“You can have the best advertising out there, but if the e-commerce is not good or the relationship with the customer and the experience isn’t great, then that’s irrelevant,” Mr. Droga said.
That’s advanced thinking, especially for an ad man. Advertising has to fit into a larger ecosystem of brand experience, or it’s worthless debris. I don’t hear this line of reasoning too often, but it’s one I happen to agree with wholeheartedly. Another, gentler way of saying this is: In the battle of above-the-line versus below-the-line, Integrated Marketing won.
Exciting news: Droga5 is set to join Accenture Interactive, which will allow us to do more to impact the influence and future of a brand in ways we’ve only imagined until now. Read more at https://t.co/eTa5H52zcf via @nytimes pic.twitter.com/p513cTfCxl
— Droga5 (@droga5) April 3, 2019
Buckets of Moonbeams In My Hand
It may be easy to think that David Droga was attracted by the pile of money attached to this deal (terms were not released). Admittedly, no one says they were motivated by the money, even when they are. But let’s assume that Droga was interested in more than money. What was the motivating factor? Why sell to Accenture and why now?
Could it be as simple as the need to add capabilities that will keep Droga5 at the top of the creative pile?
“We’re working with clients to reinvent how consumers buy their particular products and services,” Brian Whipple, the chief executive of Accenture Interactive, the company’s digital agency, said. He pointed to the development of wearable devices for Carnival Cruise Lines and new fitting-room technology at clothing stores.
“The future of
Perfecting A Client’s Brand Experience Requires That You Care About Their Customers
According to Accenture, the news represents an evolution in the company’s journey to build a new agency model — one with the power to engineer transformative brand experiences and infuse those experiences with the emotional and inspirational power of brand thinking and creativity.
Droga added, “Accenture Interactive is one of the most disruptive forces in the industry, and we have always been a safe space for audacious ideas. I’m confident they are the best partner to grow our business and provide greater opportunities for our clients and our people. Why live off past glories when you can get busy trying to create new ones?”
Audacious ideas are wonderful and creative people love to birth them. What’s not audacious is the idea that a brand can actually
Ad People Have Always Been Consultants
The ad industry loves to focus on its outputs. People have shiny object syndrome. It makes sense to a degree, given that advertising is the product that ad people make. But what is the service that leads to the creation of excellent advertising?
Strategy is the service. Inputs determine outputs. Always.
For years, ad agencies have hired specialists to help clients with brand strategy. But brand strategy alone does not reach far enough today. A client’s business strategy and operational modalities are the determinative factors in their customer’s brand experience.
You can bring the most elegant brand promise in the world forward and it won’t mean a thing if the messaging fails to ring true in real life. In other words, a company has to deliver on its brand promise, or the brand promise is worthless.
