These shifts have been happening forever. I was born and raised in an ad agency and this is normal. We have a propensity to think nothing will change and when it does we have to be cautiously optimistic. My glass is always half full of emptiness.
Traditional agency going digital… at Rethink this is like taking an apple and painting it orange then calling it an orange. I’ve worked for web based agencies and I’ve worked for Rethink and I can tell you it was a complete kybosh at Rethink. However, as for the layoffs this is all just business as usual for an ad agency. There could be fallout from maybe poorly planned growth, economy based issues, clients changing priorities and perhaps an opportunity to clean house. Riddle me this… Rethink claims to be taking a stronger direction into the digital realm so why did they let go of people within their digital department. This is a great reminder that at the end of the day as much as your company would like you to believe you matter to them… you do not.
Honestly, 5 years ago Chris Staples was telling anyone who’d listen that Digital was not the dominion of seasoned and educated Ad folks but was done by smelly anarchists in their basements…in fact I think he even referred to the internet and digital marketing as a fad. Is any of this surprising? I certainly dont wish this sort of reckoning on any agency, but to turn this into a “digital” story now is not only disingenuous but entirely laughable.
I’m sure art directors and those in the copy department in the early 1940′s thought the same about TV. The funny thing is how history repeats itself and ultimately the consumer decides on what the medium is going to be. The dinosaurs and the ad snobs of this industry are quickly getting pushed out.
Monday, May 02 @ 10:55 pm
Jonathan
I find it astonishing that, in this day and age, an agency can’t build a successful business model on the back of free dogwalker ads. What hope is there for the rest of us?!?
I don’t like what you’re implying. Those business card designs for magicians and yogis were legit clients. Weren’t they?
Friday, April 29 @ 5:14 pm
BC
Greg,
If magicians and yogis used them, then yes.
Rethink may not have made money designing such cards, but they did provide work for a client and help create a more competitive creative environment in the industry.
How do those sour grapes taste, by the way?
Friday, April 29 @ 5:27 pm
Jonathan
Greg: well, the well structured Bordeaux blend with hints of black current and cassis that I’m enjoying isn’t very sour, it’s pretty damn good actually. Sorry, what was the question again?
Friday, April 29 @ 5:53 pm
Sour Grape Lover
Yay, the sour grapes thing came up! That’s an oldie but a goodie! If this is what you call it when you’ve grown bored of our industry’s onanistic tendencies and those that seek to pass this “work” off as substance and expertise… then yes, a glass of sour grapes please!
Friday, April 29 @ 5:59 pm
BC
Have a nice weekend.
And enjoy your whine.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:03 pm
Jonathan
On the issue of Yogis and Magicians, our agency was way ahead of the curve – diversifying into poolboy service providers, community garden associations and life coaches. There are lots of opportunities, if you keep your eyes open.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:12 pm
Sour Grape Lover
Dude, you’re not going to win any awards with that pun.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:13 pm
BC
Nor, I suspect, will you with your “substance and expertise.”
Of course, I could be wrong.
Anyway, do have a nice weekend. And don’t forget to vote on Monday.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:30 pm
Sour Grape Lover
Yes, we can certainly agree that award shows have nothing to do with substance and expertise. Have a great weekend.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:50 pm
Steve
One might expect that if they were classified as a “digital agency” they might have more than 6 digital pieces out of 37 in the Newest Work section of their website, and from what I can see, the Digital work is nothing but banner ads and sing-songs.
I certainly have respect for Rethink and the work they’ve done – they’re a unique agency that’s carved out their own space, but to spin this massive staff cut into a ‘we’re going digital’ story is a disservice to the staff they cut, the staff they kept, their clients (who are sure to get disjointed digital services if they buy into it), and the agencies that have worked hard for ages to build serious digital capabilities.
Unfortunately, it takes more than making a few hires for a traditional agency to become digital. The digital space is far more complex than the 1 dimensionality of a clever business card or a funny print piece. A shift in focus towards digital (at least for a <100 person shop) has to start at the top, has to be led by creative technologist thinking, and has to steer a business away from 'traditional' agency approaches to client engagement, strategy, and creative. The biggest challenges any shop like Rethink is going to have in making this shift: strategic thinking (like seriously thinking about digital strategy and measurement), a focus on production, and the development of agency IP, which simply can't be outsourced.
I guess we'll see how this unfolds.
Btw, what's with all the carnage in Vancouver's ad community lately?! Seriously?
Stephen,
Your question about Vancouver’s latest agency woes has been asked here at Marketing too (Rethink layoffs, TBWA\Vancouver creditor protection, Publicis pulling out of the city). Watch this space. There should be something in our next issue on this.
Friday, April 29 @ 4:31 pm
Bills bills bills
I wonder if the checks to their suppliers are going to start bouncing.
They have extremely poor management, and outsource what little digital work that comes along. Obviously the disorganization is filtering down to clients.
In reference to Toronto: “You can see that’s where the fish are in Canadian marketing.” Welcome to Canada, Chris. How many years did it take you to figure that out?
Always sorry to hear news of talented people losing positions. But when one door closes, another opens….. Our little shop in London is looking for some great creative talent. Check it out: http://www.tmd.ca/hiring.html.
It’s unfortunate. But there’s a lot of talented people out there now who will do great work somewhere else. Not a fun time, but Rethink is a great agency and will likely do very well in the future. I have no details on the back story, but the Rethink people are smart enough to know that if you’ve been a traditional agency, you actually need to blow the agency up a bit and “rethink” your own business.
“If we go over our initial estimate, we never, ever ask our client for more money. If the client asks us to keep going on concepts, that’s on our dime as well. (You might think this would lead us to financial ruin — but over the course of a client relationship, things invariably balance out.)”
Chris Staples, Applied Arts article http://www.appliedartsmag.com/opinions.php?id=55
ALEX
These shifts have been happening forever. I was born and raised in an ad agency and this is normal. We have a propensity to think nothing will change and when it does we have to be cautiously optimistic. My glass is always half full of emptiness.
Friday, May 06 @ 8:32 am |
STIFF
Hey,
I think everyone needs to RETHINK all of their comments!! Hahahahaha
WOKKA WOKKA
Wednesday, May 04 @ 10:45 pm |
Blinker
Traditional agency going digital… at Rethink this is like taking an apple and painting it orange then calling it an orange. I’ve worked for web based agencies and I’ve worked for Rethink and I can tell you it was a complete kybosh at Rethink. However, as for the layoffs this is all just business as usual for an ad agency. There could be fallout from maybe poorly planned growth, economy based issues, clients changing priorities and perhaps an opportunity to clean house. Riddle me this… Rethink claims to be taking a stronger direction into the digital realm so why did they let go of people within their digital department. This is a great reminder that at the end of the day as much as your company would like you to believe you matter to them… you do not.
Tuesday, May 03 @ 12:20 am |
mk
Honestly, 5 years ago Chris Staples was telling anyone who’d listen that Digital was not the dominion of seasoned and educated Ad folks but was done by smelly anarchists in their basements…in fact I think he even referred to the internet and digital marketing as a fad. Is any of this surprising? I certainly dont wish this sort of reckoning on any agency, but to turn this into a “digital” story now is not only disingenuous but entirely laughable.
Monday, May 02 @ 2:15 pm |
Jon
I’m sure art directors and those in the copy department in the early 1940′s thought the same about TV. The funny thing is how history repeats itself and ultimately the consumer decides on what the medium is going to be. The dinosaurs and the ad snobs of this industry are quickly getting pushed out.
Monday, May 02 @ 10:55 pm
Jonathan
I find it astonishing that, in this day and age, an agency can’t build a successful business model on the back of free dogwalker ads. What hope is there for the rest of us?!?
Friday, April 29 @ 3:40 pm |
Greg
I don’t like what you’re implying. Those business card designs for magicians and yogis were legit clients. Weren’t they?
Friday, April 29 @ 5:14 pm
BC
Greg,
If magicians and yogis used them, then yes.
Rethink may not have made money designing such cards, but they did provide work for a client and help create a more competitive creative environment in the industry.
How do those sour grapes taste, by the way?
Friday, April 29 @ 5:27 pm
Jonathan
Greg: well, the well structured Bordeaux blend with hints of black current and cassis that I’m enjoying isn’t very sour, it’s pretty damn good actually. Sorry, what was the question again?
Friday, April 29 @ 5:53 pm
Sour Grape Lover
Yay, the sour grapes thing came up! That’s an oldie but a goodie! If this is what you call it when you’ve grown bored of our industry’s onanistic tendencies and those that seek to pass this “work” off as substance and expertise… then yes, a glass of sour grapes please!
Friday, April 29 @ 5:59 pm
BC
Have a nice weekend.
And enjoy your whine.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:03 pm
Jonathan
On the issue of Yogis and Magicians, our agency was way ahead of the curve – diversifying into poolboy service providers, community garden associations and life coaches. There are lots of opportunities, if you keep your eyes open.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:12 pm
Sour Grape Lover
Dude, you’re not going to win any awards with that pun.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:13 pm
BC
Nor, I suspect, will you with your “substance and expertise.”
Of course, I could be wrong.
Anyway, do have a nice weekend. And don’t forget to vote on Monday.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:30 pm
Sour Grape Lover
Yes, we can certainly agree that award shows have nothing to do with substance and expertise. Have a great weekend.
Friday, April 29 @ 6:50 pm
Steve
One might expect that if they were classified as a “digital agency” they might have more than 6 digital pieces out of 37 in the Newest Work section of their website, and from what I can see, the Digital work is nothing but banner ads and sing-songs.
http://rethinkcanada.com/our-work/new-work/
Friday, April 29 @ 3:07 pm |
Stephen
I certainly have respect for Rethink and the work they’ve done – they’re a unique agency that’s carved out their own space, but to spin this massive staff cut into a ‘we’re going digital’ story is a disservice to the staff they cut, the staff they kept, their clients (who are sure to get disjointed digital services if they buy into it), and the agencies that have worked hard for ages to build serious digital capabilities.
Unfortunately, it takes more than making a few hires for a traditional agency to become digital. The digital space is far more complex than the 1 dimensionality of a clever business card or a funny print piece. A shift in focus towards digital (at least for a <100 person shop) has to start at the top, has to be led by creative technologist thinking, and has to steer a business away from 'traditional' agency approaches to client engagement, strategy, and creative. The biggest challenges any shop like Rethink is going to have in making this shift: strategic thinking (like seriously thinking about digital strategy and measurement), a focus on production, and the development of agency IP, which simply can't be outsourced.
I guess we'll see how this unfolds.
Btw, what's with all the carnage in Vancouver's ad community lately?! Seriously?
Friday, April 29 @ 2:29 pm |
Jeromy Lloyd
Stephen,
Your question about Vancouver’s latest agency woes has been asked here at Marketing too (Rethink layoffs, TBWA\Vancouver creditor protection, Publicis pulling out of the city). Watch this space. There should be something in our next issue on this.
Friday, April 29 @ 4:31 pm
Bills bills bills
I wonder if the checks to their suppliers are going to start bouncing.
Friday, April 29 @ 2:12 pm |
Poor management
They have extremely poor management, and outsource what little digital work that comes along. Obviously the disorganization is filtering down to clients.
Friday, April 29 @ 1:35 pm |
Tom Hagen
In reference to Toronto: “You can see that’s where the fish are in Canadian marketing.” Welcome to Canada, Chris. How many years did it take you to figure that out?
Friday, April 29 @ 1:19 pm |
RT
Always sorry to hear news of talented people losing positions. But when one door closes, another opens….. Our little shop in London is looking for some great creative talent. Check it out: http://www.tmd.ca/hiring.html.
Friday, April 29 @ 12:58 pm |
Dave
It’s a sweat-shop alright.
Friday, April 29 @ 12:30 pm |
Really?
If this is about “going digital” then how come so many of digital people were walked out?
Friday, April 29 @ 12:27 pm |
Advertising
It’s unfortunate. But there’s a lot of talented people out there now who will do great work somewhere else. Not a fun time, but Rethink is a great agency and will likely do very well in the future. I have no details on the back story, but the Rethink people are smart enough to know that if you’ve been a traditional agency, you actually need to blow the agency up a bit and “rethink” your own business.
Friday, April 29 @ 12:12 pm |
person
“If we go over our initial estimate, we never, ever ask our client for more money. If the client asks us to keep going on concepts, that’s on our dime as well. (You might think this would lead us to financial ruin — but over the course of a client relationship, things invariably balance out.)”
Chris Staples, Applied Arts article
http://www.appliedartsmag.com/opinions.php?id=55
–
Time for a, uhhh, rethink.
Friday, April 29 @ 11:54 am |
McTaggert
This comment has been removed.
Friday, April 29 @ 12:22 pm