http://www.influxinsights.com/blog/ 2008-11-20T10:56:40Z http://www.influxinsights.com/blog/article/1780/ad-agencies-and-innovation.html It's somewhat surprising with all the creative and strategic people employed by ad agencies, how poor the industry is at innovating.<br><br>It's something we seem to demand from our clients, but are terrible at doing ourselves. <br><br>Most of the energies are focused on short-term brand ideas, not new platforms, formats or business ideas that can be of mutual benefit to client and agency alike. <br><br>Are we simply too occupied in the present, to build for the future? <br><br>Is <b>Havas </b>about to change the game?<br><br><b>Umair Haque</b> well known for his provocative writing on business strategy and the media business over at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bubblegeneration.com/"><b>Bubble Generation </b></a><b></b>has been picked to lead the <b>Havas Media Lab. </b><br><br>Umair writes that the creation of the lab is a response to other things not working. <br><br><i><b>"The Lab happened because I don't think any of the standard models - venture funds, corporates, firms, etc - can really make it happen (or else it would be happening). <br><br>Hence, the need for a new kind of entity, which is focused on driving new ideas - but also focused on igniting experimentation and discovery."<br><br></b></i>It remains to be seen exactly what this turns into and if it has the power to create genuinely new and valuable ideas. <br><br><br>Posted by Ed Cotton Influx Insights 2008-02-08T09:52:30Z