So I just read “Do Agencies Need to Think Like Software Companies?” and I thought add my perspective as a technologist at a digital agency.

I think the major value that agencies offer brands is the ability to think outside the box and focus on strategy and creative vision to drive their product towards a specific message.  A great example of this is the ‘Old Spice’ campaign that did very well.  Wieden + Kennedy crafted a pinpoint message and delivered it in a very clever way that utilized social media perfectly with digital technology.  Part of the art in delivering that message was the storytelling, wordsmith and crafting that was so apparent in the tv ads, youtube responses, and tweets.

However, the bulk of agency work isn’t so technically simple as uploading videos to youtube and sending out tweets.  Most of the work that i’ve seen has required complicated CMS builds, API integration, and complex database schemas.  Something as “simple” as a Facebook app becomes an unwieldy problem for agencies when the app actually gain traction and starts to see hundreds of thousands of hits, if not millions.  While story telling is still the craft that agencies should focus on, what if the paper you’re printing it on falls apart when someone tries to hold it a story in their hands?

While agencies may not need to understand every technical complexity, they do need to gain basic understanding of what is necessary to get technical projects out the door.  Part of that is understanding the Agile development process (iterations) and the system development life cycle, at the least.  Another part is understanding what options are available on client servers and infrastructure.  Finally, agencies should staff some technical leads to help scope and manage vendors (if not an internal development team).

So, do agencies need to think like software companies?  Probably not, but they do need to understand what it takes to get a digital product out the door, maintained and supported.  I think the leading agencies of the future will be able to deliver both exceptional creative and technical service to their clients.

ps.  these reflections are my own and not associated to any place that I am currently (or not currently) working!