Siloed agencies no longer fit for purpose, CMOs insist

Chief marketing officers reckon that while consumer behaviour has changed significantly, agencies have yet to respond, with nearly 8 in 10 (78%) feeling the siloed agency model is no longer fit for purpose while even more (82%) want to see agencies seamlessly combine capabilities to deliver new and innovative solutions.

That is the stark conclusion of the latest Dentsu Creative annual survey of CMOs in the UK, US, China, India, and Brazil, designed to reveal what today’s clients need and want most from their agencies.

When asked what is needed to engage the next generation of consumer, nearly two-thirds (63%) of marketing chiefs say brands need to create culture rather than borrow from it.

The vast majority (84%) believe that to connect with younger generations brands now need to “entertain and engage” to earn attention through entertainment properties or rich virtual experiences. Most importantly, they believe that connecting the right diverse talent around their challenges, regardless of silos or geographies is the only way to deliver work that will resonate in culture.

Marketers are also hungry for change, and agree that in today’s connected world traditional scale is no longer the advantage it once was. More than four-fifths (85%) of clients believe there should be a more intelligent way to scale for a sustainable world, while three-quarters (76%) simply want their agencies to connect the right talent around the right brief, regardless of where it sits.

Diverse creative talent is also seen by marketers as a key enabler of modern creativity, with an agreement that difference of thought and background can yield the strongest work. Clients are demanding that agency teams should reflect the diversity of the modern world.

In fact, delivering “modern creativity” means rejecting traditional silos and traditional definitions of scale, using data and technology to nimbly connect the right talent around the right brief, the study claims.

Over three-quarters (76%) of marketers want agencies to connect the right talent around the right brief, wherever it sits in their networks.

Dentsu Creative chief strategy officer Patricia McDonald said: “Today’s CMOs are asking agencies to stop lagging behind and start leading again. Our study confirms that CMOs believe in the power of modern creativity to engage a new generation of consumers.

“They are asking their agency partners to think beyond legacy silos and bring the right talent around the table to deliver ideas big enough to live anywhere, bold enough to chart new executional territory and rich enough to make personal connections with millions of customers around the world.

“That requires us to connect our core skills in strategy and brand building with the ability to execute anywhere from gaming to entertainment, culture to commerce.”