illiams Lea Tag group CEO David Kassler told the Festival of Marketing that agencies will struggle to meet the challenges around creativity and may not even be in the conversation if their model is still
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The traditional marketing agency business model has had to change because the customer journey increasingly starts on mobile and ends up on ecommerce.
The benefits of taking control of the creative process
29 October 2018
built around TV.
“We have had the opportunity to build a new agency from the ground up whereas many big agencies suffer from internal complexities and a cost structure built in the eighties,” he said. “Often the different companies within a big agency group do not talk to each other and can end up competing.”
Kassler was speaking during the session on ‘The benefits of taking control of the creative process’.
He explained that as an independent his company has managed to grow while remaining pioneering and entrepreneurial. The company began as a print shop in London almost 200 years ago. Marketing services business Tag Worldwide joined the Williams Lea family in 2011 and Deutsche Post DHL Group acquired the group in 2012.
“When it comes to creativity in today’s world agencies like ours are the future because we work differently,” said Kassler.
“Williams Lea Tag can provide us with almost anything we need and with the acquisitions I can reassure my internal client that we can always do what we need to do when it comes to creativity.”
Crucial to the company’s success is its on-going acquisition strategy.
One of its most recent purchases is digital production house Taylor James which now sits within its stable of integrated digital marketing execution service providers. This specialist in high-end CGI, animation and design provides Williams Lea Tag with access to even better technology to improve creativity for its own clients.
“We noticed we were missing two capabilities. One was high end digital productions so Taylor James was a very strong fit. It produces original digital assets and our clients can use the components in different channels. This is cost effective because we do not have to film high-end creative every time.”
Another high-profile acquisition will be announced in November, while one deal announced at the Festival of Marketing was the acquisition of THP Toronto, a provider of on-demand content and social media services. “There is a pipeline of about 20 potential acquisitions that will transform our offer to our clients,” said Kassler.
The new businesses have joined an existing family of talent that includes global full post-production company Smoke&Mirrors, creative post-production and editing agency Big Buoy and public-sector publishing solutions business TSO.
One of Williams Lea Tag’s clients for the past four years has been professional services firm EY. It has its own in-house creative team but often needs additional creative resources.
EY’s creative director Marcus Baron said that being an internal agency means his team is really close to the business, but brands often want access to high-end production houses, creatives and writers.
“Williams Lea Tag can provide us with almost anything we need and with the acquisitions I can reassure my internal client that we can always do what we need to do when it comes to creativity.” said Baron.
He added that whether an agency is internal or external it is often the people you employ rather than the technology being used that brings about great creativity. This means having a diverse workforce and good working conditions.
This is something Kassler agrees with: “You need diversity and you cannot micro-manage people. You must give them the tools, set out the priorities from the client and set them free. We are always working on change programmes for our clients that they love, and most people within our teams have with been us for an average of seven or eight years.”
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