In this engaging discussion, Jack Skeels, founder of Agency Agile and an expert in agency culture, delves into the chaotic environment of agencies and the creative innovation it fosters. He shares insights on transforming agency culture through Agile methodologies, emphasizing the importance of questioning established norms. Skeels also explores the detrimental effects of procurement on creativity, highlighting how cost-cutting measures can compromise quality. Finally, he sheds light on navigating the complexities of agency-client dynamics for fruitful collaborations.
Jack Skeels highlights that the chaotic environment of agencies fuels creativity and innovation, despite presenting challenges to day-to-day operations.
The influence of procurement in marketing can compromise the quality of agency work by prioritizing cost-saving over fostering strong client-agency relationships.
Deep dives
The Chaos in Agencies
Agencies thrive in a chaotic environment, often described as stimulating and adrenaline-filled. While some individuals may find this chaos overwhelming, many creative professionals view it as an opportunity for innovation. Jack Skeels emphasizes that chaos is intrinsic to the agency business model, highlighting the different forms it takes and suggesting that agencies generally know how to manage it despite its challenges. The balance between chaos and order is crucial, as it both fuels creativity and complicates day-to-day operations.
The Procurement Dilemma
The growing influence of procurement in marketing can result in unintended negative consequences, such as reduced quality in agency work. Skeels discusses how procurement often operates on a cost-saving model, misaligning with the creative nature of agency work. This focus on reducing expenses can lead to agencies prioritizing pitches over actual client work, misusing top talent who should be engaged with ongoing projects. The cycle of chasing low costs can deteriorate the quality of work, as the best resources are diverted to winning new business rather than nurturing existing client relationships.
Agency and Consulting Differences
Skeels highlights a fundamental difference between agencies and consultancies, with agencies focusing on divergent thinking while consultancies lean towards convergent solutions. Agencies often reinvent approaches for each client, driving creativity and innovation, whereas consultancies aim to apply existing frameworks and best practices across similar organizations. This divergence impacts how both entities are perceived and procured, as agencies’ innovative nature may not align with traditional procurement processes that seek efficiency and predictable outcomes. The challenge lies in helping procurement understand the unique value agencies bring through their creativity and individualized strategies.
Building Relationships for Success
Successful collaborations between agencies and clients hinge on the strength of interpersonal relationships, an aspect that procurement often overlooks. Skeels stresses the importance of a good fit, where the agency finds inspiration in the client and is motivated to produce top-tier work. Relationships must be nurtured, as a transactional approach can stifle creativity and lead to lackluster results. To truly harness an agency's potential, clients and procurement teams need to foster environments that allow for open dialogue, understanding, and collaboration to achieve the best outcomes.
Agency Agile founder Jack Skeels drops by the pod to talk about agency culture, agency searches and his time as a consultant working to find procurement efficiencies for the US government.