2011 Forecast: 100 Global Trends That Will Drive Consumer Behavior

December 27, 2010

Concise and helpful information for prospective clients regarding the trends that will impact consumer behavior in 2011 and positioning as an advertising leader for JWT.

JWT has released its sixth annual year-end forecast of key trends that will drive or significantly impact consumer behaviour in the year ahead. The result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research conducted throughout the year and pulling from the input of more than 50 trend-scouts around the world.  JWT is a believer in scoping out trends through its JWT Intelligence unit.

In their sixth annual year-end forecast of trends for the near future, technology is the overriding theme, driving many of our trends and at the center of others. The economy also continues to be a common thread. As a companion to their 88-page report, JWT created a 2-minute teaser video that gives a quick rundown of the top 10 trends for 2011.

Headquartered in New York, JWT is a true global network with more than 200 offices in over 90 countries. They employ some 10,000 marketing professionals.

JWT consistently ranks among the top agency networks in the world and continues its dominant presence in the industry by staying on the leading edge—from producing the first-ever TV commercial in 1939 to developing award-winning branded content for brands such as Freixenet, Ford and HSBC.

Check out JWT”s slideshow of  ’100 Things to Watch in 2011,’ or to download the presentation with fully functioning links, click here.

7 Comments | Agency Leadership, New Business Trends, Positioning, Promotion | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

What do ad agencies, Pomplamoose and Hyundai have in common with social media?

December 22, 2010

Social media stuff allows for endless opportunities for individual, small groups, businesses and of course, my favorite agency new business. It levels the playing field.

Thanks to social media, Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn are hitting the big time  with their videosong Christmas ads for Hyundai. A remake of  ”Up On the Housetop” very similar their quirky pop videos they’ve been creating on YouTube since 2008. After hearing to one of their commercials I was smitten and searched for more of their material.

The duo started making music together in the summer of ’08, and decided to form a band. Pomplamoose (which means grapefruit in French). The group, comprised solely of Jack and Nataly, have performed a grand total of two live shows ever. The pair has garnered their fame from YouTube and MySpace and perform all parts on every track.  They are as visually gifted as they are musically.

Check out another Pomplamoose song that has generated over 1 million hits on YouTube, Expiration Date

You can learn more about this duo through their social media sites and activities that I’ve collected for your convenience.

To fully enjoy Pomplamoose the best thing to do is scroll down these links, watch their videos, listen to their music and enjoy them yourself:

Leave a Comment » | New Business Tools, New Business Trends, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

6 Reasons Why You Should Replace Your Paper Business Cards for Ad Agency New Business

December 21, 2010

The traditional method of networking with business cards is one of the most cost-effective means of marketing your agency but the online version provides greater opportunities for new business.

Online business cards allows an easier and more efficient way to share, receive, organize and even track your cards than their printed counterpart.  Online business card services are now providing programs that mimics the action of handing out a paper business card as close as possible. All that is needed to share your card is an email address.

“No more stacks of cards on your desk. Paperless business cards are good for the environment, but they are also easier to carry, unlimited — you’ll never run out when you’re networking at an event or conference and you have a card ready  for instant connections,  for each context, every situation and any kind of person you meet in real life.”

A service that I recommend is MyNameIsE, essentially a mobile social network of business cards. E plays well with the services that contain all of your content such as your LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Skype or other social media accounts like Foursquare, SoundCloud or Flickr. It supports over 50 social media platforms.

With E you can store notes, tags, ratings and the geolocation of everybody you meet or send cards to. From your free account on their website you can view all of this information from your user interface. Here you can also create new cards, one for each occasion and manage them all from one location.

If your card recipient doesn’t have an E account you can send your card directly by email. Recipients receive a nice card with your logo, contact information and social networking profiles. They can store the card directly to the Outlook, Entourage accounts or on their smart phone through E’s vCard support.

You can use E’s new apps to share your card directly, peer-to-peer, from phone to phone. You can even share your card with multiple people at the same time if they have our app installed.

6 reasons why you should replace your paper cards:

  1. Never run out of cards. Ever left your business cards at home or back at the hotel room? Started to hand out cards but didn’t have enough? Had to put a line through inaccurate information and handwrite in the new? Look through your pockets for a prospects card only to discover you lost it? Having an online card solves these problems.
  2. Make notes and tags. Just like your printed business cards, you can add simple notes to the electronic version. You can also add tags to index a person and even rate them as a prospect.
  3. Expand your social networks. You can easily add all of your primary social networks to your cards for card recipients to easily connect with you.
  4. Remembering the place. The online version of your business card can tell you the location from where the card was received.
  5. Easily save card information. Cards that are received can be saved immediately to your phone, computer or other device through the standard vCard (.vcf) format. No more having to type or scan in card info when you return from business trips.
  6. Mobile Connection. You can use any smart phone and exchange cards with multiple people from phone to phone instantly. Phone apps make this service even easier to use.

Click the link to take a tour or sign-up for MyNameIsE . You can connect with me or download my vCard info through my online card at this link: http://www.mynameise.com/michaelgass

Leave a Comment » | Best Practices, Digital, New Business Tactics, New Business Tools, New Business Trends | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

4 Presentation Tips from Lee Iacocca for Ad Agency New Business

December 20, 2010

The former Chrysler CEO’s speech writing team provides some useful information for how ad agency executives can inspire their staffs, clients and prospective clients by the spoken word.

“Lee” Iacocca is an American businessman and pitchman, known for his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s. He served as President and CEO from 1978 and additionally as chairman from 1979, until his retirement at the end of 1992. He is one of the most famous business people in the world

Iacocca’s business success—saving Chrysler and reinvigorating the American automobile industry in the 1980s—has also become a staple of B-school “case studies.” And most analysts agree a key ingredient—what Iacocca himself called “my most important management tool” —was the spoken word. “I used that tool every day,” Iacocca wrote.

Speechwriter, Jeff Porro, wrote a recent article regarding how Iacocca’s used speaking ability to bring success to Chrysler. He interviewed two members of Iococca’s speech writing team. The following  4 presentation tips are just a small portion of the rich takeaway’s you glean from reading Jeff’s entire article:

 

 

  1. Motive: “In every speech I give, the object is to motivate. You can deliver information in a letter or tack it on a bulletin board.” He wanted to know what we wanted to accomplish with each particular audience: the point he wanted to make, the behavior he wanted to influence, the actions he wanted them to take.
  2. Rehearse: Iacocca understood how overwhelmingly important it was to persuade and put a huge amount of effort into each speech. He put in the hours to rehearse and revise each speech, his delivery was so smooth, natural and relaxed, it could sound ad-libbed.
  3. Tell a Story: A good speech is a story.” Iacocca knew that everything having to do with communication was a story. “Iacocca was a great at telling stories with a beginning, a strong middle, and an end.”
  4. Keep it Simple: He stayed far away from corporate-speak. Says Tsigdinos: “Simple but effective. That’s what we strove for. No convoluted language. He was great at making direct statements that people could remember.”

 

Speechwriter Jeff Porro (www.porrollc.com) helps executives prepare effective speeches and presentations. Click on the following link to read the full version of Jeff’s article, “For today’s CEOs, lessons from master speaker Lee Iacocca”

Additional articles that may be of interest:

3 Comments | Agency Leadership, Best Practices, Fuel for Thought, Pitches, Speaking | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Welt Branding: Fuel Lines’s Ad Agency Blog of the Month

December 16, 2010

“It is the people who figure out how to work simply in the present, rather than the people who mastered the complexities of the past, who get to say what happens in the future.” Clay Shirky

Out of a list of 30 agency blogs, Cincinnati, Ohio agency, Welt Branding, has been chosen as Fuel Lines’s Ad Agency Blog of the Month for November. Their blog, Welt’s Weekly Smackdown! received 45% of the 179 votes cast. Second in the voting was Sparksheet, Spafax Interactive, Toronto, Ontario, CA.

At Welt Branding, we contend that nobody’s an “expert” in social media. How can you master a landscape that is always shifting? However, you can be a marketing professional. Social media is simply a marketing tool that marketing professionals can use.

We use social media and blogging as tools to drive results. Some companies think just having these devices is enough; it isn’t. To use the tools as intended, requires constant monitoring and regular updates. We develop your resources and get the most out of them.

With a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, we have built communities that strengthen our web surface area. Our blogs also create community, but provide a better venue for targeting audiences.

Welt’s Smackdown is a mix of topical news with marketing twists and tips. Are you tech savvy? Do you have an interest in marketing? Then Generation Nerd is for you. This blog is built for the latest marketing tech news. On Lab Smack, we are working with the University of Cincinnati marketing students to get a college perspective on marketing.

Post on our Facebook wall at Welt Branding
Tweet us at  WeltBrand
Or join our LinkedIn group at Welt Branding: Challenge

Welt Branding’s blog will automatically be included in Fuel Line’s Ad Agency Blog of the Year.

Fuel Line’s Blog of the Month not only provides examples of agency blogs but it is an opportunity for agencies to showcase their blog and participation in social media, generating traffic and interest in their site.

How is your agency using a blog for your new business? Submit it for December’s blog of the month.

Ad agencies all need an integrated social media strategy if they are ever going to see the payoff from their participation in social media. An agency blog should be the central component. The place you can drive targeted online traffic through SEO, Twitter, email newsletters, Facebook and LinkedIn.

A blog becomes the “gateway” to your agency and the“face” of your agency. As important as it was to have an agency website, it is now equally important to have an agency blog.

But … having a blog isn’t something you check off your list of social media “to do list.” Nor is it a place to lead with agency capabilities and credentials. It must be of benefit to your audience.

Here is a collection of agency blogging resources:

Leave a Comment » | Agency Blogs | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

16 of the Top Quotes from Fast Company’s The Future of Advertising

December 13, 2010

 

Highlighting an article that helps you gain a better perspective to the changes and challenges impacting the advertising industry as well as your agency’s ability to attract future new business.

As author Clay Shirky has said, “It is the people who figure out how to work simply in the present, rather than the people who mastered the complexities of the past, who get to say what happens in the future.”

One of the richest and most important articles on advertising I’ve read this year was Fast Company’s,“The Future of Advertising.” I highly recommend it. I must have re-read it at least 5 times already and I glean something new from it each time.

Knowing the tendency of the majority of online readers to scan, I want to provide an incentive for you to read word-for-word, this excellent, but lengthy, 5,700+ word article. As I was trying to put together a “Readers Digest” version I was impressed by the insights just from the quotes within the article.

Here’s my list of the top 16 quotes from The Future of Advertising:

  1. “Digital will fuck you up and the way your agencies are built to make money, staff things, price things. You guys have to change your DNA, and you’re going to have tough decisions.” Instructor form Hyper Island, a school based in Sweden that has gained recognition for producing some of the greatest digital talent in the ad industry
  2. “Here we go again, first the news business, then the music business, then advertising. Is there any industry I get involved in that doesn’t get destroyed by digital technology?” Andy Nibley, former CEO of: ad agency Marsteller  and the digital arms of both Reuters and Universal Music
  3. “Creating more work for less money is the big paradox,” says Matt Howell, president of the Boston agency Modernista
  4. “Our power has been matched and, in some categories, rivaled by user influence,” Nick Brien, CEO of Interpublic Group’s McCann
  5. “The irony is that while there have never been more ways to reach consumers, it’s never been harder to connect with consumers,” explains Jakeman, now chief creative officer at Activision, the gaming company
  6. “Marketing in the future is like sex. Only the losers will have to pay for it.” Jon Bond, cofounder of Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners
  7. “With infinite ad inventory on the Internet, you just can’t have people do [media planning] anymore, it’s now being done by a piece of software.” Dan Salmon, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets
  8. “Many agencies are hanging on to this idea that creativity is theirs to own and sell.” Harley CMO Mark-Hans Richer
  9. “[Victors & Spoils] offered a great place to start versus sitting across from a creative who spent weeks crafting the perfect idea and gets upset if you want to change a word. I think the new model is scary because all of us in the ad industry want to feel, at least from a creative point of view, that we have something no one else has. So if you’re really good at it, you had to go to Creative Circus or Portfolio Center; you had to pay for it. Then you had to toil to get into a good shop. Then you had to get lucky to get on the good briefs. For someone to come out and say, ‘We think a lot of people can offer great ideas’ means, ‘What, I’m not special?’ “ Victors & Spoils chief creative officer Evan Fry
  10. Referring to the possibilities of digital, “There’s never been a better time to be in advertising, and there’s never been a worse time.” Aaron Reitkopf, North American CEO of digital agency Profero
  11. ” There’s only one thing everyone agrees on, and that’s that there is too much excess: too many people, too many of the wrong kinds of people, too much bloat, too much inefficiency. And this in an industry that has laid off more than 160,000 people in the past two years. Ohhhh,the carnage is going to be awesome.” Aaron Reitkopf, North American CEO of digital agency Profero
  12. “In our business, whenever there’s a disruption, our clients need guidance.” CEO Michael Roth, Interpublic Group
  13. “In the early days, digital was always an afterthought, so we didn’t acknowledge the true cost. We sold wrong, we neglected to put digital-savvy people in our new business roles. Instead of building digital things that had utility, we approached it from a messaging mind-set and put messaging into the space. It took us a while to realize that project management in the digital space is completely different.”Edward Boches, Mullen’s chief innovative officer
  14. “We still don’t know how to monetize what we do. We don’t monetize ourselves properly, so we don’t hit our margins.” Peter McGuinness, CEO of Gotham
  15. “In a world where media spend is in inexorable decline, and where advertising per se is an endangered species, [agencies] don’t know where to turn,” he says. “The realization of the nightmare is under way. And that nightmare is the utter collapse of the business model.” Bob Garfield, advertising-industry pundit and author of The Chaos Scenario
  16. “When media and communications planning have become more important than ever, why are our media agencies further (physically and philosophically) from the people who create advertising?” Brian Perkins, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of Johnson & Johnson

I would encourage you to take the time to read Danielle Sack’s article in its entirety, “The Future of Advertising,” to learn how Mullen, which laid off 100 workers during the recession has hired twice that number and landed such progressive brand accounts as Zappos and JetBlue.

Danielle invites you to Tweet your answer to the question, “What is the Future of Advertising?” by using the hashtag #adfuture.

14 Comments | Agency Leadership, Digital, Fuel for Thought, New Business Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Fuel Lines’ Ad Agency Blog of the Month for November 2010

December 9, 2010

The following 30 agency blogs have been submitted for Fuel Lines’ Ad Agency Blog of the Month for November.

Review and vote for your favorite. The winner will be featured in Fuel Lines article and included in the voting for agency blog of the year.

Cast your VOTE by CLICKING HERE

The agency blogs submitted for the month of November:

  1. 5 to 9 Branding, Cameron Christopher Thomas Advertising, Denver, CO
  2. Bill’s B2 Blog, Mintz & Hoke Communications Group, Avon, CT
  3. Blogmaster 2000, mediaRif, Kaysville, UT
  4. Creative Triage, ABZ Design Group, Charlotte, NC
  5. Daily Axioms, Axiom Marketing, Bloomington, MN
  6. Digitally Approved, Fanscape Inc., Los Angeles, CA
  7. Emotivator, Emotive Brand, San Francisco, CA
  8. Energy Efficiency Marketing, Kelliher Samets Volk, Burlington, VT
  9. Engauge Blog, Atlanta, GA
  10. Fluid’s Big Idea Blog, Fluid Studio, Salt Lake City, UT
  11. Kelsey Pulse, Kelsey Advertising & Design, LaGrange, GA
  12. L&S Unscripted, Lawrence & Schiller, Sioux Falls, SD
  13. Marketing OC Blog, MarketingOC, Orange, CA
  14. MediaCom Beyond Advertising, MediaCom, London, UK
  15. Nology, Nology Media, Seattle, WA
  16. Oh no, not another agency blog, Brokaw Inc., Cleveland, OH
  17. Outside Voice, Origin Design + Communications, Whistler, B.C., Canada
  18. Overdrive eMarketing Blog, Overdrive Interactive, Boston, MA
  19. Priority Integrated Marketing Blog, Priority Integrated Marketing, Minneapolis, MN
  20. PubliGestion’s Bloggers’ Block, PubliGestion, Petion-Ville, Haiti
  21. Smart Marketing with Larry Weintraub, Fanscape, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
  22. Sparksheet, Spafax, Toronto, ON, Canada
  23. Spring Blog, Spring Advertising, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  24. The Green Detectives, Enviromedia, Austin, TX
  25. The Lead, Padilla Speer Beardsley, Minneapolis | New York
  26. Third Degree Creative, Third Degree Advertising & Communications, Oklahoma City, OK
  27. The Reach Blog, Reach Marketing, Irving, TX
  28. Trendspottings, NOISE, Milwaukee, WI
  29. We Think. We Can. Blog, Murdoch Marketing, Holland, MI
  30. Welt’s Weekly Smack Down!,Welt Branding, Cincinnati, OH

    Fuel Lines Agency Blog of the Month for October: B2B Ideas @ Work, MLT Creative, Metro Atlanta, GA

    If you would like to submitted your agency’s blog for next month’s vote, send me an email and include:

    • In your email’s subject line – Blog of the Month
    • Blog title:
    • URL:
    • Agency Name:
    • City/State:

    Some additional agency blogging resources:

    Leave a Comment » | Agency Blogs | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
    Posted by Michael Gass

    QR Codes for Ad Agency New Business

    December 8, 2010

     

    Agencies need to stay ahead of the curve and have a better understanding of the power of digital codes with the  rising popularity of QR codes and the predicted boom for smart phone adoption rates.

    QR Codes have great potential for advertisers and marketers. Though early, it is clear that they will also have great promise as a tool for ad agency new business.

    According to Mashable, at least half of North Americans have been exposed to a digital barcode otherwise most popularly known as a QR code.

    If you are new to QR Codes a simple Wikipedia definition:

    A QR Code is a matrixbarcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with acamera, and smartphones that came into being in 1994. QR is the abbreviation for Quick Response, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.

    The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.

    While already popular in Japan, consumers in the United States are becoming more familiar with QR codes and what to do with them. If you’re unfamiliar with the business potential of QR codes, use the following 6 articles as a crash course in how to get started.

    1. Why QR Codes Are Poised to Hit the Mainstream an excellent article by Mashable associate editor, Jennifer Van Grove, providing an overview of the potential for QR codes, an introduction to some popular smart phone apps, like Sticky Bits, that offers a tons of  potential for brands and marketers.
    2. New Browser Extension Generates 2D Barcodes On the Fly.  TECHScanLife, maker of mobile barcode/QR code scanning applications, recently released  a browser extension that lets users generate 2D barcodes — EZCode, QR code and Datamatriz — for any website, URL or image as they browse.
    3. URL Shortener Bit.ly Now Generates QR Codes, Too. URL shortening service bit.ly users can now automatically generate QR codes that, when scanned with a mobile QR code reader, automatically direct users to shortened links.
    4. HOW TO: Create and Deploy Your Own QR Codes. A very practical article that shows you how to create QR Codes for yourself. A super basic, step-by-step guide on how to create and deploy your own scannable messages.
    5. HOW TO: Use QR Codes for Small Business Marketing.  A very basic article for the use of QR codes for small business and links to QR code resources.
    6. 5 Unique Uses for QR Codes. Dana Oshiro provides some cool uses for QR codes that can help to unlock your thinking to their potential.

    Here are some ideas for using QR Codes for ad agency new business:

    • Put a QR code containing your business contact details on your business cards.
    • Connect your printed agency promotional material to your mobile web site or special landing page with a Tag or a QR code.
    • Use a QR code as an electronic ticket for a special event.
    • Create a QR code on your agency’s web site to provide a quick link for viewers to your mobile site.
    • Use a QR code or Tag to collect prospective client email addresses to build a mailing list.
    • Include a QR code from your Keynote or Power point presentation to your preferred social profile.
    • Create a AR code on T-shirts to your agency’s blog or web site’s RSS feed.
    • Print a QR code on to a coupon for special discount or service (free market audit, brand evaluation, etc).

    3 Comments | New Business Trends, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
    Posted by Michael Gass

    Ad Agency CEO’s Blog – The Ad Contrarian

    December 8, 2010

    Social Media = transparency and you can’t be more transparent than ad agency CEO Bob Hoffman

    Recently I was introduced to the blog, The Ad Contrarian, cranky opinions and advice from the CEO of a pretty big ad agency. Bob Hoffman the author is CEO of Hoffman/Lewis advertising in San Francisco and St. Louis. He is the author of the book by the same name, The Ad Contrarian. Bob has a growing following as one fan recently wrote, “Your no b.s., take-no-prisoners approach to our business is entertaining, informative, and spot-on…”

    You see a personal side of Bob through his blog.  Blogging has given him a platform to express himself like non other.  Bob is blatantly honest about our industry. He doesn’t hold back on his opinions.

    The Ad Contrarian Says: 

    “In American business, there is nothing stupider than the previous generation of management.”

    “We don’t get them to try our product by convincing them to love our brand. We get them to love our brand by convincing them to try our product.”

    “Brand studies last for months, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and generally have less impact on business than cleaning the drapes.”

    “If the message is right, who cares what screen people see it on? If the message is wrong, what difference does it make?”

    “Account planning has gotten way out of control. We’ve got to kill them all and start over.”

    “In the entire history of civilization, nothing good ever happened to a teenager after midnight.”

    “There’s no bigger sucker than a gullible marketer convinced he’s missing a trend.”

    “All ad campaigns are branding campaigns. Whether you intend it to be a branding campaign is irrelevant. It will create an impression of your brand regardless of your intent.”

    “Nobody ever got famous predicting that things would stay pretty much the same.”

    The more I read his post the more I like him. If I were on the client side, Bob’s blog would go a long way to winning my business. People want to work with people they know, people they like and people they can trust. This is what The Ad Contrarian does for Bob.

    If I were developing new business for Hoffman/Lewis advertising I guarantee I would be using Bob’s blog as the “gateway” to the agency. I would introduce prospective clients to Bob first. He is the face of the agency. He wont be appealing to everyone but to a great number of prospective clients he will have a strong appeal.

    If you are an agency CEO and don’t have a blog, you are missing a prime opportunity to develop a following of loyal fans, ready to do business with you and your agency.

    bhr1

    A sampling of Bob’s blog posts:

    2 Comments | New Business Talents, New Business Tools, New Business Trends, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
    Posted by Michael Gass

    Large Ad Agencies Coming Out of the Recession in Good Shape for New Business

    December 7, 2010

    Small to midsize ad agencies should take note of how the big agencies have reconfigured themselves to take advantage of the changing advertising landscape and make some changes of their own.

    If you thought the big advertising agencies like Omnicom, the WPP Group, Interpublic (IPG), and Publicis are going the way of the dinosaur, you would be sadly mistaken. The demise of the big agencies has been widely perceived but is far from reality.

    Big agencies have felt the wrath of the great recession just like agencies of all sizes. Like us all, they have also watched the disappearance of 15% media commissions and dramatic shifts in marketing budgets to digital and the rabid rise in popularity of social media. They didn’t bury their heads in the sand or rest on their laurels, big agencies have been busy preparing and plotting throughout the recession, not just to remain as a necessity but to gain even more market share.

    In a recent Bloomberg Business Week article, “Don Draper’s Revenge”, staff writer, Felix Gillette, shares the advantages larger agencies are having over their smaller counterparts. This should be a wakeup call to all of the small to midsize advertising agencies and creative shops.

    “The big guys with their lumbering overseers at the holding companies are not only dumb, they are also as good as dead. It all sounds great, at least to the Technorati. The only problem is, it’s not remotely true.” Felix Gillette

    Here are some of the highlights from Felix’s article:

    • In October, the Big Four advertising agency holding companies—Omnicom, the WPP Group, Interpublic (IPG), and Publicis reported their quarterly earnings. Across the board, revenues were up.
    • Looking at decade-long period trends, there is little evidence of the big agencies decline.
    • All of the Big Four are hiring, prompting columnist Jim Edwards to write a recent post on BNET with the headline: “Help Wanted: Madison Avenue Is Hiring Like Crazy and Bonuses Are on the Rise.”
    • During 2009, the Big Four combined brought in $16.71 billion in revenue in the U.S., according to Advertising Age, more than double the $8 billion spent on digital display advertising in U.S. in the same year, across all companies.
    • The global holding companies continue to tinker with the mix of services in their portfolios and aren’t shy about using their resources to acquire little artist colonies to plug holes in their offerings.
    • In addition to stockpiling talent such as search engine optimizers, social media strategists, and Web developers, the big 4 are adding creative digital talent. “We’re adding guys that come from some of these small background places. They come here to paint on a bigger canvas,” says David Lubars, chairman and chief creative officer of Omnicom’s (OMC) BBDO North America.
    • All of the big agencies are working on multiple fronts to integrate their technology teams more deeply into every aspect of the creative process.

    Felix writes, “In the darkest moments of 2009, with ad budgets withering away amid the global recession, the age-old despair of the creatives was at fever pitch and the din of the futurists at a near-deafening roar. But as the global ad market continues to thaw, the descendants of Madison Avenue not only are alive but are looking as well positioned as anybody to capitalize on the digital market moving forward.”

    Read Felix Gillette’s article “Don Draper’s Revenge”

    Leave a Comment » | Agency Leadership, Agency Networks, New Business Trends | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
    Posted by Michael Gass

    243 Ad Agencies Share How They are Different from the Rest for New Business

    December 2, 2010

    The agencies that win the most new business will have a differentiating position from their competitors.

    In a recent blind ad agency new business survey I asked the question, Does your agency have a unique point of differentiation from competitors? Of the 430 agencies that answered the question, 76.8% (326) said that they did, 23.1% (98) said they did not.

    I then asked, if you answered “yes”, please briefly describe. “how your agency is different from the rest.” The following are 243 agency responses to how they are different from every other agency.

    I thought you might enjoy perusing through these responses. So, here is the good, the bad and the ugly how these 243 agencies said they were different from their competitors:

    1. Performance-based website design.  Mix of performance marketing and fixed bid work.
    2. Focuses on manufacturers who sell to the professional tradesmen
    3. Our focus is conversion optimization. Whether it’s a purchase either online or at retail, lead generation, customer acquisition, gaining distribution or any Key Performance Indicator, conversion is defined by whatever drives your business.
    4. Greater emphasis on research and planning, competitive analysis, and strategy.
    5. We specialize in Tribal Gaming where we leverage the excitement on the gaming floor to increase profits across all profit centers.
    6. Rather than being a “Jack of all Trades” as most agencies are  (if they have a budget, get it);  my agency has picked a vertical market and I market our expertise in that market.  We do one industry and we do it better than anyone else.
    7. Our agency has been around over 60 years…experience is our main selling point.
    8. Nimble and consultative
    9. Type of client experience/expertise
    10. Focused niche in high-end resorts/developments
    11. We are a full service promotional agency that has a dedicated research/planning group to capture consumer insights – many traditional agencies have this function – but its rare for a promo shop – also rare for promo shop to have media/buying and planning, full digital suite (web dev, social media, SEO), creative, research, public relations, and shopper marketing int house, but we do. Naturally many promo agencies will claim they have all the above internally, but few do…
    12. We’re in a same too business…very little differentation. Ultimately we hold our self up against the work and the results
    13. As articulated by our clients, we are: Smart and strategic; We know business; We are creative with lots of energy; We like each other.
    14. We do not seek “retainers”. We offer ala carte services with no questions. The client determines how they select to work with us. We do not dictate how they structure the relationship – we give them options.
    15. As an integrated marketing communications firm, we are uniquely structured to provide multiple services including advertising, PR, direct, interactive, SEO/SEM, media placement, etc.
    16. We’re very good, and keep our promises.
    17. We approach integration differently than others.
    18. Our focus is on the concept of the consumers desire for “escape”. We’ve positioned the agency as experts/specialists in this area.
    19. New media has opened many doors for us — we are demonstrating a strategic and creative driven approach to WOM — this has proven to be a key differentiator — at least for now!
    20. Specialization in key industry area
    21. Focuses on “Challenger” brands in commodity marketplaces
    22. We only work on food accounts: foodservice, deli and CPG food
    23. While others typically concentrate on social media and their core competency, we’re repositioning ourselves as quick, smart and affordable.
    24. We focus on helping b-to-b change agent CMOs develop new brands or reposition old brands to overturn the buying conventions of their industries.
    25. Our staff is as efficient as staffs two to three times larger. That equals faster turn around and lower fees. No wasted layers.
    26. We help mid size businesses own the leadership position by working with the C level.
    27. Our agency strategy is to target hospitals/healthcare systems only….we have found a niche that has been extremely profitable over the past four years….whether it is creative awards such as Clios, one show etc; and/or strategy, we have become one of the top hospital marketing agencies in the country
    28. We balance measurable outbound communications with innovative inbound marketing tactics to ensure clients get found, get heard, and get customers to buy.
    29. Substantial experience in non-traditional agency services such as government outreach and education initiatives.
    30. We are not all things to all people. We are message focused. We “Discover the Remarkable” in our clients and we use that as a way to tell their story.
    31. Our culture is not the traditional silo approach to the way our company operates. We are not that traditional old school agency. We are effective in our communications and use an unique approach to our clients marketing needs
    32. “Brand People Who Get What’s Next” is our positioning which defines our agency as brand marketing experts with the ability to seek out ideas and activation based on the ever evolving marketing mix
    33. We focus on understanding how consumers/ businesses make decisions within each client category and build programs to impact that process.
    34. Virtual agency with direct access to the most senior strategic leaders.  Reputation lies in public affairs and public policy.
    35. Specialists in positioning. Experience in prospect’s category.
    36. Brand Alignment, beginning with internal alignment to get the team aligned with company goals and objectives, allowing them to deliver on the brand promise the client expects.
    37. Vertical focus. Focus on sales & marketing integration and integration with digital channels.
    38. Strength in channel communications.
    39. Genuine integration across disciplines(walking the talk).
    40. True account planning @ a “media agency”
    41. We’ve become more more marketing agnostic. We move fast. We take risks. We focus on getting it right, not being right.
    42. Resultants
    43. We ventured into Social Media very early in the game and built a reputation as “Louisville’s Leading Interactive Marketing Company” with our robust blog, Twitter account and website. We have enjoyed a sizable increase in social media budgets for our clients and because we have this service in-house, we enjoy a larger profit margin on the work provided. We also have an IT staff of four in our 30-person shop so we build a lot of custom applications, websites and customer relationship programs. Plus we have an in-house editor for training videos as well as TV and Radio commercials. www.currentmarketing.com
    44. Can’t give away our secrets!
    45. Our philosophy/approach
    46. Commissions used to offset fees, and extraordinary track record for results.
    47. We’ve taken on emerging media with more fever than most, even incorporating it into our own sales efforts. Additionally, we are a full-service, who is also a certified apple developer, launching our own iPhone application providing marketing insights, strategies and concepts for small, medium and stage-2 economic development companies.
    48. Specialization in merchandising.
    49. Advertising for good – we create campaigns for clients and causes that promote positive social change, and advance the human condition.
    50. Service, accessibility, response time, rates.

    View the rest of the 193 responses through this link: 243 Ad Agencies Share How They are Different from the Rest for New Business

    Click on the following link to download a copy of the 2010 Advertising Agency New Business Survey

    8 Comments | Agency Leadership, Positioning | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
    Posted by Michael Gass

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