - Communicate

Q1 2018 | ADVERTISING

Suits and jeans

Consultancies and agencies: the new model? by Zaira Lakhpatwala

xecutive search consultancy
EHanson Search held a round-
table late last year to discuss the
future of management consultancies
bringing together clients such as
Abed Bibi, former chief marketing
officer, Meraas; agencies such as
FP7’s executive creative director
and President of McCann Creative
Council Paul Banham, Hogarth
Dubai’s managing director Lucy
Miller, DDB Dubai’s managing
director Iris Minnema; E&Y’s chief VS
digital and innovation officer for
MEA and India, Ross Maclean and
Alice Weightman, CEO, Hanson
Search.
NETWORKS BOUGHT SMALL SHOPS,
NOW CONSULTANCIES ARE BUYING
AGENCIES. WHAT NOW? Banham
points to the “massive battle”
between ATL shops and digital
ones. While ATL agencies were
acquiring digital shops, the latter
were trying to acquire ATL talent
to become integrated. “Will it play
out the same way?” he questions. WHO WILL SURVIVE (AND THRIVE) AND WHAT WILL THE AGENCY OF THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?
Probably not, “because the best
agencies have always worked liked WHO HAS MORE OF AN EDGE: AGEN- Weightman: Whoever can attract ing out how to work together. It’s
consultants.” CIES OR CONSULTANCIES? and retain the best people. Bigger incumbent on CMOs and CEOs
Minnema: Agencies have an companies will have the inherent to put it all together. I don’t think
CULTURE SHIFT. The biggest dif- edge because of the creatives issue of being less agile and slower everything will go in-house. You
ference between agencies and con- – the talent itself, the way they to change than a smaller, more need to retain independents for
sultancies is the culture. “Histori- can retain that talent, and the way nimble company. critique, objectivity and sanity.
cally, they [consultants] have been they can unleash it, is different. It’s not just agencies versus The future is going to be about
process-driven and aren’t known Consultancies, so far, have been consultancies. There’s also in-house the two industries working more
for having a culture that nurtures so much about data and analyz- to consider. People like having op- closely together.
creativity,” says Miller. She goes on ing the data and then coming tions and changing their working Weightman: There is a lot of
to add, “Some of the most memo- up with a business solution that environment. Working in-house is transformation happening now.
rable ideas in the world, arguably, there’s no connect between the different from working in an agency, Clients are working with agencies
didn’t come from spreadsheets and business solution and commu- which is different from working in to build outsourced, in-house-style
data. When tested, they failed. But nications solution. So agencies a consultancy. It’s not always the teams. Agencies are broadening
they’re memorable and made people can be more practical and hands edge that makes the difference; their offering. Both management
cry. The business insights coming on while consultants stay within sometimes it’s just the change. consultancies and agencies are
from the big four are compelling. the realm of advising. acquiring independents. There’s
The bit that concerns me is the lack Miller: Agencies. They under- WHAT’S THE FUTURE? a real race for acquisition on
of human ideas. And so we lose the stand how to make ideas that Minnema: I don’t think anybody right now.
bravery and punk rock attitude of are relevant to humans and how has the answer. I don’t think the It’s difficult to predict the future,
marketing and advertising.” to harness the power of a cus- consultancies and agencies especially with all the AI coming to
This isn’t something that’s lost tomer insight and create work coming together is going to be market, changing every industry
on MacLean who himself says, that’s tangible and resonates the new agency structure. The and our ways of working. Some will
“We refer to ourselves as suits with people. The consultants future of advertising for me is go- move to global platforms, others
and jeans.” “There’s no point in are more focused on harness- ing back to a little bit of what we will want local partners. The struc-
us putting up a strategy saying we ing business insights; they don’t were before and media agencies ture of the change could be driven
embrace different types of people place the value on creativity and coming together again with the by employees and how they want
who do things in a different way perhaps are more focused with execution and data that they have. to work. With the rise of the gig
if we are not going to give them positive response in the C-suite MacLean: I think agencies will economy, employees are having
the rope to do that,” he adds. than reaching people. continue to thrive; it’s about figur- more of a say.

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