Ask any client what percentage of their time is dedicated to media, let alone digital media, and I am sure many will be surprised by how low the answer is, I know I often am. Put simply, today’s marketers have so many areas to focus on that many haven’t had the benefit of time to specialise purely in digital and endure the learning curve media agencies have benefited from over time.

This is why we need people in agency land who can simplify the complex, translate the jargon, and talk the client’s language for a change, instead of our own.

Simplicity should not be confused with laziness or with lack of knowledge. Think about someone with whom you have complete faith in their ability, but they can also explain their expertise to you in your language. A doctor who knows how to break down a diagnosis into something you can understand, or a mechanic who can explain what is wrong with your car without taking you through an engine diagnostic.

In our industry I call these people digital translators.

Hardly a revolutionary term, but as these people simplify the complex, perhaps a simple title is apt.  These are the people who understand enough of the detail, can translate for the subject matter experts, and weave multiple digital disciplines into a cohesive and relatable story.

A story that is in the client’s language, not ours.

People often ask what the hardest part of my job is, in relation to digital, and without a doubt it is digital translation. Bringing together all the different parts of our digital offering and fitting it into one overarching offering. Making sure that when we talk three letter acronyms like SEM, SEO, CRO, DMP or DCO, that the only three letter acronym our clients are thinking is PHD. That they understand how we bring these capabilities together to have a positive impact on their business.

Yes, today’s media agencies need to have a compelling digital offering. But in 2020, what separates the good from the great are those who can demystify the jargon and keep it simple for others to understand.

Simplicity is deceptively difficult, so here are my top tips:

1. Bin the logos

Get rid of multiple logos and talk capabilities. Clients do not care about fancy company, product or operating names, they just want to know what you can do.

2. Show don’t tell

Our job as a partner to our clients is to make the disjointed seamless and we need to actually demonstrate how integration works in practice.

3. Explain the journey

Talk about transformational journeys that tangibly land how a client enhanced their marketing capabilities and effectiveness, not just instant proof points or success metrics.

4. Ditch technical jargon

Our job is not to make what we do seem complex, but to translate the plethora of digital jargon and acronyms into layman’s terms for what they actually mean to clients. 

5. Use a framework

Leverage a framework or process to help simplify how different capabilities visually and tangibly come together.

6. Set the tone

Train your people to be digital translators. This is a philosophy that needs to be brought to life at the heart of agency culture, not just in the pitch room by a handful of people.

As the media landscape continues to change at a rapid pace, one constant you can bet on is increasing complexity. With that in mind, it’s time we binned the smoke and mirrors of technical jargon and mythical capabilities, and pursued an industry culture of simplicity where digital translators are the norm, not the exception.