Reframing the role of agencies: From brand builders to brand immunisers

This essay argues that agencies are fundamentally optimistic, while boardrooms are rather more glass-half-empty; agencies look to optimise while boardrooms prefer to limit damage, so agencies should use this paradigm to prove their value as 'immunisers'.

Reframing the role of agencies: From brand builders to brand immunisers

Scott Brenman MEC

Executive Summary

The optimistic psychology of agencies is misaligned to the pessimistic psychology of boardrooms. Agencies sell the promise of business growth, but boardrooms prefer to buy insurance against business failure.

Brand immunisation offers a new way for agencies to prove their value. Far from being conservative, it offers a route to long-term success that accommodates risk and innovation.

Brand immunisation doesn't require wholesale changes to the structure of agencies. But it does require agencies to reframe how they sell themselves to the boardroom.

Introduction:...

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