R3LATIONSHIPS (13 January 2022) –Welcome to our first issue of R3LATIONSHIPS for 2022,

We kick off the year with how the industry-wide talent crisis is affecting marketers and agencies. With value and engagement gaining fresh focus, brands are revisiting partnership models, budgets, and talent matrixes. A new environment calls for a future-fit marketing ecosystem. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas. Send us an email or connect with us on LinkedIn.

What Should Brands Do When the Talent Crisis Impacts Their Agency’s Performance?
There are more dimensions to the cost of the talent crisis than recruitment expenses and salaries, writes Greg Paull. Though agencies are already on the defence, committing to hiring drives and employee benefits, the change to the overall talent marketplace has far-reaching effects, with the potential to impact scope of work, the quality of work being produced, and fundamental partnership issues like trust and internal knowledge. Read the article on Producers & Procurers iQ

Developing Next-Gen In-Housing Teams
The need for greater agility, ownership, and leadership has made in-house agencies a core function of many leading brands. 66% of marketers have a full in-house agency (36%) or operate with a hybrid model (30%). In 2022, many in-house agencies will need to regroup to respond to growth in digital ad formats, increased production demand, as well as rising talent costs. How they respond will determine the future growth and productivity of in-house teams. Read more

Mobile, OTV & OTT Drive China Media Costs in 2022
R3’s eleventh China Media Inflation Trend Report notes that the cost of OTV media in China will increase by 5% for advertisers in 2022 as people turn to mobile phones for entertainment with longer work commutes and varied levels of mobility due to the country’s ‘zero COVID’ policy. Mobile ratecard inflation will remain unchanged from the previous year (9%) though net cost inflation will increase by 2%. Read more

What Ad Agencies Should Be Doing to Demonstrate Their Value in 2022
Brands will increasingly look to remarry creative and media, either through consolidation within holding companies or with independent agencies that can execute both capabilities. In today’s multichannel world, creative and media must work together to make media dollars go further. “Mercedes-Benz (Omnicom), Coca-Cola (WPP) and Philips (Omnicom) might well be harbingers of things to come,” says R3’s Greg Paull. Read the article on Adweek

How Brands are Failing to Connect with Millennial Mothers
“Despite shifting perceptions, millennial mothers possess unique attributes and aspirations that are valuable for brands to be familiar with. According to a report by R3, millennial mothers have a growing awareness of the economic hardships of motherhood, as well as a growing desire for career progression. Caring for their children may also often clash with their desires and interests outside of their role as a mother.” Read the article on Campaign