- Image via Wikipedia
There was further evidence (if any were needed) this week of the ongoing marketing agency battle to claim ownership of digital marketing, with the announcement in PR Week this week that Volvo has hired media agency MindShare to handle search engine optimisation (SEO), digital PR and social media strategy.
It’s a warning shot as Immediate Future’s Katy Howell identifies in the PR Week story. I’m not going to revisit the debate – search for the hashtag #prdebate if you’re interested. Instead I’m working hard at Speed to develop our offer and stake out the PR industry’s claim for its share of the market.
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If I’m honest Wadds, there’s two things I don’t think you need to worry about:
1) Speed making a bloody good stab of whatever you get involved with
2) Any ONE agency staking claims on social media. In my experience, unless you can string together a set of skills that few others can (say, seo, pcc, social media and design/build) then experience counts more than anything else.
The bleating about Mindshare by anyone is, in my opinion, sour grapes. Over the last 15 years, all sorts of agencies with different specialisations have formed. Some promote their “blue sky thinking”, others their “analytical approach”. All are doing the same thing but in different ways. Some firms feel that social media is a natural evoluition of their services, others a worthwhile skillset that would make a difference to their existing offering.
Was SEO any different? In 5 years time when we enter the 4th phase of the social web, those agencies with the inability to determine a reputable social service offering will simply revert to type…although what that type may be is as open a question as you’ll find!
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment. Its much appreciated. You are of course spot on.