DigitasLBi decides against IPA membership renewal in blow to membership body's digital ambitions

“It goes without saying that we have the greatest respect for the IPA and everything it has achieved over the years. However, the speed at which our industry is evolving requires us to be brave. It requires us to take a more flexible, iterative and ultimately independent approach to the business challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” the letter explained.

“In order for us to stay ahead of the competition, we need to look outside our industry for inspiration. We need to look towards the start-ups, the risk-takers, the rule breakers, the pioneers of the new and as yet undefined marketing frontier.

Pillai continued: “As you all know we are a restless and deeply entrepreneurial organisation that continually rallies against the status quo; we strive to create a dynamic and collaborative culture that encourages new and unconventional kinds of talent to flourish; we embrace emerging business models, thought processes and working practices – all of course in pursuit of helping our clients master their digital journeys.

“While the IPA’s pedigree in supporting the advertising industry’s most established and well respected organisations is well known, it’s our desire, as an agency that has often defied convention, to give something new a try – after all it’s in our DNA. I’m not saying we have all the answers, but we’re excited about asking the questions in new and interesting ways,” the letter outlined, before stating that Pillai still planned to work with the IPA on an informal capacity in the future."

Speaking to The Drum, the IPA’s director general Paul Bainsfair confirmed that the agency had decided not to renew but did not rule out the possibility that they would return to the fold in the future.

“Their decision was based upon the fact that the vast majority of their business and activity sits outside the pure play communications world and is more about providing creative technology solutions to their clients,” he explained.

It is understood that the IPA, which is seen as a membership body for 'traditional' advertising agencies, has been encouraging digital agencies to sign up as digital has taken more of a hold over the marketing services industry in recent years, as it aimed to become the main membership body for the sector. The membership of DigitasLBi was seen as a calling card that might convince other major industry players such as Akqa, Razorfish and SapientNitro as potential members.