Several weeks ago, Saga’s Steve Goldstein shook up the radio world with the announcement that his company was ending the title of “Program Director” in favor of “Brand Manager.” We covered that story – and added our views – in a blog post.
Now, nearly 4,000 miles away in Stockholm, Sweden, an ad agency has upped the ante. And in a jaw-dropping move, they’ve dumped the term “digital” from all its job titles.
Honesty is the name of this agency, and its CEO Walter Naeslund has banned the “digital titles” in an effort to ensure that all of his people feel a sense of responsibility for their creative efforts – whether on TV, print, or Facebook.
In a recent Ad Age piece, Naeslund put it this way:
“We are really getting rid of excuses for the rest of the staff not to learn digital and mobile.”
We’ve often talked about those scenes from Moneyball where Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the GM of the Oakland A’s, has to convince his legacy staff of scouts to rethink the way the organization evaluates talent.
It is difficult to change a culture that has done it the same way for a long time, but Naeslund says he’s already seeing a rapid response from his team, as they are “devouring blogs, podcasts and whitepapers” the moment it became clear that everyone in the agency now has a stake in their digital and mobile efforts.
In many ways, Naeslund is acknowledging that consumers no longer make the distinction between digital and analog content, in much the same way they stopped thinking about whether their TV channels came from the three big networks, cable outlets, or premium channels.
Here’s another of his observations about this titular revolution at his agency:
“Digital or analogue is not an issue for ordinary people on their way to work anymore, and neither can it be for us. I think that many agencies will be surprised to see how their teams step up to the plate when digital suddenly becomes their own responsibility and not that of the digital producers and directors.”
Naeslund’s move should be intriguing to all of us – in radio, advertising, or in other media endeavors. In an effort to learn more, he was kind enough to answer some of my questions.
We’ll take a look at his keen observations in tomorrow’s post. In the meantime, what’s your view of this – symbolic, meaningful, and what might it mean to you and your company?
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Radio + Thanksgiving = Gratitude - November 27, 2024
- Is It Quittin’ Time For SiriusXM? - November 26, 2024
- Radio, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
Great post, Fred! It’s amazing how a change in title can shift thinking and empower different actions. I see the silos still built up around all marketing functions inside of business and they need to come down. We are in a 360 world and everyone in the organization is a stakeholder. Thank you for writing about this!
Thanks, Pamela. I think you’ll enjoy my conversation with Honesty’s Walter Naeslund tomorrow because it has application to our businesses. Appreciate you taking the time to read our blog and comment.
You are welcome, Fred! I will definitely watch for your conversation with Walter Naeslund, thanks for the heads up!