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Bend Over? Surprise! Agencies Are Screwing You

A session at SXSW Interactive 2011

The agency model of billable hours, budget overruns and hierarchical team structures was built in the early 20th century. Although things have changed significantly thanks to technology, labor equity and innovation in other industries, this outdated model continues its vampire-like sucking of vendors dry.

Examining the traditional model, we’ll identify reasons why agency-contracted work is potentially perilous for your business. Instead of being results-oriented, agencies charge hourly rates regardless of (un)successful outcomes. Agency staff, constrained by the pressure to bill hourly are stifled creatively and prevented from serving clients as best they can. Should these time sheet zombies continue representing brands to the public?

Thankfully, many workable solutions exist: bring creative personnel in house, pay for quantifiable results, empower yourself to learn new necessary skills, insist on agency and vendor accountability, and more.

As the sun sets on the agency world, and the ball is in the court of business owners. Are you ready to adapt to the 21st century and make a jump to a new way of doing business?

LEVEL: Advanced

About the speakers

This person is speaking at this event.
Meghan Warby

Early web nostalgia, hyphens, film, NXNE & ONgov's Social Media Strategy Lead (tweets're mine & RTs = lucrative endorsements to support cashew butter addiction) bio from Twitter

This person is speaking at this event.
Lucia Mancuso

President & Lead Strategy @TheBlogStudio. Passion. Yoga. Hard Work. Go for it. I love my life. bio from Twitter

Next session in Rio Grande A

12:30pm Fail Big, Fail Often: How Fear Limits Creativity. by Jeramy Morrill

25 attendees

  • Brett Harned
  • Bruno Alves Mendonça
  • changeorder
  • Paul Wheeler
  • Eddie Stover
  • Bob Jansen
  • Jon Lax
  • Julian Pscheid
  • Lucia Mancuso
  • Lynette Young
  • Marko Karppinen
  • Patrick Harrington
  • Mo
  • Mike Matthews
  • Patricia Marinho
  • Ramin Ettehad
  • Robert Leefmans
  • Scott Gulbransen
  • Joris Verbogt
  • Lee Dale
  • Stefan Nowak
  • The People's Pope
  • vikramtank
  • Meghan Warby
  • Yellow Pencil RD

20 trackers

  • Alex de Soto
  • Alissa Hurley
  • Andrea Nordgren
  • Ben Kutil
  • Dawn Marie B
  • Dan Weingrod
  • Hundert Grad
  • C.J. Jackson
  • Johannes Kleske
  • Joe Cox
  • Wade Austin
  • Katie Felten
  • Matt Le Gresley
  • Online Prism
  • Salim Virani
  • poptune
  • Shelley Cook
  • Simon Doggett
  • Tom Rankin
  • Igor Schwarzmann

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When

Time 11:00am12:00pm CST

Date Sun 13th March 2011

Session type

Core Conversation

Session Hash Tag

#BendOver

Short URL

lanyrd.com/scqbm

Official session page

schedule.sxsw.com/…event_IAP7277

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Topics

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