Survival tips 1 and 2
Stop calling yourself a "digital agency."
It is official: The world has changed. This means that it's no longer important or relevant to define ourselves and our agencies by the channels in which we execute. Everything is digital, and all communication is delivered through digital channels. With this being true, the very idea of a digital agency is irrelevant. Focus on creating an agency that derives its identity and culture from the creation of powerful, relevant stories that are based in real insight.
The pace of change is quickening -- keep moving.
We are living in a time of tremendous change, and we're exposed to volumes of data that can be almost completely indecipherable. We live in a culture that is occurring in real-time, all the time. This means that there is no delay. Ever. We order a Samsung flat-screen television, and we want it set up and in our living rooms immediately.
What does this mean for agencies in 2010? We must devise new and constructive methods for listening -- and more importantly, understanding. There is no shortage of tools on the market today meant to help us listen to the cacophony of conversations that are happening in the world. What is missing by and large, however, is the ability to understand what we are listening to. We must find better ways to understand context and nuance and identify insights that are true to the human condition but not necessarily obvious.
