Thanks to Jai Mehta Of Rediffusion ( one of my former students who joined Advertising out of sheer passion from a campus which gives fat salaries to others who select other career options), for sending me this wonderful piece from Dilbert....
How paradoxical it is that 'The most talent centric industry is the worst when it comes to talent spotting, acquiring and maintenance'...
It is true that it takes talent to spot talent... like a deaf will never be able to delve into the pleasures of music... like a diamond remaining just another stone when handled by someone who is ignorant of its value....The advertising indusrty without any scope of doubt is worst when it comes to getting the right people sit in the right seats...it is square pegs pushed on to round holes everywhere....misfits galore... and hence the results ( or rather the lack of it) are there for you and me to see...Mee too brands.... blatant copying....stereotyping...formula advertising....
Theoritically Advertising agencies..oops....communication companies..do everything which falls into the broad domain named Marketing ,for the clients...the latest one being talent management....hey.... hey.... hey....wait... it is not managing the talent inside the agencies....it is managing the talent outside like Iconix ( a division of Saatchi and Saatchi) and they 'managing the interests' of little master Sachin Tendulkar ( whatever that means)... Rediffusion DY&R and former cricketer Ravi Shastri's Showdiff Worldwide, Lintas India's Lintertainment, Madison India's Mates and Percept D'Mark are some cases which are worth a mention here...All is well as long as it helps agancies to come out with better communication for the clients, but my fear remains...
How will some one manage the 'outside talent'when you simply cant even see the 'need of talents inside'?
The industry laments...see one typical example...."Interviewed on Media guardian, Bartle Boglehegarty founder John Hegarty believes the lack of talented people in advertising industry is a "major, major problem". The industry is getting more and more complex and this sophistication requires people with skills and talent, ready to adapt to the new challenges.
Before, it was easier to get people because what we needed them to do was less than we need them to do today. We have an industry that's totally appalling in training people. I think it's hard, the creative department is unbelievably hard. "
( The info comes to you courtesy http://www.adverblog.com/archives/002224.htm)
Right John...YOU have said it...In fact many have said it ..the head honchos...the bosses...the masters...the gurus...the whos is whos.....but the problem is where the bewailing stops there and the heads go on their joyrides until the next round of mourning over the "lack of talent" is required..
This wonderful industry is heading for a disaster....Clients everywhere are murmuring over the lack of ideas and innovation which plagues agencies...this in turn ,needless to say, is the after effect of getting and managing with mediocres and lack of training in any form.....the industry expects things to manage itself or talents to come ,regardless of the pittance that it pays, simply because they have passion....
Let me at this juncture salute the passion of another student of mine,who quit a lucrative job in a private bank to get a creative job in a main stream agency for one third the salary.... Is he regretting now....To my knowledge ..no...But that is because he is in love with Advertising.....
But could that be the saving formula for my beloved Industry?
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