The idea that the traditional agency model can no longer satisfy business needs in an ever-changing market has been on my mind for several years. After entering the communications world over 10 years ago, I focused on various fields, including influencer marketing, personal branding, social media management, and communication strategy. Most of my work was with small and medium-sized businesses, which often face the greatest pressure to stay competitive while navigating rapidly shifting market trends. This blog post shares the raw ingredients of the thought process that led to the development of the fluid agency concept you see today.
The new reality
And wow, we’ve seen some incredible changes in the last decade. The rise of social media alone has drastically altered the landscape, not to mention recent developments like AI. While working with companies with small teams, I found myself involved not only in their communications but also in broader business operations. Marketing and branding efforts had an obvious and often immediate impact on the real business. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand what it means to be forced to innovate to survive, all while keeping an eye on the big picture.
This constant need to innovate has created a demand for marketers who can understand a broader range of fields, beyond the traditional specialized roles. For instance, when evaluating a competitor’s communications, you need to see beyond their creative approach—you must understand the market segmentation they’re targeting, the innovative products or services they offer, or even the strategic shift they’re making with their audience. Technological advancements now require marketers to possess an ever-expanding skill set to connect all these dots.
On the communication front, the accessibility, diversity, and low cost of AI tools allow every company to produce high-quality content. It seems everyone can post several polished social media posts each week, contributing to the growing digital noise that surrounds us.
Recent research indicates that individuals are exposed to anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements daily. This range includes ads seen on social media, websites, TV, radio, billboards, and other media channels. However, only a fraction of these ads truly capture attention, with studies suggesting that fewer than 100 ads are actually noticed and processed( source: Red Crow Marketing)( 75Media).
The new agency model
At the same time, we’re entering an era of diminishing trust, as it becomes harder to distinguish between what’s authentic and what’s not. Companies are not only under pressure to communicate consistently, but they also must craft messages that build lasting, trustworthy relationships. The rise of deepfakes, fake news, and misleading reviews only adds to the challenge.
Yet, despite this, knowledge has never been more accessible. Self-education is at an all-time high, with experts offering innovative services and freelancers forming a new era of work, somewhere between traditional employees and entrepreneurs.
Businesses, however, don’t always have the time or expertise to sift through the wealth of knowledge and innovation out there. This opens the door for a new type of agency—one that provides strategic guidance and connects businesses with the right experts to fuel innovation. These agencies rely on T-shaped teams, made up of experts with a broad understanding of various fields. Their strength lies not only in identifying opportunities but in offering access to a network of skilled professionals, assembled in custom combinations to address each business’s unique needs.
This new type of communication agency is deeply embedded in the company’s business reality. It offers a wide range of services to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation, while also providing creative diversity by engaging different experts and styles for every project. This will inevitably change the nature of expert engagement, favoring a new breed of freelancers who can offer their skills flexibly, regardless of employment status.
One key addition to this concept is integrating internal communication talent—individuals capable of understanding the bigger picture and aligning external communications with business objectives. These T-shaped professionals can bridge the gap between departments like business development and HR, ensuring that communication is consistent and strategic at every level. The ultimate goal is to create a communication team capable of thriving in a world driven by innovation, with the agency playing a strategic, consultative role.
This approach has been part of my business practice for years, albeit on a smaller scale. I’ve worked with clients on their communication strategies, trained their employees, and hired external experts to fill in gaps where needed. Many of these clients now handle their communications internally, with me occasionally serving as a strategic consultant. Others have relied on me for market research and innovative communication strategies to help them stay competitive.
These projects demonstrated the market’s need for this flexible approach, a need that grows stronger as technology, especially AI, continues to drive change. Every aspect of business is being questioned—products are being reimagined, business models disrupted, and the nature of work transformed.
During my time in personal branding, I noticed how individuals now have the opportunity to build their own brands and offer a broad range of skills to the market in ways that traditional employment cannot match. Why would an agency hire a specialist for one task when it could assemble a team with the necessary combination of skills for each unique client?
How we build the trust?
The key question that remains is trust. Can agencies be trusted to provide the right strategic guidance? How can they ensure that their ever-changing teams deliver expertise, loyalty, and discretion when working with a brand?
Ultimately, it all comes down to trust, which will be one of the most valuable assets in the new era of business and communication. AI and other technologies are transforming the way we work and communicate, bringing both opportunities and challenges. Establishing trust will be critical, and agencies will need to focus on building authentic, person-to-person connections, one step at a time. I believe that personal communication from management, in both public and digital spaces, will be essential for brands looking to thrive in this new world.
While reflecting on these topics over the summer of 2024, I stumbled upon Quantum Marketing by Raja Rajamannar., CMO of Mastercard. His insights resonated deeply with me, as he touched on many of the same issues I’ve been exploring, from AI and blockchain to trust and ethics. The book reinforced my belief that the traditional agency model is overdue for a rethink.
The next steps...
Two years ago, I began working with a small Montessori school in Sarajevo, helping them improve their communications. Together, we experimented with the fluid agency model, and I’m excited to continue following this new business adventure into the next year. I will write more about that in my next post.
Hozzászólások