Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s VP/interactive technology director Scott Prindle discusses the rise of the agency technologist and the increasingly important role that technology plays in advertising campaigns.

In the software world, when a programmer sets out to explore a new programming language, it’s traditional to start with a simple Hello World program. This quick, initial test run simply prints “hello world”, and is the starting point for a journey into the possibilities of the new language.

As media and advertising shift towards digital, it’s becoming common for these Hello World programs to be coded within the walls of advertising agencies – one of the last places you’d expect to find left-brained, logical thinkers from the field of software and computer science.

Software is at the heart of the digital media ecosystem. It’s the logic and algorithms that recommend our books on Amazon, generate our search results on Google, and manage the flow of messages between our closest friends on Facebook. Now, software is an engine for advertising, powering brand applications and utilities for a wide range of interactive experiences.

Four years ago, CP+B said “hello advertising world” and took the initial steps of building out a technology team within the creative advertising environment. At that time, there were only a few technologists on staff thinking about databases, algorithms, and a long list of acronyms like XML, API, and SSL. We were somewhat out of place among the art directors and copywriters who focused on traditional campaigns, and our left-brained thinking and cryptic terminology were foreign to many.

As the world became more digitized, the need for fully integrating technologists into the creative process became increasingly clear. Our ranks have grown significantly and technology now plays a critical role in the agency space. Partnered with the art director and copywriter, the technologist is an upfront leader in the idea-generation process, helping to create fully integrated campaigns that combine storytelling from traditional advertising, with the utility and community of the digital space.

Technology know-how helps in a number of areas. New digital channels are emerging at a very rapid pace, and trying to keep up can be overwhelming. In the last year and a half, social media, mobile, digital out-of-home, and Internet TV have become mainstream media channels. Now we’re seeing the emergence of social search, augmented reality, and the real-time web, and we know that we’ll soon see new technologies that will change the way we interact with consumers.

This is where in-depth knowledge of web technologies helps. Whether it’s a Facebook app, a mobile website, or an SMS-controlled sign in Times Square, understanding technological intricacies allows one to quickly grasp the creative possibilities. The technologist is able to sort the reality from the hype, filter out noise, and provide clear direction on the most promising strategic opportunities. In times of rapid change, this agility is essential.

The technologist also plays an important role in prototyping creative concepts. While the copywriter works through taglines and messaging and the art director sketches out visual comps, the technologist codes working proofs-of-concept. In a fast-paced, creative-driven environment where the end product is an interactive application, it’s important to move quickly from visual comps to a clickable interface. The team can test the user experience, iterate and fine-tune, and get a head start on the production process.

The nature of what we’re making and delivering has changed over the last 18 to 24 months. Brand managers, seeing opportunities to develop longer-term relationships with consumers, are looking to move beyond the well-worn microsite and banner ad models. Advertising dollars are shifting towards the creation of digital brand platforms that live beyond traditional campaign cycles. These platforms support ongoing community, enable e-commerce transaction, enhance in-store retail, and provide interactive utilities to help consumers in their day-to-day lives. The Dominos Pizza Tracker, the recently released Coke Zero Facial Profiler, and the Amex Open Forum small business network fall into this category of services.

Expertise in core information technology principles is necessary for advancing these larger-scale platforms. Here, the technologist leads architecture and planning, and consults with client marketing and IT stakeholders to ensure that applications meet the long-term investment needs of the brand.

We’re all one happy family now at CP+B. We’ve moved beyond the early “hello advertising world” stage of technology integration and are off and running on a journey of innovation and new creative possibilities. Technology-speak flows throughout the agency, and traditional and digital thinkers alike see creative opportunities in the form of apps, mashups, and social experiences.

Technology will continue to bring about transformational change in our business. A culture of curiosity and cross-disciplinary collaboration will inspire the next generation of ideas that reach consumers across the ever-growing digital landscape.

cpbgroup.com