On Innovation

Last year, almost every agency I visited hinted at an industry in crisis. No one said it explicitly, but people talked about the threat of in-house teams, client turnover, and the challenge of finding the right channels as legacy media undergoes changes of its own.

This year, the conversation was different. Agencies talked about adaptability, innovation, and questioning the norms that led businesses to the rough waters they found themselves in during 2017. This reminded me of some advice Dagan Cohen, the creative director of What Design Can Do, gave me: businesses are most likely to make incredible innovations when they’re in trouble. This seems absolutely true of the advertising industry. The things agencies are doing to adapt are brilliant, unexpected, and exciting. I can’t wait to see where these innovations take them. 

Hannah Lewman 05.13.2018