Aiming for digital excellence not just digital basics

I absolutely agree with Spencer’s points raised in the previous post on The MCCA blog. Digital Britain didn’t go far enough. Whilst it is clearly important to have a good level of digital coverage across the country, there is also a case to be made for the government to consider the other end of the spectrum – those working on the future of the internet.

Why wasn’t there input from the people at the cutting edge of digital? If we really want to call Britain a creative and digital hub surely we need to be examining the issues in more depth. How should we being using the net and what can the government do to support those working to create the future technology and online advances?

There is a fundamental question to be asked a centre all this – What role does and will digital play in the UK? When we take a look around yes we may have better coverage than many countries but are we really making the most of the technology available? Korea is a prime example of a country that is embracing digital – those creating online games become top celebrities and people are increasingly accessing online only videos and content. But it remains to be seen whether English culture will ever become this digital focused.

Whatever form it takes, it’s undeniable that digital businesses are an important and growing part of the UK economy. So I want to see a Digital Britain report that looks at the people creating digital excellence; the pioneers and drivers in this area. The individuals who are showing businesses, brands, communities and government how to really make the most of digital and push us towards the web 3.0 world.

Spencer Gallagher on why Digital Britain didn't do enough to impress

Spencer Gallagher, MCCA Board member and Managing Director of Bluhalo:
Digital Britain was touted as ‘a comprehensive look at the country’s media and communication landscape’, but my impression is that it lacks ambition, and is simply a case of too little, too late.

One key focus is to provide universal broadband access with a 2Mb connection speed by 2012. However, if 50% of Japan's population already has access to fibre optic broadband, giving connections of up to 100Mb, surely we should be expecting something a lot faster than 2Mb three full years from now?? We are currently rated seventh in the world in terms of internet access, however if the UK is to even start to compete with other nations, we need to be thinking bigger and setting bolder targets for ourselves.

I also have concerns that the report has not done enough to address the important area of digital education. With the continued demand for digital talent across all types of businesses, I just didn't feel there was enough substance and conviction given to tackling the current and growing skills shortage in the digital industry. I would like to see more collaboration between the Department for Education and digital agencies themselves to develop relevant and commercially applicable courses for both students and individuals that wish to retrain.

Lets be realistic not pessimistic

There’s been a lot of discussion recently about the agencies that are most exposed in the current climate – from Publicis’ relationship with GM to predictions of the “David vs Goliath” variety. Unsurprisingly our members want to know where we stand on this. Do we think medium-sized agencies are particularly vulnerable? Do we think that certain agencies are earmarked for failure? For the record, the answers are ‘no’ and ‘no’, but the real question from my perspective is “why are we having these conversations in the first place?”

Much has been made of the frenzy speculation around a topic can whip up, particularly when it comes to the economy and all that it touches. Our industry is no different from any other – we shouldn’t assume that this kind of chatter just vanishes into the ether. No, not by a long shot. Long after these comments are made, procurement people remember them and put black marks by agency names, clients make assumptions that could inform agency selections for months to come, and the industry’s most exciting talent make decisions on their next career move accordingly.

Let’s make no bones about it. Agencies are always vulnerable, by nature of the fact that they are entrepreneurial business whose only real assets are people and only real products are ideas. That is true, whatever the weather. Similarly, medium-sized businesses in any industry are always at a key stage in development where owners must take time out from growth to implement the right structures and processes, and many are swept up by new owners, of course. What we are seeing now are extraordinary times where all businesses are coming under pressure, and the sad fact is that some won’t survive, but this is true of any business, any agency, any sector and any discipline.

The MCCA has a duty to be realistic about the challenges facing the industry, so don’t mistake my comments for those of someone too attached to their rose-tinted glasses. We know that at times the outlook is bleak, but let’s not talk down great swathes of our industry. Let’s accept that these are challenging times for everyone and supporting marketing, and its many forms, as a whole should be top of the To Do list for each and every one of us.

Mike Spicer on the lost generations’ impact on your marketing agency

Mike Spicer, Chairman, The MCCA and Managing Director of EHS Brann:
The Charted Institute Personnel and Development (CIPD) put out a report last week which found that the majority of employers are not planning to take any graduates on this year. I find this extremely concerning. From the CIPD’s perspective the report examined the issues surrounding the fate of the so called ‘Lost generation’- suggesting it could permanently affect the ability of this group to get jobs in the future.  But any owner/managers in business at the moment should also be aware that these cuts in recruitment now will not just impact on those who find themselves looking for work, but will also seriously affect your business in the future as it creates a skills gap in years to come.

In the marketing industry we’ve already seen this happen with the last recession in the 1980s. This led to deficits in talented senior staff and many agencies found themselves paying through the nose to get their hands on the top individuals they needed to build and develop their companies. 

Whilst I appreciate that the current climate is putting pressure on agencies across virtually every sector within marketing, I would urge caution when it comes to scrapping new recruits altogether. Recruiting fresh talent doesn’t have to be expensive; with internships, government schemes and trade bodies all there to make it easier. Specifically we (at the MCCA) run a graduate recruitment scheme, which takes away the hassle factor of getting good recruits through the door and we can also help out from a training perspective, to ensure your fresh talent grows the way you want them to.

Writing off generation Y this year may help reduce costs now, but ultimately you will end up paying more in the long run. Marketing agencies who spurn junior recruitment also miss out on the opportunity to shape keen workers according to your agency culture and principle, without having to fight against old habits learned from other companies.