RGA Essay

RGA – The Agency for the Digital AgeTM

It is safe to say that RGA has changed the way the advertisement world works. They are a globally known advertising agency. RGA stands for R/Greenberg Associates. Two brothers Richard and Robert founded it in 1977. One was a designer and the other was a producer and cameraman. They reconstructed their business model every nine years to stay current and even beyond that. Here is a brief advertising agency history:
1950s
• Copywriting and artist came together to crop marketing messages for passive audience.
• Media was integrated determined best and most efficient way to deliver the message.
• Account manager served between client and agency

1970s
• Media was moved to a completely separate specialist company
• Account Planning was formed to bring social science to the art of ads
• Over the past 20 years things have changed

1990s
There was a series of new businesses exposed to the market like:
• Direct Marketing
• Branding
• Public Relations
• Interactive

This is great to have the specialized businesses however projects were outsourced to many different companies adding more complexity for the agencies.

Then new technology came and things had to change.

Because of their future-thinking RGA is a prominent agency creating and setting the new standard for advertising today in the digital world. They have a headquarters right here in New York with other offices in San Francisco, London, São Paulo and Singapore. Their success is a direct product of their business model. RGA really works on collaboration through out the whole company. Now, it has become an all-in-one package. Their business model is built upon seven main disciplines:

Three different strategic disciplines integrateProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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together:
1. Insights and Planning
2. Media/Connections
3. Analytics
Three Creative disciplines:
1. Visual Design
2. Copywriting
3. Interaction Design
The seventh discipline is technology. It is the ground of everything they do so they are able to provide solutions true to the digital age. The client services work side-by-side with the producers so whole system is connected.
RGA has had many well-known clients. Here is a list of some of them: Ad Council, American Eagle Outfitters, Ameriprise Financial, Avaya, Barnes & Noble, Chanel, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal Paris, MasterCard, Nike, Nokia, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Reuters, S.C. Johnson, Taco Bell, Verizon, Walmart, and Zain. They have a huge client base because they offer so many different forms of advertisement. It isn’t just about banner ads anymore. They have moved with technology and have formed to utilize that to the fullest. They offer services in: Platform/Applications, Campaigns, Digital Advertising, Relationship Marketing, E-Commerce, Systematic Design, Brand Development, Mobile , Social, and Retail.

Nike ID

I became interested in the Nike ID studio they have created. The first version was released in 2006 and it has changed the connection between the customer and the brand. Product is the interface! Customers design by touching any part and changing the color and or texture. The designers wanted a flawless design and for it to look like the actual shoe, textures included! Details are such an important part of the customization aspect. The program had to be created first. They worked closely with Adobe to create new design techniques so users could see the detail of every stitch. This got the customer closer to the product than ever before. They made the products viewable from every angle. Customers can also view what others have created in a gallery form. The search through them can be done using color, style, product, name or technology.
The customer can share their design with everyone even before they are wearing them. They build the Nike ID site to work seamlessly with other sites, mobile devices and touch screen. Ever since the first Nike ID they have been pushing in new ways like interactive billboards to the Teak Kit builder to manage team supplies. This latest version is the future of the interactive interface. This application blurs the line between virtual and physical worlds.
This design has pushed online shopping to a different place. This program has won many awards:
Clio Awards
Bronze Internet Advertising - E-Commerce
2006
*
Horizon Interactive Awards
Gold, Sales/E-Commerce - Website
2006
*
Art Directors Club
Silver, Web Design: Product/Service Promotion
2009
*
One Show Interactive
Silver, Websites - E-commerce
2009
*
The Webby Awards
People's Voice Winner, Website - Retail
2009
*
The Webby Awards
Winner, Website - Best Visual Design - Function
2009
*
The Webby Awards
Winner, Website - Retail
2009
*
Cannes Design Lions
Silver, Digital Design
2009


Sources:

http://www.rga.com/work/nikeid
http://www.rga.com/work/nikeid-studio
http://www.rga.com/about/featured/our-model
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/GA