The I that does count
When I signed on here at PROMO almost four years ago, I made a round of visits with analysts and agency leaders around the country. Not surprisingly for a journalist, I asked a lot of questions. Although I’d covered marketing for years, this was my chance to challenge what I thought I knew, so my questions were pretty basic: What were the big issues? Threats? Opportunities? I asked for promotion-specific definitions of marketing jargon, and clarification of terms that were new to me. ▪ One term kept popping up in almost every conversation: “Integration.” As in, “Oh, they’ve talked about it for years, but it’ll never happen;” or, “Yeah, that’s what the big ad and media shops call it when they take our work off the table.” It was surprising how much confusion, frustration and even fear that one word seemed to generate. ▪ There is a saying attributed to an anonymous coach: “There is no ‘I’ in ‘team.’” The implication is that individual ego and turf protection impedes a group’s collective success. I love the rebuttal, however, coined by basketball legend Michael Jordan: “There may be no ‘I’ in ‘team,’ but there is in ‘Win.’” ▪ I think of Jordan’s comment now that “integration” has become a mantra for agency success. Judging by the results of this year’s PROMO 100 ranking, the strongest agencies have found ways to bridge disciplines and build teamwork that exemplifies the very best of integrated effort. Case in point, Agency of the Year Arnold Brand Promotions. Grouped within Arnold Worldwide, itself part of global marketing and communications giant Havas, ABP borrows freely from its siblings’ strengths in support of its clients’ needs. Siloed P&Ls aren’t defined by discipline (media, creative, sales promotion, etc.) but clients. The result: happy brands, strong growth and the spotlight in this issue. ▪ Arnold’s approach is hardly unique these days. To learn more about the fresh approach to integration and cross-discipline teamwork taking place at the top agencies, turn to p. 12.
