Comments on: SIS Session: Will Big Agencies Ever “Get” Search? http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/ Grow your business with TopRank Online Marketing tips, articles, & expert information on social media, content marketing & search engine marketing. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:17:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Boris http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-306949 Boris Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:34:29 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-306949 I for one am not looking for "Big Agencies" to into the picture. I for one am not looking for “Big Agencies” to into the picture.

]]> By: Mike Margolin http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301297 Mike Margolin Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:38:41 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301297 I absolutely agree that most medium-sized businesses aren't a fit with large agencies. And for many SMBs (and some online-focused businesses), you can make an argument for them being able to build their business without even touching many other media channels. Even a larger search-only firm can support the business of many different sizes of business pretty well. My comments this morning (and in my response to Gord's original post) weren't meant to suggest that agencies such as ours are the answer for every company. But for the many large, "Fortune 500" companies that operate in a different territory than these SMBs, I do believe that farming out search to a specialist agency without strategic coordination with media planning and creative strategy is a big missed opportunity. And it's not realistic to expect that the full-service agencies that didn't lost that search business will gladly give away budgets to a search firm - they're going to fight to keep as much billings as they can to support their own P&L (just as the search firm is). There's certainly a long-term place for search firms operating in a few different models, including the business situation that you mention. But the large companies who fail to build intelligent, cross-channel marketing strategies will increasingly hold their agencies accountable for falling behind. That, among other reasons (including an influx of really smart, innovative agency leaders who commmunicate exceedingly well across the agency organization, e.g. Hashem Bajwa) will be why big agencies - particularly the ones who are structured in a media-agnostic way - will increasingly value and "get" search. I absolutely agree that most medium-sized businesses aren’t a fit with large agencies. And for many SMBs (and some online-focused businesses), you can make an argument for them being able to build their business without even touching many other media channels. Even a larger search-only firm can support the business of many different sizes of business pretty well. My comments this morning (and in my response to Gord’s original post) weren’t meant to suggest that agencies such as ours are the answer for every company.

But for the many large, “Fortune 500″ companies that operate in a different territory than these SMBs, I do believe that farming out search to a specialist agency without strategic coordination with media planning and creative strategy is a big missed opportunity. And it’s not realistic to expect that the full-service agencies that didn’t lost that search business will gladly give away budgets to a search firm – they’re going to fight to keep as much billings as they can to support their own P&L (just as the search firm is).

There’s certainly a long-term place for search firms operating in a few different models, including the business situation that you mention. But the large companies who fail to build intelligent, cross-channel marketing strategies will increasingly hold their agencies accountable for falling behind. That, among other reasons (including an influx of really smart, innovative agency leaders who commmunicate exceedingly well across the agency organization, e.g. Hashem Bajwa) will be why big agencies – particularly the ones who are structured in a media-agnostic way – will increasingly value and “get” search.

]]> By: Lee Odden http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301238 Lee Odden Fri, 14 Dec 2007 06:08:48 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301238 Hey Mike, first thank you for stopping by and also for the clarification. I should be better at live blogging by now, but I'm not. :) One angle on the search perspective is that those agencies are often tasked by the 90% of the companies in business that agencies like PRA doesn't serve with productive and profitable search marketing services where traditional advertising is not an option. When your budget is in the millions it makes sense to create awareness with advertising and then run six figure monthly PPC campaigns and say you saved money. What about companies in the $10k/mo range? It's a different story. Hey Mike, first thank you for stopping by and also for the clarification. I should be better at live blogging by now, but I’m not. :)

One angle on the search perspective is that those agencies are often tasked by the 90% of the companies in business that agencies like PRA doesn’t serve with productive and profitable search marketing services where traditional advertising is not an option.

When your budget is in the millions it makes sense to create awareness with advertising and then run six figure monthly PPC campaigns and say you saved money. What about companies in the $10k/mo range? It’s a different story.

]]> By: Mike Margolin http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301158 Mike Margolin Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:03:14 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301158 Thanks for posting the summary, Lee. Altogether a good job. To clarify, the point of my opening was to explain that perspective often shapes our understanding. Gord's perspective - and apparently Mario's and many people on the search firm side - is that advertising agencies just don't get it. But the agencies that they're talking about don't have their clients' search business (or much of their business) for a reason. If you talk to the execs at the search engines, they'll tell you that there's absolutely a core of full-service agencies that understand search, manage it as well as any search-only firm out there and, importantly for many large advertisers, integrate it well with other channels from a timing, strategy and creative standpoint. Agencies like Goodby, who's done fantastically creative search work, Carat, who's had a great search practice for 5+ years and has 50 dedicated search associates and RPA (great business results and numerous industry awards) are examples. Thanks for posting the summary, Lee. Altogether a good job. To clarify, the point of my opening was to explain that perspective often shapes our understanding. Gord’s perspective – and apparently Mario’s and many people on the search firm side – is that advertising agencies just don’t get it. But the agencies that they’re talking about don’t have their clients’ search business (or much of their business) for a reason. If you talk to the execs at the search engines, they’ll tell you that there’s absolutely a core of full-service agencies that understand search, manage it as well as any search-only firm out there and, importantly for many large advertisers, integrate it well with other channels from a timing, strategy and creative standpoint. Agencies like Goodby, who’s done fantastically creative search work, Carat, who’s had a great search practice for 5+ years and has 50 dedicated search associates and RPA (great business results and numerous industry awards) are examples.

]]> By: Lee Odden http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301146 Lee Odden Fri, 14 Dec 2007 02:44:18 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301146 Pete, Mario works for a news wire service, which serves public relations firms. I can see why his comment would not make sense if that knowledge was not known. The other comment was spam. I agree that the marketing mix is unique for each situation. I also think that working for a huge agency, Mike's POV is very much focused on those companies with huge budgets. Pete, Mario works for a news wire service, which serves public relations firms. I can see why his comment would not make sense if that knowledge was not known. The other comment was spam.

I agree that the marketing mix is unique for each situation. I also think that working for a huge agency, Mike’s POV is very much focused on those companies with huge budgets.

]]> By: Pete http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301142 Pete Fri, 14 Dec 2007 02:31:39 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301142 I don't understand either of the comments above? Mike works for and advertising agency, not a PR firm. His argument was that search is part of the marketing puzzle and ad agencies that are doing it right are already using search deeply. His POV is a counterpoint to Gord who says that all marketing should start with search and then expand IF you can afford other media. There is no one solution for every marketing challenge. Mike claims, and I agree, that a good agency (like his) uses the right media mix for each assignment. There is no mix that works for everything. I don’t understand either of the comments above? Mike works for and advertising agency, not a PR firm. His argument was that search is part of the marketing puzzle and ad agencies that are doing it right are already using search deeply. His POV is a counterpoint to Gord who says that all marketing should start with search and then expand IF you can afford other media. There is no one solution for every marketing challenge. Mike claims, and I agree, that a good agency (like his) uses the right media mix for each assignment. There is no mix that works for everything.

]]> By: Mario Bonilla http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301002 Mario Bonilla Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:46:36 +0000 http://www.toprankblog.com/2007/12/will-big-agencies-get-search/#comment-301002 Great post. I hear what Gord is saying everyday. Young and older agency PR reps with no real clue about the clients key words and why they should be in the content and just asking for our media list. Great post. I hear what Gord is saying everyday. Young and older agency PR reps with no real clue about the clients key words and why they should be in the content and just asking for our media list.

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