David Alberts

My name’s David Alberts, co-founder of “Been There Done That”

I got my first job as a creative director at the young age of 26, and over the years have run creative agencies around the world, content companies and now a strategy company. Very much focussing on creative strategic ideas.

I think the biggest change that I've seen over the years, that has had the biggest impact, is the diversification of media and the diversification of the channels in which we can reach the audiences that we want. What was once a very simple business, get a brief, write a television ad or print ad, has become a very complex business, with very complex systems of outreach to consumers. And I think this is the biggest challenge the marketeers have as they go forward, because the multi-channel and the diversification of that, has very much led to a tactical mindset as they are able to target audiences with different messages.

However I think this is a real challenge, because I think what's happened is, marketeers have forgotten the role of their brand in the conversation. When I started, the anthem was “Content is King” but over the years, distribution has become Queen, and she owns the key to the castle. I think where we’re going to go, is that strategy’s going to want to again become the high priest, the thing that directs marketiers as they go through their jobs.

What we’ve seen recently is the return of what we call the “Big Brand Idea”. The idea that connects a company's purpose with their business objectives and creates an emotional connection with the consumer. It’s the long term idea that sits above any campaign, and any execution.

There’s no question with the rise of in-house agencies, what clients have identified is a very efficient way to create content at speed and at a cost that is affordable.

The progressive clients that I see are very much dividing the responsibility between their agency partners. They have their in-house agency very much focusing on what happens in the industry, they have their traditional agencies who they see as craft agencies, very much executing a craft. They’re also looking for strategic partners that can help them figure out their overall strategy that will weave all this together. Going forward, I see a model whereby there will be a collaboration of partners, each with their specific roles, coming together to replace what was, the one-stop-shop.

As I mentioned, diversification has been the biggest change that I've seen in the last 20 years. And that has been driven by technology. Technology has allowed us to create content quicker, distribute and reach target audiences, where and when they are. However I believe that technology is just an enabler.

Technology has a huge role to play in its ability to help us access talent, wherever it is in the world. And I think the ability now to work with different people in different places and access specialists, is something that the gig economy has demonstrated technology has a huge role to play.