CHICAGO — From clients who will take on the role of their own agencies to the need to reach out to YouTube stars – media agencies know they need to adapt, but how? In a panel convened by Beet.TV, several agency reps chewed over their tactics and visions.

  • Havas Media Worldwide social marketing director Len Kendall: “Media agencies really need to extend in to influencer marketing and consider influencers as another marketing channel – almost as if they were to liken themselves to PR shops.”
  • IPG’s BPN chief strategy officer Chris Hiland: “We are not agents anymore – we are participants, assemblers, processors and synthethizers for our clients. If we don’t embrace those challenges and opportunities, we run the risk of becoming our client’s competitor and vice versa.”
  • Mindshare digital innovation and strategy MD Jim Cridlin: “A lot of these services… that were traditionally only done by the agency that the client is now able to do him or herself… there’s less need for the agency to be doing it.”
  • Maxus Chicago MD Spencer Bahler: “The exposure that a media co has to consumer insight as well as to how the consumption of media is changing is great. It’s going to only amplify from here.”

They were interviewed by comScore co-counder and executive chairman emeritus Gian Fulgoni, at the Beet.TV leadership summit presented by the Jun Group.  You can find more videos from the summit here.