Digital Disruption: How Leading Agencies Stay Ahead

Technology moves fast these days. New apps, sites, devices – you name it – pop up practically every day. For businesses, it can feel impossible to keep up. Marketing and advertising agencies know this struggle more than anyone. Their job is to help brands make sense of it all. The agencies that handle digital disruption best aren’t afraid of change. They jump right in!

Checking Out the Latest Tech

Some big technology game-changers right now are AI, virtual reality (VR), and data science. The top agencies are finding creative ways to use these for their clients:

• AI can study customers and target ads just for them. Pretty cool (and a little creepy!). Wunderman Thompson and McCann Worldgroup are early adopters here.
• VR makes experiences really immersive and life-like. Accenture Interactive and R/GA are using it for branded environments and shopping.
• Data improves decisions and efficiency. Ogilvy built special tools to help teams focus on important strategic work, not busywork.

Leading agencies aren’t afraid to try new things. This keeps their offerings fresh.

Connecting With Clients

Digital has changed how agencies and brands work together. Things like Slack, Asana, and data dashboards promote more communication and transparency.

Some agencies have innovation labs focused on designing digital solutions tailored to a client’s specific needs and goals. Accenture Interactive’s Fjord group, for example, prototypes concepts quickly.

Virtual events are also big. They allow agencies to reach wider audiences online. We & Goliath has this down pat. Their digital skills rank them among the top 100 agencies out there.

Marketing Makeover

Digital opened up new ways for agencies to get the right message to the right person. Things like:

• Data to micro-target ads
• Digital ads on platforms like Facebook
• Social listening to see what people say about a brand
• Personalization to tailor messaging at scale

Leading agencies can now guide full digital makeovers. This allows brands to reinvent their marketing.

Growing Pains

Digital isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though. Adopting new tech is expensive. Small agencies can only stretch budgets so far.

With so many tools out there, it’s tough to pick the right ones. A bad choice ends up costing a lot.

Things move incredibly fast, too. What works today might be outdated tomorrow. Agencies have to innovate constantly.

Clients want quick results. But testing new things takes time. That makes showing ROI difficult.

Competition is also fierce nowadays. Standing out requires serious creativity.

To power through these hurdles, agencies must stay nimble and open-minded. Those who do will come out on top.

A Success Story

R/GA shows that digital disruption can be more opportunity than obstacle. They dove into digital early, building in-house skills and proprietary tools. This helped them lead on social, mobile and AI.

They organize into small, agile teams. These groups can create and test digital solutions quickly. Their office space also promotes mobility and collaboration.

Training is big, too. R/GA University helps employees learn the latest skills. Data and AI are current focuses.

In short, R/GA’s culture of innovation made them digital transformation experts. Their approach shows how agencies can follow their lead.

What’s Next?

To stay ahead, agencies should keep pushing the digital edge through:

• Piloting emerging tech
• Hiring blended creative/technical talent
• Building proprietary tools and data capabilities
• Using agile systems
• Guiding total digital makeovers

Agencies that embrace innovation fearlessly will thrive. The future favors the bold!