The Interactive Agency, Planning For The Future
Tom Hespos presents a thought provoking piece in iMediaconnection about how interactive agencies differ from traditional agencies and how their compensation should be reflected due to this difference.
Tom by no means discredits the work of the traditional agency, rather he presents the multitude of time and choice that goes into the planning/strategy cycle of an interactive agency and the fact that, due to the relatively nascent nature of the industry, we are more likely to propose things that will never see the light of day.
I recommend taking a look at what Tom has to say and would love to hear your thoughts.
Tags: Agency, Tom Hespos, Imediaconnection, Strategy, Morpheus Media, Planning, Interactive
2 Responses to “The Interactive Agency, Planning For The Future”
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This article is extremely interesting. I think Tom’s article shows the parallels between traditional and interactive media, but moreso highlights the differences. He is able to explain the great amount of detail that goes into interactive media planning and buying, and as you mentioned how compensation differs. I really like that he talks about how interactive is extremely strategic and we can propose many more parts to our plans, which I personally think explore great new areas on the web and new ways to market client products.
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Thanks for the link to the piece, Adam.
The economics on the traditional side allow for commission-based structures to still work. Put in a bit of work, write a deck and collect 3-5% commission on a multi-million dollar television buy and an agency can have a hefty payday. If the buy never comes to fruition, it’s a cost of doing business.
On the interactive side, we’re usually dealing with smaller budgets and a LOT more upfront work. And it’s time to get paid for that work, even if the client ends up not executing. We invest so much time in strategic and tactical recommendations up front that we can’t afford to be compensated on the back end.
Cheers!
