I have been looking around the media agency sites recently to get a better grip on how they are all positioning themselves during these exciting yet tough times.
I came across the Carat UK site, which proudly states that they can:
help transform your business
Sounds good.
Then I spotted a section called Aca Demy, which is:
designed as a shared space to understand the increasingly complex world of media and marketing communications. To arm us with the information we need to understand the media revolution. To provide a forum for debate, comment and advice, free to all.
Intrigued, I headed off there to find a menu that includes a section called 'Jargon'.
In this world of folksonomies, taxonomies, ARGs, BITs, GRPs, RABs and even DPSs, any help is appreciated.
So I clicked expecting a mass of jargon explained...and instead I got this:
Under A is Mediatel. Under F is FAME. Digital TV and JICIMS appear in 'View All', but don't appear under any letter at all.
And that is it. Across the whole alphabet, Carat UK has managed to rustle up a total of 4 pieces of jargon that they thought worthy of clarifying, only one of which sits under the right letter.
Now there must be one of three reasons for this somewhat surprising result:
1 There is a temporary bug in the site, hiding the vast number of words/phrases laid out in the jargon busting dictionary (aka Academy JBD).
2 The Academy JBD is sponsored by the research/regulatory bodies mentioned.
3 Carat UK have not bothered to fill it in.
If the answer is number 1, then cool. Things happen. I will go back and check.
If the answer is number 2, then I clearly have missed the joke/point.
If the answer is number 3, then it is another example of a Media Agency failing on the Promise - Delivery Equation.
Delivery needs to equal or exceed Promise, if agencies are to build trust with clients. That's the simple equation.
Carat are a great agency doing fantastic work for their clients. However they promised to deliver a helpful resource to understand complex jargon, and then seemed to have given up on it before it really got going.
And that's a missed opportunity.