Categories: Articles

Poets And Plumbers And The Future Of Advertising

It seems like advertising is facing its Judgement Day.

Advertising is not going anywhere, but like every industry, disruption comes… and it comes fast. Many thought that the ad business became disrupted as social media’s popularity was rising. It turns out that we’re facing the mainstreaming today of smartphones and now Facebook (which, actually, started out ten-plus years ago) that is causing the major waves today. The other week, the 4A‘s hosted their Transformation conference in Miami. That gem about Facebook and smartphones? That was only one of the many great nuggets that Rishad Tobaccowala (Chief Strategist, Publicis Groupe) brings forth in this panel discussion about the future of the ad industry. Rushed is joined by Rob Norman (Chief Digital Officer, GroupM) and Scott Hagedorn (CEO, Annalect), and this is a highly intellectual and pragmatic look at where – exactly – the industry sits. It’s an important conversation for all of us to watch and think about.

Are we an industry of plumbers or poets?

We often argue about analytics over creativity, data over strategy and more. Rishad’s insights, pushed further by the debate on the panel, illustrate that our advertising business needs to be populated by what he calls both the “poets and plumbers.” Many may not like this analogy, but it is our reality and it’s the right way to look at things. With that, our industry continues to grow (both financially and with interest from people who wish to join it), but the advertising agencies – as we have known them to date – are not where these professionals are going. They are working in-house for brands, going to the major consulting firms, working for media companies, startups, digital platforms and more.

So, what is the future of the advertising agency? Watch this: 4A’s Transformation – Agency Holding Company Visionaries.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.