Could it be? Digital agencies are a threatened species and not the big bad indistinguishable behemoths of Adland? The theory goes that complacency has set in along with antiquated advertising habits i.e. telling people what to do as opposed to constructing a compelling story that provokes two-way communication. The limitations of old media still enable traditional advertising to survive in the same way the limited conditions of the ice age enabled the woolly mammoth to survive. But the media landscape is changing rapidly while advertising is playing the same song without looking up to notice its imminent extinction. Propositions, the backbone of old advertising, are dead weight that will kill brands off in the next decade. Stories do a better job at selling than propositions. Successful brands get this. Less successful brands don’t. Apple's story isn't about technology; it’s about Steve Jobs' vision about the users of technology. This is a compelling enough story for consumers to generate their own highly effective media in support of the brand. In fact some pundits reckon that in the near future, consumers will create 50% of all media consumed. Point is, it’s not whether the advertising comes from a slick digital shop or a well-established traditional shop. It’s about the message. If that message is one-way, you’re extinct. Conversely, if you build a great story, they will come.
