[thelist] web companies in NY

martin.p.burns at uk.pwcglobal.com martin.p.burns at uk.pwcglobal.com
Tue Jan 8 11:33:15 CST 2002


Memo from Martin P Burns of PricewaterhouseCoopers

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To:   thelist at lists.evolt.org
Subject:  Re: [thelist] web companies in NY


>> Me, I'd look at marketing/ad agencies, like the one our own Dave Maclean
>> works for (albeit in Canada).

>(warning marketing rant coming)
>This may seem like a simpleton question (and probably is), but how do
>marketing/ad agencies differ from business consulting agencies?

They concentrate on one bit of the business - what goes near customers.

They won't do *that* much which addresses any other stakeholder in the
business - partners, staff, suppliers, shareholders.

There are 2 particularly interesting areas for this industry which
companies
invest a *lot* of money into, yet hardly get a look in in terms of
publicity (and
hence competition for work): Intranets and Extranets.

Intranets are interesting because they're more than just "The place you
don't go to to look at the HR policies you've ignored on paper" - they can
provide almost the entire relationship between employer and staffmembers.
You've moved your bank account and want to get your salary paid into the
new one? You want to check your share options? Want to get expenses done?
Timesheets? Find the office (maps, directions) in Blarney? It's all there
on the
intranet.

As for extranets, if you think of an entire supply chain (particularly if
it's multi-step,
so suppliers have suppliers and your client sells through retailers), it's
a long, long way
from end to end. Most of the people there really don't care about being
marketed
to - they're already locked in. They want to know what's coming next, some
time
before it happens so they can be prepared for it.

>I have
>worked with only two marketing agencies and to be honest I'm not sure if I
>could stand the incompetence they showed in my working environment (i.e. I
>have a bad image of them, which is ironic in a way.)

*grin* one of the worst speakers I've heard was from a marketing
organisation,
and his main reason for giving the presentation was to market his
organisation
by explaining what they do in whatever field it was.

>Working for a business consultancy kindof appeals to me, working for a
>marketing consultancy as well but ONLY if they're really really good,

Some of them really are. Of course, there's a lot of bullshit masking it in
many agencies, but that's because the marketing ethic is "You have to
be seen to be creative". So it's spread on with a trowel, even when all
you need is a light touch. In many agencies, *everything* is branded -
you just can't get away from it. It's like being in the Church.

But dig through that, and you will find quality work going on.

Cheers
Martin


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