Last year Forrester released a report detailing “how today’s agencies fail”, resulting in consumers who are “becoming less brand-loyal”. They call for the shift from a focus on creating messages that can be broadcast, to creating connections that can be nurtured.

In my experience, this is done by thinking of your marketing as a conversation rather than a broadcast; two-way, versus one-way. Not just in messaging and media, and not just through digital and social media. You change everything about how you market because the existing model is set up to blast messages, not engage conversations and make connections.

Today’s market requires bringing it all together in new ways. If you still define your audiences the same way you can’t engage them in a new way. If you define your brand the same way, you can’t have the flexibility to be relevant enough. If you conduct your research, evaluate your marketing, produce your creative assets the same way, you can not engage in a new way. This is a transformational shift that can not be accomplished by just doing more social media (though if done right, that helps).

The Forrester report says agencies will morph into this new kind of agency over the next five years. If you are a marketer who can’t wait for your agency to evolve, or an agency wanting to get there faster, please contact me. I’ve been defining new ways for brands and agencies to get closer to customers for almost 15 years, and I can help you be more effective today.

Tom