Dell to Agencies: "People are most important"

When I spoke with Casey Jones at our marketing forum, he cited WPP’s ability to recruit as the deciding factor in his choice.  Building - and keeping - the right team on his business is his priority. 

Casey even went so far as to say “What’s important is the talent of your team, not the brand of your agency.”

How many of you advertisers agree? 

Like the proverbial shoemaker and his kids, agencies seem to miss on their own professional advice:  helping their clients experience the value of their brands.  The impact of acquisitions, extensions, staff turnover, the tendency towards ‘juniorizing’agency teams…?

I’d call Casey’s comment good news for talented individuals and a challenge to agencies: How will agencies define and prove value beyond that of a network of talented individuals?  And is gathering these individuals under one roof enough of a differentiating offer when the internet allows talent to network and connect - together and with the client? 

In 2007, Dell went to WPP to pull together their advertising dream team; their choice could be different next time.