It may put some noses out of joint, but it’s time for closer collaboration, writes Bountiful Cow’s Lucy Markham
I have only worked at a media agency for just a few years, so please forgive me for speaking my mind so publicly.
But last week I had a bit of an eye-opening experience. And it’s still whirling around my head today. I watched my first-ever live creative agency pitch: the big creative idea, stunning visuals, bundles of enthusiasm.
It took place at this year’s Plannertarium event, hosted by Channel 4, which explores creativity and innovation in television.
I always wondered what the other half was up to. And now I know. I wasn’t alone, either, as many of the older media agency folk in the room hadn’t seen one before.
For me, it just pressed home what I already thought: that the quality and delivery of creative work will rocket up by closer collaboration between creative and media.
Following the presentation of the creative ideas those attending the Plannertarium were then asked to come up with media activations to amplify the campaigns.
The ideas following this presentation were far more inspired than generic media suggestions that are normally voiced by media planners in many a brainstorm.
It has further fuelled my desire to make all a campaign, creative and media, my personal business.
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Closer collaboration between media and creative is what clients- and us at Bountiful Cow- have been saying for a long time, particularly amidst the current environment where brands are increasingly wanting a one-stop solution.
For too long, I think many media agencies have been compromised because they have scant direct exposure to the creative idea or the creatives behind the idea- being a fly on a wall on a client’s creative pitch would help my job ten-fold.
Likewise, creative agencies are hamstrung by not being au fait with the challenges media agencies face.
Obviously, we are both working on a brief under same time pressures, but it often seems we are ships passing in the night, without a clear understanding of each other’s output.
I have heard plenty of horror stories of media agencies being supplied with creative assets that simply don’t cut it; likewise, creative agencies complaining that inventory targets have sapped the creativity out of their jobs is not unusual.
There seems a simple way of remedying this.
It may put some noses out of joint, be expensive in the short-term, but the longer-term benefits of closer collaboration between media and creative agencies far surpass any short-term problems.
Lucy Markham is an instrumentalist at Bountiful Cow
