This is the second article of a two-part series. To read Part One, click here.

These trends will force us to communicate with external service providers in new ways. Here are my recommendations:…

Stop issuing RFPs to outside firms for your strategic initiatives. RFPs are sales prevention tactics to keep administrative people busy and dehumanize marketing. They may be great for buying coffee service, but not for building your digital presence. Are you going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions of dollars with an agency based on price?

As we witness some seismic shifts in the current marketing and agency landscape, I’m concerned about how CMOs are fostering commoditization. 

The Wall Street Journal recently published a special insert which analyzed digital advertising trends. They also shared key findings from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The articles punctuated the tenuous relationship between CMOs and outside services firms. Here are four observations worth considering: …

The field is crowded. Big consulting firms now occupy traditional agency turf.