The 1st Agency Summit - Sopwell House

Last night I kicked off this 3 day event with a small address about how advertising faces perhaps some of its greatest challenges to survive in the digital age.

I mentioned Esther Dyson and Bill Gates who observed

the advertising business model for traditional media those venues where advertisers still channel most of their spending will fall apart faster in the coming five years as the kind of interactive, targeted advertising that is defining the Web comes to the fore.

WPP's results sound fantastic, but they don't tell the full picture of the context of the curent state of the advertising industry.

Johnny Vulkan asked what Age are we in? Perhaps an age akin to the Enlightenment

He believed that brands needed to be more transparent, the communication between brands and consumers more engaging and authentic.

James Sandoval referenced Cory Doctorow who says that anyone can in fact make content and publish it the valuable thing becomes the conversation.

The important thing says James is to facilitate the quality of the conversation. A great agency said James will be the one defined by the great conversations it can create.

Again be authentic don't be afraid to polarise.

Matt Hayes asked who shall inherit the digital Earth? I found his presentation fascinating. When asked Matt will TV ad spend become outstripped by other forms of advertising?

And Steve Vranakis believed one must have a role and a point of view as a brand, something I whole heartedly subscribe to. Again have a belief because if you don't have a role as a brand you are redundant.

The summit is organised by imedia and here is my first post about the event