Woolley Marketing: Why change is not always disruption
From Netflix to Nvidia, true disruption is rare. Darren Woolley shares his nuanced perspective on the difference between evolution and revolution in business.
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An AI lens on the marketing headaches of 2024
Privacy fracas, economic turmoil, and an attention-fleeting digital world—Trinity P3 founder and chief executive Darren Woolley asked AI to prioritise the pain points that dominated marketing agendas across Asia-Pacific in 2024. Here's his take.
Woolley Marketing: An agency village can be the dream team or a disaster
Every marketing ecosystem has its weak link. Darren Woolley explains how to spot—and avoid becoming—the "village idiot" before your agency network collapses under its own weight.
Woolley Marketing: Is the path for media going backwards or forward?
This month, Darren Woolley tackles the harsh reality of today’s media landscape: Fight a losing battle for transparency or outsmart the competition in a system rigged by tech giants?
Woolley Marketing: Why we must remember our target audience are humans too
"...But do you think following me around the internet and serving me ads often at a lower price offer will make me buy you? Junk is junk at any price," Woolley writes, pointing to the futility of chasing informed consumers.
Woolley Marketing: To ban or not to ban advertising?
From sugary drinks to gambling, calls for ad bans are growing louder. But is silencing the messenger really the answer? Darren Woolley argues for a more nuanced approach to tackling societal ills.
GARM vs X: A case of good cause, bad execution
"Advertisers have a responsibility to act in the best interests of their shareholders and customers, but that does not give them the right to flout anti-cartel laws," argues Darren Woolley, highlighting the complexities of brand safety in the wake of GARM's dissolution.
Why a fully AI-driven ad agency is still a fantasy (and that's not a bad thing)
Machines can’t make advertising great—people can, Darren Woolley writes.
Woolley Marketing: Is procurement the villain or the patsy?
Spend time with any procurement person, and you will find a professional who is diligent, often analytical, and typically curious. But why is the agency-procurement relationship often contentious? Darren Woolley explores.
Where did all the agency juniors go?
Over time, the proportion of agency staff on an account roster described as 'junior' has shrunk. Today, it is nearly non-existent.
Where is it written that marketers must write better briefs?
Clients think they write great briefs. Agencies disagree. Who's right? In search of an answer, the founder and CEO of pitch consultancy TrinityP3 compares the situation to other professions, such as architecture, the law and medicine.
Are advertisers to blame for agency inefficiencies?
Compensation practices make it difficult, if not impossible, for agencies to justify the cost of investing in the technology they need to optimise their production operations, writes the founder and CEO of TrinityP3.
Media agency contracts may not be worth the paper they are written on
Not made to 'set and forget', your media contracts should be reviewed regularly, the founder and CEO of Trinity P3 advises.
Questions to ask and answer when an agency loses a pitch
Remarkably few agencies get useful feedback after losing a pitch. Try asking these followup questions.
How remote pitching is showing up the agency showmen
With the pandemic stalling the traditional pitch process and the rise of the remote or virtual pitch, what is known is showmanship is no longer winning the day.
No, I can't list the 'best' agencies. Sincerely, a pitch consultant
Why your tender process should be about looking for the right agency, not the best agency.
When advertisers hoard hot agencies
It's common practice for big brands to tie up the best and brightest agencies in exclusive contracts that effectively take them out of the market, according to the founder and CEO of consultant TrinityP3. Is this anti-competitive bullying, or just smart business?
How agencies are increasingly profiting from missing people
Agency retainer models fail to incentivise a reduction in staff churn with consequences for both employees and advertisers, says one industry consultant.
The often-hidden costs of in-house agencies
The founder and CEO of marketing consultancy TrinityP3 uses a side-by-side comparison to dig into the costs you might not have considered.
Does Coke's pitch of its entire global agency roster smell of desperation?
The company certainly ruined a lot of holiday seasons for incumbent and hopeful agencies alike. But what is the move actually meant to accomplish? TrinityP3's founder and CEO considers the possibilities, and the risks.
Has marketing lost its heart and soul?
Even as procurement teams are emphasising sustainability and philanthropy, marketers appear uninterested—or in some cases hostile toward—pro bono work their agencies may be doing for charities. That's a mistake, according to the founder and CEO of TrinityP3.
What brands mean when an agency is not 'proactive'
If you are being proactive and your suggestions are not going anywhere it is likely you are not adding value, says this industry consultant.
During the COVID-19 crisis, time to be more about transformation and less about technology
Using new technology with little thought behind it can produce cringeworthy results, as evident in some virtual pitch meetings through video conferencing.
Why the buying exercise is flawed in a media pitch
Especially during the pandemic, trying to lock in a media-buying position in a state of so much uncertainty is bound to create distrust and disappointment.
Can zero-based budgeting spiral marketing budgets to zero?
Yes, ZBB gets employed merely to slash budgets. However, argues the founder and CEO of TrinityP3, marketers should not necessarily be fearful of the process itself, which can provide value if used properly.
Woolley Marketing: Why ‘value’ is the new cost-cutting strategy
After one too many 'pivot to value' conference speeches, Darren Woolley gets honest about what really happens once the doors close.
If you want transformative work, stop benchmarking the average
In a bell-curve industry, excellence is statistically rare. Darren Woolley argues that benchmarking the average almost guarantees mediocrity.