Expert Specialist v Expert Generalist

Should agencies position with client organizations as expert specialists or expert generalists?

Paul Bennett, Euro RSCG's new Australian head believes "one of the most pressing issues for the communications industry was the lack of expert generalists".

He believes the increasing fragmentation of media has "forced more people into specialist roles".

Further, that "in the northern hemisphere everyone has become an expert specialist but marketing directors need to be expert generalists".

So, he thinks "Marketing Directors are looking for agency partners like them" (i.e. expert generalists) and "that's happening now in Europe and North America."

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 Mar 2008

Author: Viji Ratnam (Decideware)