In this series on managing the digital revolution, Ari Aronson and Stephan Argent collect insights from both the agency and the brand sides of the street.
This week, Marketing contributor Ari Aronson reaches out to Cossette president Dave Lafond to get an idea how the agency is navigating its way through the digital marketing revolution.
We have seen a shift from standalone digital agencies to a more integrated agency offering. How has digital impacted your org chart and agency offering? Is digital a separate P&L?
The shift is definitely happening, and it is evident in the migration of talent. There was a time, just a few years ago, when senior talent was being attracted to the stand-alone, pure digital agencies. Now these same people are moving away from just digital to the integrated shops. I certainly represent one of those people.
During digital’s infancy period – because it was so new and still in its formative stages – digital seemed to need to stand alone in order to get both the attention and the respect that it deserved. But as it quickly grew in maturity and acceptance, it became clear that digital was no different than any other tool. The same cycle occurred in the past with the advent of new marketing tools and techniques, such as direct marketing, database marketing, retail, etc. They began as stand-alone specialties and then gradually became integrated, in one way or another, into the full offering.
And that’s why I came to Cossette. We believe that digital, or any other communication form for that matter, should not be practised in isolation. We seamlessly integrate across all areas of expertise, including media planning and buying, which is a unique point of difference for Cossette. Our media planners, buyers and strategists work alongside the rest of the agency to bring a full perspective to our work so that we can better serve our clients in powerful ways.
We are independent, fully integrated, operating with one P&L, across multiple offices, with no divisions or silos. I’ve worked on all sides from mass to stand-alone and I’m fully convinced that you shouldn’t separate out digital. All aspects of Cossette are integrated, from our physical space, to our structure, our operating model, our process and our hybrid thinkers.
What’s your vision for the future of digital in your agency?
Screens will be omnipresent, there will be an overabundance of data, and consumer tools will be even more powerful. The agency of the future will be very comfortable ensuring ROI, helping brands and consumers to connect on an enduring one-to-one basis, and creating the systems and platforms required to manage internal and external data to create dynamic experiences.
It is already happening now, but even more so in the future, agencies will need to get further upstream with clients. This will apply not just to digital, but all the resources and strategic thinking that an agency can bring to service its clients’ needs. Speed, agility, resourcefulness and the ability to think and react in real time will be the essential characteristics of an agency in the future.
We’ve taken steps, whether in our structure or in our processes, to ensure that we can deliver on that requirement of nimbleness. We are geared towards delivering the greatest impact in the shortest period of time using the fewest possible resources of time, energy or money.
What areas of digital do you do in-house versus outsource, and why?
There’s a balance between having the in-house bench strength and partnering with best-in-class outside resources to ensure our clients are getting the best work. Cossette has the full range of subject matter expertise in-house to tackle any challenge in the digital age. We have the ability to scale with confidence given our national infrastructure and we have centers of excellence in different offices that bring together talent with unique abilities. For example, our Montreal office has one of the deepest technology and data teams in the country with over 60 people servicing large-scale national clients with complex, cross-functional needs.
We also look for partners that are specialists, or have deep experience with a specific technology or have an innovative emerging platform. That’s why we launched Cossette Lab in both Montreal and Toronto, as an incubator for start-ups. We give them physical space in our office, the mentorship of our own experts and access to our clients so that everyone, the start-up, our clients and our own people become exposed to the latest, cutting edge thinking.
As an agency, how do you stay at the forefront of digital and social media, and how do you lead clients when it comes to innovation and creativity?
First and foremost, we’re hiring people with a digital mindset. People who are curious about and excited about the future, who are engaged with social, and who inherently know how our ideas work in an integrated way. These people tend to be positive and upbeat and their enthusiasm is contagious.
We also have introduced several initiatives aimed specifically at keeping put people at the forefront of the digital realm. One is called “The Find.” Across our offices people are engaged in a Google+ Community where they share inspirational and emerging things that they find on the web or elsewhere. This community has grown organically and every week we scour those “Finds” and have a member of “The Find” community present them to the agency in a packed room for a fun 30-minute session.
Another program is called “Digital You,” a digital training program designed to raise the digital fluency of all our agency staff.
Both these initiatives have been very helpful in creating broad exposure to what’s next and in helping to lead our ideas into places where we might see patterns or trends that are current and relevant.
We also have our “Cossette Lab” that’s been running in Montreal for the past two years and just launched in Toronto. The Lab is an incubator for start-ups which embeds us directly in a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. It allows us to see digital products at their earliest stage of development and helps us keep well ahead of the curve.
What are the biggest challenges you’re facing when it comes to working with clients from a digital perspective?
Some clients are tackling digital from all different angles, often in a purely tactical way which can result in a fragmented approach leading to duplication, confusion or unnecessary spend. To avoid these missteps, everyone needs to be aligned. And not just client and agency. We are seeing a trend in which marketing and IT are starting to interact much more closely together – and further upstream as I mentioned earlier – to ensure they we are all aligned to one cohesive strategy that puts consumers first. Agencies need to do a better job bridging the gaps for clients.
What advice do you have for senior marketers when it comes to getting the most out of their traditional and digital agency partners?
Involve your partners earlier in the process, demand integrated thinking, collaborate at every turn, and hold agencies accountable for results. Having said that, also provide your agency with the permission to fail.
What key lessons have you learned when it comes to doing great digital work?
It always comes back to the idea, or the story, or the experience. And starting with a data-driven approach never gets you into too much trouble. Recognize at the onset what you’re trying to accomplish and keep that in laser-focus. For example, know if you’re going for “big and epic” or “small and scrappy”.
Think long term. How do I connect the brand with the right consumer? How do you provide responsive, in-time experiences that deliver on a 1-1 basis and humanize the brand? Can I deliver manageable ROI through data and insight?
Ari Aronson is founder of Ari Agency, a boutique executive recruitment agency specializing in digital.
