In our rapidly evolving industry landscape, creative agencies are no longer able to define themselves by discipline or channel alone. We’re a global, always-on community (thanks to the digital age) and so to make waves in the industry, we all need to stop acting in silos. A decent creative agency will understand the importance of getting a client’s target audience talking positively about their brand, interacting with it and acting as brand salespeople by choice.
From teenage shoppers to silver surfers, we all know the landscape is filled with always-connected, digitally-immersed consumers. But our proprietary research has shown that while more than 37% of people are inclined to purchase because of something they have seen on social media, a staggering 69% say that content they see from brands has no relevance to them, or their lives. Speaking their language and getting it right is critical.
At Splendid, we believe that it’s what real people say about a brand that defines who it is. We’ve built our business from this central thought. Brands can no longer live in an ivory tower; they need to embrace the real world. User-generated content needs to be recognised as part of the communications mix and forward-thinking clients will harness the power of influence.
So as the lines blur between agencies, one thing that remains clear: it’s not what clients say, it’s not what agencies say, it’s what consumers say that matters. So as we head into another year, we’ll be striving to produce great creative work we care about, connecting with real people and not living in an agency bubble.
Alec Samways is CEO of Splendid Communications
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