At a Loss: Agencies Must Improve the Strategic Direction They Offer -- or More Clients Will Walk
by Toni Louw
April 16, 2007

Since the mid-1980s, the advertising business has gone to a model that removes from account service the necessity to think strategically. Instead this is now outsourced to a newly defined role: strategic planning. The result: Account service is relegated to the position of account project manager. Don't tell account service this -- they will balk at this concept every time. But they can't run from the truth. Having worked with more than 450 agencies around the globe, that's the model I have witnessed in almost all cases.

Antoni Louw – C.E.O.and Founder Louws Management Corporation Inc.

Presentation Skills training. Oh, how this conjures up being trained in “eye contact,” “voice modulation,” and "gestures" – great phone and PDF file presentation applications are they not?

Or worse yet, remember being informed you were going to “charm school,” the product of the 70s and 80s presentation training out of New York? I am ashamed to admit I was part of the group - fortunately not for long - that was awarded this dubious accolade.

PowerPoint® has been replaced by PDF files. In person is replaced by teleconference. Boards replaced by streaming video and e-mail attachments.