THE 4A’S 2019

Year in Review

Marketing agencies, accustomed to working in an environment of constant change, thrive on the dynamic forces of creativity, commerce, and culture colliding. Agencies’ breadth of expertise, objective guidance, creative problem-solving, and steady partnership has never been so crucial to marketers’ growth as it is right now.

In the Quantum Age of Marketing, the rate of technological change outpaces, outsmarts, and outperforms business. And 2019 has been another year of business-as-unusual, characterized by shifts in the agency-marketer dynamic, increasing focus on data privacy and brand and consumer safety, and further blending of business and marketing strategy in a customer-centric world.

As agencies continue to use technology and data to help marketers communicate with increasing sophistication, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other local legislative initiatives could upend the ability to reach consumers with the most relevant information. As a founding member of the Privacy for America advocacy coalition, the 4A’s is working with federal legislators to find solutions that work for the public and marketers. The 4A’s-led Advertiser Protection Bureau (APB) also expanded on its mission by publishing industry-wide guidelines and a playbook on brand safety.

Given the quantum pace of change, marketers continued evolving alternate models, including in-house teams and addressing costs. But there’s a reason agencies keep winning clients (and winning them back). As many marketers learn, there’s no reliable shortcut around the investment a strong agency partnership can deliver to a brand’s growth. After all, that’s the mutual goal for marketers and agencies. And the 4A’s will continue to be your champion and partner in driving growth to create a positive impact on commerce and culture.

Marla Kaplowitz, President & Chief Executive Officer

“I don’t care how sophisticated your agency’s technology is. There’s no investment you could make that comes close to the value and the power of the people you hire,“ Marla Kaplowitz, President & CEO of 4A’s, said in her opening address at [email protected]

To our newest agency, partner, and educational members: welcome! you’re in good company.

Moving The Industry Forward

Beyond reports, conferences, and other benefits you experience at an agency level, the 4A’s stands up, speaks out, and acts in the best interest of the entire industry.

Promoting the Value of Agencies

Preparing Agencies for the Quantum Age of Marketing

The 4A’s is committed to helping our members thrive in what we deem the Quantum Age of Marketing, as rapidly changing technology brings seismic change to the marketing landscape and the way agencies partner with marketers. In April, at the Management Practitioners’ Forum in Chicago, the 4A’s presented proprietary research results from The Quantum Age of Marketing. The comprehensive report, published in July for both agencies and marketers, supports the value of external partnerships agencies provide, with their breadth of perspective and specialized expertise, is critical to marketers’ survival, both long-term and today. A supplemental report exclusive to 4A’s members, The Transformation Imperative, offered guidance on how to start making crucial commitments to organizational change. The 4A’s also co-published with 22squared a member-exclusive white paper, Agency Technology Infrastructure and Investment, a guide on industry trends in technology and offer guidance toward Business In An Era of Rapid Change.

Articles

"There has never been a more exciting time to be a marketing firm. On every front, the seismic changes are breathtaking. We need partners that inform, support, train, and represent us in ways that keep us ahead of the curve. 4A’s is one of those partners. Our investment in membership pays off by making us much smarter, much faster.”

Mark Bachmann
Partner, Chief Client Officer, Marcus Thomas

Key Issues Covered in Communities

New Business Practices • New Workforce Models • Change Management Disruption • New Agency Models • Data & Privacy• The Media Ecosystem

Addressing Data & Privacy Needs for the Industry

The 4A’s is a founding member of Privacy for America, a powerful new advocacy coalition representing the advertising and marketing industry with members from virtually every sector of the economy. The team is working with Congress to develop federal legislation to modernize data privacy protection, addressing the needs of consumers and business in the ecosystem. Under the new California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), effective January 1, 2020, consumers now have unprecedented control over personal data that marketers use to reach them with relevant messages. Along with a patchwork of emerging statewide legislation that follows in its wake, the CCPA could threaten the industry’s ability to do business. To head off potential chaos, the 4A’s is working with federal legislators to create national laws that make sense for consumers and the industry. And to further alleviate industry confusion, the 4A’s published an agency-oriented guide to CCPA and launched a 4A’s Privacy Central Wiki.

Articles

“This year, with data privacy legislation around the corner, the 4A’s D.C. team has been particularly important as we work to ensure we're in compliance with pending legislation governing data privacy.”

Greg Stern
Founding Partner & Co-Chair, BSSP

Creating a Safe, Dynamic, and Measurable Media Landscape

“The 4A’s continues to help the agency side of the ad ecosystem raise the bar in terms of best practice and quality—for networked agencies, as well as regional agencies. Particularly what they are doing in the area of brand safety, and unsung initiatives like the Advertising Protection Bureau, is first-class.”

Erin Matts
CEO, Hearts & Science US