There are massive opportunities in the ad industry for startup growth

The talented technology specialist has become the go-to guy when big advertising agencies go looking for digital skills for an internet, mobile or social media campaign.

It seems like desirable status. In fact, the ‘go-to’ reflex explains why some small, under-resourced techie start-ups stay small, under-resourced techie start-ups.

You go to them. They don’t come to you.

The mismatch is glaring between the excitement of the technology field and the reactive business models favoured by many small technology operators. Ideas-rich innovators with lots of energy inhabit the techno space. Having ideas and energy is nice. Sharing them is better.

All too often these talented individuals sit and wait for the commercial world to beat a path to their door.

This highlights another mismatch.

Digital innovators are quick to criticise stick-in-the-mud ‘Old School’ mainstream communicators for failing to harness the full potential of the net, or real-time and data-driven marketing, wearable technology, near field communication, in-app advertising, social TV, augmented reality and, my personal favourite, smart dust.

Yet all too often they are happy to sit in their rut and wait for some big wheel from the marketing industry to come along with a query.

To survive commercially, the technology-absorbed entrepreneur has to lift his/her head from the latest shiny techniques in 3D bioprinting, gesture recognition, video search and quantified self APIs and boot up some business.

One old-fashioned concept warrants attention: the proactive pitch

It’s been used by ad agencies for decades. Creatives come up with a great idea for a campaign that’s not yet part of a client’s strategy. No worries. Do some work anyway, take the concept to the client and show what you can do.

Something comes of it even when nothing comes of it. Your reputation for creative thinking around products, categories and campaigns goes up a notch. When something similar is required, the client thinks of you.

A similar approach could work for a techie startup. In this case, the agency is the potential client. The technology company demonstrates competency in a particular technology set and associated communication possibilities.

Often, an ad agency’s people will not be aware of these possibilities. Work and collaboration could result. The reactive alternative is hardly inspiring.

The technology company has to hope enough agencies have digitally aware creative directors on board (some do; some don’t) and they will spot the potential without outside stimulus (they might; they might not).

Niche operations also have to hope that when their skills are needed, the agency knows how to find them.

Developing a network of niched suppliers in the techno space takes time. Some agencies will make the effort. Some won’t.

The way round the problem is for digital specialists to get proactive. It also helps to do your homework. It is easy to find out who’s on the client list of which agencies and the categories an agency currently handles.

Demonstrate a technology platform and concept relevant to an agency and its clients and you must grab attention. Of course, a niche player may be worried that after spotlighting an opportunity the agency will simply brief its in-house digital staff and no work will result.

This need not be a problem.

Many agencies still have limited digital capabilities in-house. Larger groups have the skills on tap, but can’t cover every niche. When in-depth skills are required in a specific field, the big agency is only too eager to buy in the required competencies.

A startup’s micro-positioning also helps. No major agency feels threatened by a guy working from two rooms and a van. (Sometimes it comes down to this.). If the proactively pitched idea becomes a winner, the agency will still own the client relationship and develop the wider campaign.

Recognition is win-win. The agency team wins the overall awards. The start-up wins the specialist awards. Both show-reels benefit. What’s more, the micro-business builds a reputation and helps build the digital communication industry because at the moment these opportunities go unexplored.

More integrated executions would occur if opportunities were highlighted sooner in the creative and strategic process. One way to do this is the proactive pitch that alerts more marketing professionals more often to more digital possibilities.

That way, all contributors can look for ways to empower the idea through modern technology.

Micro-operators who stay reactive will stay micro. Open up and business growth could open up, too.