Decrying the agency of silos, he also stressed that, "Today's talent is all over the map," coming from all disciplines. "Thinking, ideas can come from all sectors."

Agencies are being asked to do more than at any time in history, Wacksman said, noting that there has been more change in the past nine months than in nine years - in media and the way it's consumed; in clients cutting budgets and thereby squeezing agencies; in business being comoditized; and in everybody trying to reinvent everything. All industries are challenged, he said, giving an example of how the business of buying selling and listening to music has changed.

Digital is now key to just about everything - "It fits into the lifestyle," Wacksman, who also discussed social media and mobile as part of today's knowledge needs for developing campaigns. Wacksman used examples, particularly of R/GA's client Nike, to show how his agency - considered one of the top digital agencies in the U.S. - targeted Nike's changing audiences, and, in doing so, helped grow Nike's market share by 20%.

Whether targeting runners who listen to music, or high school football players for a Head2Head program, or integrating ways that a shoe design can be changed, "Nike is changing the way people shop," said Wacksman. "It is customizing its products so it's important for the customer and makes him or her more loyal," he said.