No.Media, creative, planning, research, strategy, retail agreements, shelf placement, pricing, packaging, customer service, brand health, not mention product... there are too many variables to hold any one agency fully responsible for the net number that is total sales.
As I responded on his blog, my answer is that it depends upon what the agency promises. If they promise to move the needle, then that's what they need to deliver. I don't think that everything needs to be directly tied to immediate sales, but if advertising doesn't increase sales in the long run, you have to ask why you're doing it. Tony Hsieh, speaking at the Word of Mouth Supergenius conference made this point:
Take the money you would spend on advertising and put it into making a great experience.
I think that many companies should at least think about this. If they at least thought about it, even without doing it, they might think of new ways to improve their experience which would in turn increase the success of their advertising.
Now the good news for Old Spice, Jon has some updated numbers and they look pretty good:
The brand's ad agency Wieden + Kennedy developed and coordinated 186 customized video responses that contributed to a 107% increase in Old Spice Body Wash sales over the last month, according to Nielsen data from Mike Norton, director of external relations for male grooming at P&G.
That's a pretty spectacular increase. And if that kind of growth keeps up, well Old Spice and W+K will both have a bona fide hit on their hands. Product + advertising + sales is the trifecta all brands should be looking to hit.
We'll have to keep watching to see how this works out for Old Spice. It would be great to see all of this conversation lead to engagement and sales.
Should advertising be accountable for total sales? - Jon Burg's Future Visions.
Old Spice goes beyond hot-man-in-towel approach to boost sales - PRWeek US.
A New Thought About Old Spice - Polinchock's Ponderings.
Can Old Spice Deliver Through Its Product? - Polinchock's Ponderings.