Inadequate Solutions Won’t Be Tolerated: Hasan Ramusevic, Hasan + Shumaker

 

Hasan + Shumaker
Raleigh, United States
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First, please tell us a little about your business.

At Hasan + Shumaker, we believe that mutual empathy and integrity are the cornerstones of any thriving relationship; the kind of relationship that withstands the test of time. The kind the that revs harder, grows clearer, and bonds tighter when presented with a challenge; not the kind that cracks under pressure. This is what we bring to the client/agency ecosystem. We build the foundation for a successful partnership in the agency selection process, and we help existing partnerships grow stronger. 

How has your business changed since the pandemic? Have you held any virtual pitches and if so, what is your assessment of them?

Delivering the final pitch is only a small part of the agency partner selection. The short answer is that presentations have gotten less experiential, but interim meetings have gotten much, much better. We’ve long been believers in fostering an environment in which the core teams of the client and agencies can build understanding and trust, while also building strategies and solutions. We plan to continue using video platforms to enhance everyone’s experience and lower travel costs and tighten timelines. Milestone presentations are best done in person, but for now the additional face-time in other portions of the process make up for some of it.

What’s your view of the state of our industry, both now and in the short-medium term? Where is the opportunity?

Prior to the pandemic, there was already an oversupply of agency services, and a massive lack of differentiation, so expect the agency side of the business to shrink; the agencies that thrive will advance the morphing of what an agency is. Holding companies will struggle and will continue to consolidate; look for some long-standing names to disappear entirely within two years. Agencies who are suited to help their clients deliver innovative, no-touch brand activations and experiences will win. Agencies who can do that while also propelling the brand narrative, will win for a long time. Unkept promises will have faster consequences. Inadequate solutions won’t be tolerated.

Do you have any tips for agencies invited to pitch in these socially distanced times? 

You still need to tackle the client challenge and prepare for your meetings the same as you’ve always done, but the delivery of your message is now through a different medium. Use it to your advantage instead of showing up as five unmatched squares on a screen, with an intermittent screen share. There’s a lot of tactical advice that we can give but the overarching message is that you need to put the same level of care in producing your digital meeting as you would in producing a physical meeting.


What would your advice be to a brand that wants to give its marketing strategy a caffeine shot?

The pandemic has essentially accelerated the need for marketers to develop their future selves. If you think about retailers, they’ve been facing massive pressure to transform and to deliver seamless omnichannel experiences to their customers, and to deliver more experiential value in the face of competition from e-tailers. Today, those same retailers have to relearn how to use their physical spaces, their curbside services, drive-up window services, or how to best deliver directly to consumers. Just like agencies, marketers who aren’t prepared to move towards a hi-tech, hi-experience, low-touch service model will either struggle or disappear entirely. At the same time, being clear about your brand purpose and position is paramount; both in communications and in brand behavior.