Social doesn't stand still - it’s consistently reinventing itself, shifting and growing to shape itself around trends, cultures, and moments in ‘real-time’.
It’s this always-evolving dynamic state that sets it apart from any other form of marketing, or communication for that matter - it has changed the world and continues to do so on a daily basis.
It’s never been more important for agencies to remain plugged in at all times - fingers on the pulse and ears to the ground to the ever-changing world around us. A world that doesn’t move in years, months, or even days… one that changes by the minute.
It’s also vital to set yourself up for success. To have the right people in the right structure to deliver timely content that lands with your audience - the ability to hold LIVE, relevant and insightful conversations with your people.
Being in the right place, at the right time, can be transformational for a brand. It can carry a message further and wider than ever dreamt, reaching around the world, and inspiring billions.
Sounds good, right? So, why the resistance? Why is the industry so averse to change, when Social is moving at such a pace, driving cultures like never before, why are we still using old-money-methods to solve Social problems?
Let’s be honest, we’re at a point where we are struggling to keep up. Creative departments are creaking under the strain to deliver at the speed of social. We simply can’t function in the same way as before. We must adapt.
Some seem to be of a mindset that this shift is somehow diluting the artistry and craft, the love and passion that has been nurtured by Creative shops for so many decades.
The truth is, things have changed. Dramatically. Great ideas are no longer restricted to the Creative department - they’re not even necessarily happening in the same building.
The craft, artistry and passion is now shared with a new generation of creative, that is showing us how it could and should be done.
Say hello to the Creators. Those with the power to ideate, create, produce, and share with a switched-on audience, all from their phone.
They live and breathe their specialist subject - which means the content they produce is truly knowledgeable, authentic, and compelling. They think about their people before the platform - by simply understanding what other ‘special subject’ loving individuals want to know, and openly sharing their passion.
And their ultimate superpower - being guided by their own thoughts and ambitions without the friction and constraints of ‘best practice’ getting in their way. They simply do what they love to create the most authentic content.
We are in constant competition for people's attention and time, and it should come as no surprise that Creators are winning. They create work that their audience wants to watch, comment on, and share with friends - they showcase ideas they choose to follow, crafting narratives they love and subscribe to.
Our work sits in between this great content, and in essence, interrupts and disrupts people’s flow - a lot of the time, ads get in the way.
That is, unless we become more Creator and less traditional Creative.
Embrace their approach to work, problem-solving and narrative structures. Take the time to understand it, learn it and collaborate on it, creating more effective work that truly lands with your audience, placing people before platforms.
There is an evolution of the traditional agency structure taking place, the savvy agency is adopting a creator-led model. But going beyond partnerships with external creators, it’s bringing them out from the wild and into the agency.
We often forget that an agency's people are its creators. A job title with ‘Creative’ in it doesn’t mean all great ideas come from them, a great idea can come from anywhere, anyone, you just must be listening out for them.
A Creative’s job is to live in the shoes of your audience, to bring what you believe to be the best idea to life. But we cannot be an expert in everything, the devil is in the detail and in a world of authenticity, you cannot fake it.
Implementing a creator-lead approach across the whole agency is key to unlocking hidden specialisms within the wider team - instilling the idea of true collaboration internally - who knows what talents lie hidden within the agency? What amazing insights stay unsaid, and ideas are left in bottom drawers.
Creators enable an agency to be reactive and part of the wider social conversation, thus creating the most impactful and engaging campaigns for brands and clients. With this approach, agencies are better equipped to deliver great ideas in real-time while having the ability to adapt and flex around problems to find purpose-built solutions.
One of the most powerful pieces in an agency’s creative puzzle from now on is having Creators sat at the very heart of what it does.
Be more Creator.
By Tom Bellamy, Executive Creator Director at Social Chain
