Ten things

We love this industry. But not everything about it. Here are ten beliefs that underpin the We Meet At Last model: 

1. For over a decade, Airbnb, Uber, Netflix and co. have been dispensing with middlemen and gatekeepers, opening up a liberating, direct relationship with customers. A process known as disintermediation. We believe it’s time our industry did some disintermediating of our own, by allowing brands and creative talent to work directly with each other.

   2.

   That it’s time to disrupt the long-held industry convention that clients and creatives should always be kept apart (unless, of course, under heavy supervision!). It’s time for more and more creatives to venture out from their ivory towers. We believe that great things will happen.

   3.

   There’s an enduring belief by some that creative naivety trumps a clear understanding of a client’s business when it comes to generating smart ideas. We think the opposite is true. 

   4.

   This industry really needn’t be that complicated. There’s not much that can’t be achieved by a handful of smart people sitting around the table with a common goal. Thinking is often stifled, not enhanced, by multiple creative layers of creative approval (however talented the individuals). The freshest thinking comes from a lean, empowered, creative team. 

   5.

   You’ll be amazed how much more energised your creative team will be about a project when they feel a closer connection to it. It’s obvious, really. 
   6.

   Awards can be a wonderful thing. Who doesn’t like a pat on the back? Or a trip to the South of France? But when awards become the priority, it’s just plain weird. 
   7.

   There is a latent (or not so latent) yearning in our industry that things will somehow someday return to the way things once were: the characters, the processes, the parties, the million-dollar TV shoots. We should be inspired by the past, but aspire to something exciting and new.
   8.

   It’s easy to assume that a direct-to-client creative model is all about cutting costs. Saving money should just be a happy by-product. The real benefit of cutting out multiple layers and processes, is better work. Whether that means changing a hired-wired behaviour, shifting the dial on awareness, or selling more Big Macs.

   9.

   Our vision is to bring talent closer to the heart of brands, where they can have the most impact. Our vision holds true whether within the traditional agency set-up or by partnering with us. You know what we’d prefer, though.
   10.

   Disruption is a word that’s used a lot in our industry. But how often do we genuinely consider disrupting the way we work? Why not identify a project or two and give this model a test drive? Who knows what we might all learn?