The Dendrocast

They were set to graduate into one of the best agency job markets in a generation. Instead, they are experiencing the isolation of lost graduation ceremonies, cancelled internships, and few agency job prospects.

In the face of this new reality, one group of college seniors did something different.

They started their own agency.

Listen as Vanessa Zielinski, Cruz Rendon, Isaac Watson, and Meagan Doyle discuss how they've navigating a post-COVID agency market. And where they came up with the idea to start their own agency called The Class of 2020.

Plus, check out their recent profile in PRWeek: Facing dismal job prospects, grads launch agency

Fancy awards shows. Offices with pinball machines and expensive beers on tap. Nights in 5-star hotels.

The agency business has always had a degree of indulgence and excess. It shows up in how we work, how we pitch, and how we spend clients' budgets.

Its defense has always been about supporting creative talent.

Now a global financial crisis has brought all of this crashing down. Agencies aren't walking the carpets of Cannes. They are slashing budgets and shedding expensive talent to survive.

In this episode, we explore some of the cultural norms agencies have allowed to pervade our industry. And what happens now that a pandemic has forced agencies out of their expensive office spaces and clients seem less willing to foot the bill.

Kristina Monllos is the Marketing Editor at DigiDay. Her reporting during this pandemic has focused on how this crisis is changing the agency business. She talks about her most recent article spotlighting the harsh new reality agencies face in a post-COVID world.

And we talk with Rebecca Armstrong, the CEO of the agency NORTH. Rebecca shares her perspective on how the agency world became so self-congratulatory - and why she fears agencies will return to their old ways after the crisis ends.

Plus, a cameo from our old friend Alex Bogusky.

Read: 'We secretly knew that was bullshit': Agencies face a painful pivot to reality 

How does being stuck at home with most of the economy closed alter our media consumption?

In this episode, we talk with agency leaders analyzing how this pandemic is shifting consumer behavior. Listen as they discuss which media behaviors may affect the advertising industry long after this crisis subsides. 

Dan Gallagher and Robin Cohen of the growth agency RAIN talk about new data showing how the COVID crisis is changing every key demographic's normal media patterns. 

And what about outdoor media? Rick Robinson and Simone Davis of out-of-home media giant Billups explain how "stay at home" orders have changed their industry's approach during this shutdown. 

Plus, we talk with Bryan Dorn of Hubbell Communications about his recent podcast profiling Gen Z  - and why they're rethinking everything from their career paths to a new virtual economy. 

Agencies are reeling from the financial crisis set off by the coronavirus shutdown. But can they still pursue and win new business when everything is on pause?

In this episode, three agency coaches discuss how the new business landscape has changed. And why business development is now more important than pitching.

Joining the show today are fellow agency coaches Jody Sutter of The Sutter Company and Lee McKnight of RSW/US. Listen in as we answer several questions agencies are asking about new business, marketing, and growth during this unprecedented global crisis.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to have a huge impact on the agency business.

Since our last episode, agencies have shifted from having conversations about remote work to confronting a wave of layoffs and steep revenue losses. 

In this episode, we go deeper into how agencies should manage through this unexpected financial crisis.

Listen as we talk with agency advisor David Baker about why he thinks this crisis is an important test of agency leadership. Agency financial advisor Chris Hervochon explains why agencies need to change how they forecast. And Norm Shearer of the agency Cactus talks about The Cure Is Us and the role creative agency's can play in these uncertain times. 

We also include a special message about coaching with empathy - and the power of one person to change our perspective on what matters right now.

The coronavirus has hit agency revenue forecasts harder than anything since The Great Recession in 2008. 

In this special episode we look at how different agencies are being impacted by both a global health pandemic and the economic crisis it has sparked.

And, we talk about how the coronavirus outbreak could change the agency business long-term.

Featured in this episode: agency advisor David C. Baker; Cameron Haggerty, Regional Director at Billups in Dallas; Evie Smith, founder and CEO of Rebellious PR & Consulting; Jane Crisan, President & Chief Operating Officer at Rain; and Emily White, Vice President of Marketing at Phase2.

This bonus series from The Dendrocast Team gives a voice to young, emerging leaders in the agency business. 

Today's masterclass is with Lauren Garetto, content manager at Gartner's event management agency Evanta. 

Agencies often claim their core values are what make them unique. Yet those values are usually centered on familiar principles like "quality", "excellence", and being "client-centric".

We hear about these values so frequently they lose their meaning.

So what's the purpose of having core values at your agency? And what role do they play in the agency's positioning and growth? 

In this episode we profile how one agency uses core values as a bedrock for new business, culture, and management. Listen as GradyBritton CEO Paige Campbell talks about discovering the agency's core values, the role they play in winning new business, and how they govern the tough decisions every agency owner must make.

Episode Resources:

MediaPost: How Brand Values Impact The Agency Business

It's officially 2020. That means agencies are working on some kind of growth plan for the new year.

But many agencies are nervous about their ability to win new business in 2020. A recent report by consulting firm RSW/US found nearly half of U.S. agencies felt winning business was harder in 2019. And 40 percent feel less confident about the year ahead.

So why are agencies worried? In this episode we talk with RSW/US Vice President Lee McKnight about why he thinks agencies will face growth challenges - and what more agencies should be doing to win business this year.