Alan Brown is one of the founders of DNA-Seattle.  Just starting its second decade of business, North-Westerners will know them by their recent campaign for PEMCO Insurance.  The spots are as good as anything I’ve seen nationally in their category (or out of category, for that matter).  The campaign is smart, uniquely relevant and successful, judging by the commitment CMO, Rod Brooks has made to the work.

DNA-Seattle’s focus, according to Alan is to “help our clients achieve meaningful results in the short-term while building their long-term brand asset.”  They’re the 6th largest agency in Seattle (by billings) and employ a staff of 40 to produce work for clients ranging from BECU, University of Washington, American Express Publishing, Avon Foundation, MultiCare and, of course, PEMCO Insurance.

I’m proud to profile them in this series!

1.  What was the aha moment when you realized “our company needs to be doing things differently than we have been”?
The industry has been changing fast over the past 8-10 years.  Technology, media choices and the shift of power to consumers through social media are driving a lot of it today.  But a big moment for me was last year when my mom (who is 75 and lives in Ohio) friended me on Facebook.  The “aha” was seismic.

2.  What books are on your nightstand or great blogs on your Google reader?
I’m a political and news junkie – so I read Andrew Sullivan’s blog, the Huffington Post, FiveThirtyEight and TalkingPointsMemo.  I also check out agency news at Agency Spy.

3.  Give me an example of marketing you think is brilliant and why.
The work that Crispin is doing for Burger King has been pretty phenomenal.  Their latest promotion (Sponge Bob Square Pants) is getting quite the buzz (not all of it good) – but they’ve really found a way to make BK relevant and talk-worthy – from Subservient Chicken to the BK King – they’re using creativity, social media, promotions, event and non-traditional media in interesting ways that are really having an impact on their business.  Right now, BK has committed to increasing their media spending to get a 20-25% lift in their brand impressions.  I don’t know of anyone else who’s doing that!

4.  We’ve all read that the pitch / RFP process is broken.  Many agencies aren’t even interested in competing in pitches.  Do you see an alternative to this process?
Well, first let me say that we’re still interesting in pitching business, and do respond to RFPs that are a good fit for our agency.  However, the point is right on.  RFPs are expensive, and in many cases create an environment that isn’t best suited to finding the right agency/client match.  We try to avoid them by building our reputation with prospective clients and hopefully by getting invited to meet (or even handle a project) without a review.

5.  What does the agency of the future look like?

Right now, we’re seeing a thinning of the herd.  Larger agencies are being gutted as a result of the economy and their clients cutting back.  But I also think that it’s time for agencies to re-think what they’re doing and what their value proposition is.  I think the successful agency of the future will be smaller, more nimble, creative and versatile.  They’ll work in traditional and new media almost seamlessly – guided by a keen ear from the marketplace.

6.  What do marketers need that agencies are not giving them?
An outside perspective, insight and leadership.

7.  Who do you admire and why?
It might sound trite, but I can’t think of anyone I admire more than Barack Obama.  His campaign spoke to me on a level that none other ever has.  I believe in his message of hope, and find great inspiration in his leadership.  I also admire how his campaign utilized social media and a grassroots movement to beat all odds.  He has also reached my 5 year old, bi-racial son – he looks up to President Obama as a role model – and I hope that he has experiences and opportunities that are different because of the path President Obama has blazed.

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20 years ago, David Martin wrote a book called Romancing the Brand.  Somewhere in the middle he writes:

“Most business decisions are made after studying a set of quantitative facts.  These facts lead to rational conclusions.  Advertising, on the other hand, is the odd ball that defies quantitative analysis in advance.  It is a subtle and mystifying force that can be sandpapered into sameness and dulled by excessive testing and second guessing and a desperate attempt to be scientific.  By attempting to reduce risk, clients and agencies risk running advertising that will be ignored—and with high awareness essential to the brand’s future, that’s the greatest risk of all.”

Mr. Martin goes on to relate copy from an old JTW internal ad: “Oscar Wilde put it this way:  ’An idea that isn’t dangerous is hardly worth calling an idea at all.’   If you feel comfortable with it from the very first, take another look.  It’s probably not an idea.”

Last month in Ad Age, upon being named 2009 agency of the year, Crispin Porter & Bogusky co-creative director Andrew Keller said “A lot of our clients realize that the greatest risk is potentially not taking risk at all.” 

In the same article, Brian Gies, Burger King’s VP Marketing Impact,  said, “Almost a decade ago, we sought to intentionally take more risks with our brand, and become more provocative than pleasant with our advertising.”  In case you’re not paying attention, BK is one of CP&B’s best clients.

Risk tolerenace is a one of many yardsticks to measure client/agency relationship.  In this case, both client and agency get it; and here’s the interesting part: client got it long before agency came on the scene.  That’s the mark of a good client.

Ask your staff in your next new business strategy meeting: “Do we have clients who are willing to take risks with their brands?  And perhaps, more important, “Do they trust us to take those risks with them?”

Clients and agencies willing to engage in projects that are inherently risky stand a far greater chance of having their marketing succeed than do the teams who take no risks–or teams who just take risks their research shows is palatable to their audience.  Memorable versus milquetoast.

Clients who aren’t willing to take risks with their agency are confirming their level of trust in the partnership.  That doesn’t mean, get your ass on your back when they don’t buy your idea.  If you’ve not learned yet to let the client talk about their concerns, you’re in the wrong business–or at the very least, shouldn’t be at the pitch. Examine the issues together. And here’s a shocker, the client just might be right. And that last edit may be the one that works for everyone: the agency, the client and most importantly, the customer.

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