New website leads clients by example

Its features include:

• Thought-leadership blog providing diverse perspectives on current events and the marketing and advertising industry
• TBWA\ news driven by Google which provides immediate access to all web news regarding its network internationally as well as locally
• Live Twitter feed
• Agency Life, which portrays life at the agency
• Agency videos, which includes clips featuring work done in studio, disruption case studies and content that is current and interesting drawn from the industry
• Future Session discussion videos established to disseminate "ideas worth spreading" and featuring a range of speakers from across the technology, business, strategy, entertainment and design industries
• Slideshare covering thought-provoking events and people

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Embracing dialogue

"With the move towards social media in the digital space, the days of using a website as a showcase for corporate history and previous work are numbered. Today, people are using YouTube, Flickr, Slideshare and other social media sites geared towards creating a two-way process, where the internet user is drawn into an environment where dialogue and interaction stimulate identification with a brand or company," said Sophie Mayer, group marketing director of TBWA\South Africa.

Reviewing the current state of the web has also led to the realisation that creative agencies, used to giving clients advice on messaging and the opportunities presented by new media, were using websites to promote themselves in the same way that most corporations were prone to do. In short, the vast majority of sites were places where interactivity, objectivity and client comment was often non-existent.

"We felt it was a case of 'do as I say' not 'do as I do'," said Mayer. "We believed that as an agency, it would be appropriate for us to harness these social media technologies and demonstrate the breadth of our understanding. The aim is to make our site an aggregator, reflecting the full spectrum of our social networking activity at one central point. This will enable people to find out about the agency whether through our website or directly through YouTube for instance."

Taking this new approach to the site, said Mayer, would bring the agency into sync with what people were actually doing on the web and, while creating discussions with clients and industry watchers, demonstrate its capabilities in the social media realm.

Encouraging conversations

"Most of all, we believe that our site will become a destination for thinking people. We have therefore attempted to inspire people by including thought leadership pieces from around the world. The website is open to all and people are encouraged to comment on all facets of the advertising industry and place comments on the site.

"The fact that the site is open to all who wish to comment on our thinking will itself create a more dynamic interactive conversation between us and whoever is interested in initiating or carrying on a conversation.

"The days of corporate monologues are over. We have entered a new era in which taking a leadership position will entail more than just quoting statistics, showing off case studies and discussing the key people in an organisation. This has been replaced by companies that are willing to communicate and share their knowledge and broad-based expertise," she concluded.

"The project is a work in progress that will require ongoing attention. We are already working on phase two to ensure that we become known as a digital agency that owns the digital high ground in the South African advertising space," said Derek Bouwer, Group CEO. "It ensures that the entire group is seen as leading-edge and innovative with a presence that goes beyond just South Africa.

"What we have tried to achieve is to stimulate conversation and open debate in a manner that meets the group's global expectations of being an agency that engages the reader and allows them to follow debates. The benchmark is to behave as a creative business rather than an ad agency," concluded Bouwer.

Go to www.tbwa.co.za for more.