/Interview/ LBi
22/01/2007 | Filed under Design > Interview
LBi is a new name on the design scene, the product of a merger between design giants Framfab and LB Icon. With a 1,300-strong workforce and a turnover of £108 million, LBi certainly means business. .net headed over to the London office to find out more
.net: How did LBi come about and why merge?
DH: The agencies that make up LBi are very complementary in the way they work as well as having client portfolios that barely overlap. The digital industry is now reaching a point where not only the industry, but all of our clients, are ready to see agencies take that next step up. LBi is currently the only complete-service digital marketing agency of its size in Europe.
.net: Are mergers of big design agencies something that’s going to become more common as client budgets increase?
PT: Traditionally creative stuff has been passed down from advertising through the disciplines, with digital perceived to be near the bottom and it’s only just now beginning to change.
DH: This doesn’t necessarily mean that we will suddenly see a trend for design agencies merging, but, from our point of view, in order to attract global clients, we need to ensure we have a sufficient network to service them, and we have a world class network to do just that.
.net: Is it new web technologies that get clients to spend more on projects, or is there just more money on the scene these days?
PT: There has been a massive shift in the way people perceive and use the internet. People now accept it is part of their everyday lives, which has been helped by broadband finally living up to its promise. Clients are also beginning to understand the consumer demand for information – their website must fulfil this and so they are devoting bigger budgets for a digital strategy.
DH: From our experience, most clients don’t purchase technology for the sake of it and they’ve learnt that a great idea is far more valuable in terms of communicating with their customers.
.net: What do you say to clients that demand you use a specific technology?
DH: Sometimes they have already invested in particular technologies, for good reason, and we work with them to that end, adding value wherever we can. As a general rule, our technology recommendations are driven by what best delivers against the client’s objectives, but also the best way for our creative thinking to be delivered. If that’s a one page checkout screen, then Ajax, or any combined technology might be the best way, but we are always thinking about the end result, the experience of the user and if this helps to build the brand.
PT: Some offl ine brands are looking to create an online presence similar to eBay and MySpace, but they don’t realise that these online brands are just that, online. As such, we’re seeing a collision of offl ine brands versus Web 2.0, which just doesn’t work. It’s actually very similar to the spike we saw with virals a couple of years ago – almost as if everyone is trying desperately to ‘keep up with the Joneses’.
.net: What are the challenges in designing for mobile?
PT: The most important thing is to understand the psychology behind it – what people will and won’t accept through this format.
GI: While the psychology is important, I also think one of the most difficult factors designers often experience is the feeling that they are adding to what can already be a confusing user experience. The number of brands that present themselves to the user within a short period of time is amazing: the handset manufacturer, the network provider, the supplier of any content – all are fighting to represent themselves within a very small space.
.net: What are some of the factors in deciding what work you should pitch for? PT: While we know that we can produce something great for any prospective client, it ultimately comes down to whether this client is willing to embrace it.
DH: We always look to qualify something in a creative way, above and beyond what we have already. We constantly seek to improve our portfolio and this ultimately comes down to the people we work with and whether their vision and desire to do something strong in digital matches ours.
.net: How do you set up a brief with the client?
PT: We insist upon a creative brief, but often this comes from us writing one internally. The client then has approval on it to ensure that we are all on the same page. We’ve found that we have the most productive relationships with clients who like to work closely with their agencies and contribute to the creative process. It normally boils down to people in a room, bouncing ideas off each other.
.net: Where do you want LBi to be in the future?
DH: We want to convince people that creativity and scale are compatible. When you look at brands such as Nike, you can see that being a global brand is not harming the brand itself. LBi gives us the opportunity to redefine what a global digital agency is all about.
.net: Does that mean there’s going to be an LBi recruitment drive?
PT: The design team is a big focus for us right now, and we’re always on the look out for new interns. We also give feedback to anyone who sees us, and sometimes create positions specifically for people.
Comments
Richard H-S / 13/02/2007 / 15:13
These guys sound like they really know their stuff. I bet they are really difficult to get on with and expensive.
Julie / 18/10/2007 / 17:15
It obviously pays to have the best -- I've seen all of their recent comms work -- especially the Sony PS3 stuff and am calling them for my next campaign!
Jon / 25/10/2007 / 13:51
We used LBi recently on a big build and campaign. They delivered well. Its difficult to find big agencies in the UK of this size and capability.
anton / 14/02/2008 / 09:12
if you want good solutions - good customer servicing + real creativity go to a smaller outfit - the company is a corporate sausage machined designed to deliver return on investement to shareholders - don't fall for the marketing and lip gloss - they are up their own bums so far they haven't seen daylight for years.....how do i know? I've worked with them.....
Anton B / 19/02/2008 / 14:48
Just for the record, the above comment isn't mine. A company delivering return on investment to shareholders sounds like a pretty good idea to me. And the people I know working there are more creative than a truck-load of zen visions... how do i know? I've worked for them....
