The agency world is a constant tug of war between generalists and specialists. Here, Croud's Jon King says we can expect a big (and long-term) shift towards the generalist side of the equation starting this year.
While this prediction is not about AI, generalist talent will become increasingly important for both clients and agencies in 2024. I am very confident in this prediction, which he expects to continue beyond 2025.
From fragmentation to integration
Over the past 20 years, we've done a great job of breaking down marketing communications into a complex jigsaw of specialized areas.
This was done out of necessity. Technology has evolved rapidly and fundamentally influenced customer behavior. Clients and agencies responded by building teams of talent who can master new platforms and channels.
However, this has resulted in narrow team structures and an over-reliance on technical expertise as a driver for career advancement. And now, market forces are putting this model under pressure.
At the macro level, there are signs that the pendulum is swinging back from fragmentation to consolidation. Brand and performance teams are recognizing the need to work more closely together, and there is a growing awareness of the symbiosis between creative and media, and the blurring of online and offline. The world is becoming more and more expansive as everything becomes digital.
At a micro-level, platform automation and increased reliance on data to drive business performance are accelerating these trends. Automation is forcing government agencies to assess the balance between humans and machines. Major platforms use algorithms to improve performance, reducing reliance on specialized talent to implement and optimize campaigns. AI (damn, I mentioned it earlier) will no doubt only accelerate these changes further.
This raises some difficult questions. How are those people spending their time, and more importantly, what is the added value for the client that ultimately justifies the fee?
Generalists can simplify complex tasks
This goes back to generalist talent. Whether we are brands or agencies, we need to think more seriously about how we cut through complexity and connect the dots. This can be difficult when our structures and functions are siled. It's inefficient and just takes too much time. We need more generalists who can understand the big picture, think strategically, and simplify, rather than relying solely on deep knowledge of a specific technology or channel.
This may be driven in part by the consolidation of different agencies within the same group, strategic acquisitions, or bold moves such as integrating e-commerce, performance, and customer experience into marketing teams. However, in the absence of a clear talent strategy and investment in training and development, I question whether these structural changes alone will produce the desired results.
Additionally, work roles will evolve. A few years ago, paid search specialists' capital was focused on manipulating Google to get desired results. Well, the algorithm does some of the heavy lifting for you. Their capital is shifting to include the data expertise needed to run their algorithms, and automation frees up time to learn and deploy these new skills, allowing them to develop new skills and expertise. is forced.
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Developing generalist human resources
We all need to do more to support talent development and actively create environments where generalists can thrive. Our clients expect us to be agile and flexible, and we need to respond by changing our structures and giving our people a broader range of experiences so they can learn and grow in new ways.
At Croud, we encourage people to explore different career paths and change departments as they grow. In all cases, when a channel specialist moves into a client service or strategy role, it introduces a new and different way of thinking to the team and client work. As they move into analytical roles, they help make data actionable to drive business outcomes. We also encourage our teams to collaborate in different ways to extend their capabilities and become experts in multiple platforms and technologies.
However, if you're reading this as a professional and think it's about time for a career change, you can probably rest assured. The digital landscape remains fragmented, and deep channel expertise will always play a role. In fact, we need to ensure we cultivate these skills, which are essential for innovation and product development.
But we have Over-investment in these areas has come at the cost of developing generalists who can balance depth and breadth of knowledge, provide strategic overview, and prioritize conflicting goals. That needs to change.
get out of your comfort zone
Let's end with a New Year's cry. Life is a journey of learning. Doing different things is interesting, gives me energy, and is fun. If you work in digital marketing (client or agency side), knowing a wider range of things will help you become better at your job and progress faster. See David Epstein's book Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.
So step out of your comfort zone and make 2024 the year you do something different.
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