Slingbox television
Damian Byrne Regional interactive/CRM director, Arc Worldwide
Which are the most digitally backward? Creative agencies, media agencies or clients?
They’ll chop my head off for saying this, but it’s the media agencies. They’ve been the least able to take their opportunities in the digital world. The old commission system has had to be dismantled and their billings model changed, and it has naturally taken them longer to adapt to digital (there goes the job at MindShare).
Traditional agencies will eventually catch up with specialists or acquire to plug the gap. Will there always be a need for specialists?
Yes. Traditional agencies don’t have the desire or cash to fund the endless diversity of digital specialists that exist. There are Bluetooth pureplays and shops that only do content for 3G mobiles — and each will take their specialism to a greater height as their medium fragments further.
How important is on- and offline agency integration to run an effective digital ad campaign?
Most of us grew up with ‘old’ media. And yet we spend our time targeting youngsters who barely read a newspaper or watch the box. They rely on word-of-mouth, blogs and instant messaging. So in their case we don’t need off- and online integrated campaigns. But until we get to the stage where all media is delivered through digital channels, we’ll still need integration.
Other than the talent drought, what’s the digital sector’s weak spot in Asia?
Digital services in India and China. Yes, they have huge populations, but most people only really have access to one channel: the mobile phone. Web penetration is still low because of a lack of infrastructure. I’d say the digital talent pool will grow faster than infrastructural change, and at some point soon we’ll end up with a glut of digital talent.
We’ve got YouTube and MySpace. What will be the next big thing in digital media?
Social networking is here to stay. But the biggest change involves solving the copyright issues caused by social networking. The people behind Loose Change are tackling it in a clever way. They’ve asked people to make a copy of their film – released on the web - and distribute it for them.
Have the big groups been slow to buy up digital shops in Asia?
Are they really looking at Asian shops? Or at smaller offerings in the US they can build and export? (Publicis’s recent acquisition of Digitas being one example.) Buying agencies can add problems not solve them. With the exception of single-focus agencies such as Profero or Blue, there are very few buyable offerings around.
Daryl Arnold Group chief executive, Profero
Which are the most digitally backward? Creative agencies, media agencies or clients?
They all can be equally backward — or, indeed, progressive. It depends on talent and leadership. But just because a company is naturally conservative, it doesn’t mean they’re out of touch. What disappoints me is not conservatism. It’s a lack of imagination, laziness and those who fail to reward creativity.
Traditional agencies will eventually catch up with specialists or acquire to plug the gap. Will there always be a need for specialists?
As more consumers come online and create new niches, so the number of specialists will grow. Traditional players can’t keep up — they lack the imagination and entrepreneurialism to stay on top of such a fast-changing sector. But what they do have is money. They will buy specialists to tick the boxes — but will always be one step behind.
How important is on- and offline agency integration to run an effective digital ad campaign?
What’s important is understanding the consumer. If someone spends, say, 70 per cent of their media time online then it makes sense to have digital at the core of the campaign. Having an agency with all of that digital expertise under one roof certainly helps.
Other than the talent drought, what’s the digital sector’s weak spot in Asia?
A lack of understanding of best practice and what is a successful campaign. There are too many flashy viral case studies that are little more than scam. And there are still too many under-the-table deals and shady discounts that clients have no idea go on.
We’ve got YouTube and MySpace. What will be the next big thing in digital media?
I couldn’t say what’ll happen in the distant future. But just around the corner we’ll start seeing a spurt in higher quality digital content that’s bite-size, entertaining or educational — and ad-supported.
Have the big groups been slow to buy up digital shops in Asia?
Not really. A lot of the networks are still implementing their Asia strategies and bedding in their relationships with clients. This has kept them from focusing on other matters, digital being one. Secondly, there simply aren’t many financially transparent agencies out there to buy. So I wouldn’t be too critical.
