Who is really digitally integrated?

All agencies claim it, but...

I spent this morning reviewing sites from 'integrated digital agencies'.... every single one of the 10 or so talked strategy, but showed tactical execution in the portfolio. All talked about offering an integrated on/off line service but it was clear that their business and their heart lay in digital.

Claims that include 'integrated' and 'strategic' are now devalued terms... basically it's like 'quality' or 'passion'... you just have to quote it. Question is how on earth, without wasting a day on 'informal' chemistry meetings can you sort out the strategic wheat from the tactical chaff?

I went searching for truly convincing 'integrated' propositions, but I didn't find one – at least not my terms of reference which was an agency outside the major networks and big London 'names' able to convince me that they could make sense of all consumer/customer touchpoints in the context of a strategic business agenda and then devise a media neural strategy which they could then, in part or full execute.

Perhaps it's too much to ask of any one agency, or maybe I just want to think that way because it suits our business model?

Martin McInnes, The Church Agency