Tocquigny

Any agency worth its salt says it is an agent of innovation. However, this innovation usually applies exclusively to client projects or proposals for new work. I say “usually” because, as I read a few weeks ago in the New York Times, a small number of agencies are beginning to innovate for themselves – selling their own products and dabbling in start-up projects.

After reading this article, my natural reaction was, “Why isn’t every agency doing this?”

The easy answer is that most agencies aren’t willing to invest in staffing for “ideas,” which goes against the traditional model of hiring according to project need. The problem here is that delivering a full load of consistently great products to existing accounts in addition to focusing on new client work is hard enough. Going beyond that is difficult for many and can be a crusher of new ideas.

The other answer is that most agencies don’t know where to start. Do agencies encourage employees to innovate, and then back it up by fostering an atmosphere of entrepreneurship? Have agencies tapped into the full potential of their current talent, beyond their skill sets in Creative, Interactive, Media, etc?

Even for well-intentioned firms, the answer is no.

Fortunately, Tocquigny is ahead of this curve, which was illustrated recently by BuzzBrawl, our web app that gained renown at SXSW. BuzzBrawl is a product of innovation beyond the campaign, and a big step in the right direction.

I don’t expect many agencies to go too far down this road, but they should. While the sacrifice and paradigm shift might cause some short-term pain and raised eyebrows, doesn’t it sound appealing to be a thought leader (prospects love this) as well as being virtually recession-proof (employees love this) over the long haul – all while still doing great client work (clients love this)?

Still not convinced? Have you asked your staff recently? Ever heard of Google?