Why is the company called Anomaly?
Anomaly is a response to the widespread recognition in the industry that "the models are all broken" and "the traditional solutions are all becoming less and less effective." From the company's inception, we realized intuitively that, in order to succeed, we needed to create an entity that was, literally, an "Anomaly" – something that deviates from the norm or from expectations.
To that end, Anomaly possesses an extremely diverse and elastic set of skills; operates on a progressive and entrepreneurial business model; focuses on creating business solutions; and lastly, has broken down traditional silos through a single bottom line – so as opposed to the status quo, mega-mall-esque conglomerations of specialty service providers, we can offer our partners solutions that are untainted by financial bias.
What makes Anomaly different from a traditional agency?
The typical agency views a client's needs through the lens of its own core capabilities and fixed resources. As a result, despite the complexity and diversity of the client's problems, the agency invariably arrives at the same solution.
This shouldn't be a surprise, since, from the agencies' point-of-view, the client "must" do advertising, or design, or digital etc., because that is the service the agency is designed to provide and the one that affords it the greatest profit.
On the other hand, while Anomaly is more than capable of doing "traditional communications," we're not ideologically or infrastructurally compelled to, because our business model permits us to manifest our capabilities and choose our resources through the lens of the business issue or opportunity.
How is Anomaly different from an all-star team put together by an agency holding company?
Holding companies tend to be a collection of silo-like fiefdoms based on individual disciplines – the ad agency, the design group, the media department, the direct marketing division, etc. – that all have different P&Ls and agendas.
What this means for the client is that the resulting end product of their collaboration isn't necessarily an objectively conceived, truly innovative solution, but more likely and unfortunately, a discipline-centric solution that is awkwardly integrated across channels as best as possible.
In the case of Anomaly, we are in a constant drive to recruit and retain some of the world's best talent from a wide range of backgrounds. We all share a common goal, and a single bottom line that's influenced by our passion for solving business issues and capturing opportunities. Consequently, we contend that the best solution is the most effective and appropriate solution, regardless of whether or not it occupies one or more categories in the advertising award show circuit.
What's the benefit of a diverse range of skills?
"To a man with a hammer, every problem is a nail."
At its simplest, the breadth of skills we possess allows us to recommend what is right for the specific business challenge rather than reflect a bias to a particular discipline like 'advertising' or 'digital' or 'PR'.
Not a jack-of-all-trades approach, but a collection of very high-level people working together who understand that the really big ideas can come from anywhere. Collaboration and mutual respect are critical: while our skill set is diverse, what unites our team is the rare combination of high talent and low ego.
Overlay on that the prospect of ideas that seamlessly flow and build across channels and the benefits are clear.
How does Anomaly think about media?
Today, everything is media.
The lines between creative and media have blurred, unpaid media is increasingly important, and what constitutes 'media' is harder to define.
Is an app creative or media? What about social media? Is building a technology-based platform a media buy? How can I make more out of my retail presence? Why should I pay to go on television when I can put a film on YouTube? Am I even asking the right questions?
Within this complexity, though, lies great opportunity. Architecting a multimedia program, with equal emphasis on flair and accountability, offers the possibility of greater effectiveness than ever before.
That philosophy, along with great clients, has enabled Anomaly to win the Gold Effie for Media two years running. Being proven innovative, creative, and effective in media strategy is an accomplishment we're proud of, and is something that lies at the heart of virtually all of our work.
Who is Anomaly's competition?
Because the Anomaly model is so drastically different, there is no single entity that we see as a competitor. Frankly, we're much more focused on collaboration than competition. Anomaly champions collaboration, so we'll work with anyone and everyone in order to generate the best solutions.
Why doesn’t Anomaly do time sheets?
Since our founding, we have never done a time sheet. We do not believe in the practice of selling time.
At best, selling time is a commoditizing force that encourages agencies to staff more and take longer to deliver - at worst, selling time is selling a lie.
Anomaly does not sell time. Rather we sell the value of our output.
Some ask how do you do this? How do you prove value?
The answer is simple: You deliver more value than you are getting paid and you back the quality of your ideas in the marketplace with performance bonuses.
That places all the pressure on Anomaly, but we like pressure, and even more we like the honesty and simplicity of willing buyer and willing seller.
This approach fosters an internal culture that values doing what is right for the business. A culture that hunts for the best solution and focuses on delivering a result vs. delivering a service.
