digital sparks ATLs to expand their offering: Creative Technologists cash in

By Neil Clements, Major Players recruiter for digital technical jobs
 
As above-the-line agencies up their game in an attempt to increase their online offering and compete with pure-play agencies, one candidate is in demand; the Creative Technologist. Whilst they may at present be in short supply, the future looks bright as their numbers increase, with 52% of those registering doing so since January 2010. However, as their demand increases and digital provokes agencies to expand online, can they keep up?

A new breed of techie
Whilst the candidates are in short supply and the briefs are coming in thick and fast the figures for 2011 are encouraging. With over half of our Creative Technologists registering over the last year- our consultants expect to see this figure increase over the forthcoming months as candidates catch up with the market. These figures are further bolstered when you consider that a LinkedIn group for the profession was only established earlier this year and its membership is steadily gathering momentum. This new role has been born out of a need for technologically skilled individuals with a creative mind to deliver innovative digital solutions with flair and commercial value.

So why is their demand increasing?
Back in 2007, Managing Director of Iris, Sam Noble said of the expansion of digital “Everybody is going to have to a crack at it now; with varying degrees of success and commitment, we argue that hardly anybody is equipped to actually do it.” This was certainly an accurate reflection at the time, and whilst the majority of agencies are even now, still a long way off from becoming fully integrated there has been some movement. Above the line agencies are now really waking up to digital and aspiring to integration, this is clear just from the number of digital briefs we’ve been receiving from such agencies – many are taking steps to set up in-house digital teams.

Want to see a good example of creativity and technology converging? Check out the video below of Jonathan Harris and Sep Kamvar's innovative dating creation....



True integration?
When discussing the implications of ATL agencies and their digital developments, Creative Technologist at Wieden + Kennedy, Romans Dobzanskis said “ATL agencies will become equipped with the expertise needed to convince their existing clients that they are capable of doing digital work, which may take a few or more digital briefs away from digital agencies, if their digital output is as good as that of a pure-play agency. Clients would rather engage with one agency that offers integrated work, than having to manage two separate entities.” It’s as a result of this that Creative Technologists are not only being employed to produce and apply creative solutions but also in a consultative capacity, hence their rise in demand.

Technological advancements
But it’s not just the fact that agencies want to integrate and expand their offering to clients, it’s also the recent technological advancements which have dominated the market over the last couple of years. “The current market is being flooded every day with new technologies, web apps, mobile apps, frameworks, etc. So, someone (a CT) with an ability to keep up with it, understand it and translate it into new ideas or solutions is very important. A Creative Technologist is not just a developer with a creative flair; they are the entrepreneur of the now and a technology / innovation trend setter of tomorrow."

How to get involved
The majority of Creative Technologists come from a technical background and usually have experience of using Android, Flash, HTML/5 and CSS. However, this is not to say that any programmer can move into this area, this is partly due to what will be required of you and also due to your working environment – you will be working alongside Project Managers and Designers daily so it is essential that you come from a creative or design background and are able to communicate effectively. It’s also best not to be a specialist, try to position yourself as a “technology developer” and keep an open mind for new and emerging technologies.

As we’ve seen, this calibre of candidate is on the rise; however the velocity of digital may just be too much for the Creative Technologist to keep up with, as agencies continue to take greater steps towards integration. As a result we may begin to see a more considerable shortfall in this combination of skills.

So, if you are a Creative Technologist looking to make your next career move then get in touch, register or search for the latest jobs.Or if you’re hunting down one of these gold dust candidates then why not submit a brief or speak with one of our specialist consultants.

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