Special Events « FUEL LINES Fueling Ad Agency New Business Through Social Media

Small to mid-size ad agencies need to protect their own backyard

September 9, 2011

This guest post is written by Bret Giles, president of agencyside, which offers training and consulting to sell and implement digital marketing services. It’s all exclusively designed for small to mid-size advertising, marketing and PR agencies. One of the premier agency side events is BOLO 2011, October, 9-11, Scottsdale, AZ. A discount for Fuel Line readers is available by using the code MGass. I hope you’ll plan to join me there.

Bret Giles

My backyard is afoul with these pesky rodents intent on ruining what I’ve spent so much energy planting. They just won’t go away; in fact, I fear they grow in number while their teeth become sharper and their devastation more obvious. They are invading my space and I’ve done little to prevent it.

Until now.

As an owner of a mid-size agency, I’m ready to passionately protect my turf and start a little invasion of my own.

Media companies are not agencies – they have hidden agendas and a distinct bias in media selection. Technology companies like Google are not agencies – they protect their valuation by positioning themselves as a technology to investors, yet they pretend to our clients they are creative strategists capable of pulling off complex campaigns. And unfortunately they have found a strong ally in procurement offices across American companies.

They are invading our space because their own backyards bear less fruit than needed to sustain juggernaut growth (or prevent death in the case of some media companies). They know that as marketing budgets are wrestled from people who look beyond the numbers, they will continue to win plum assignments and perform adequately to the expectations of the unsuspecting buyer.

As the story goes, the buyers commoditize our agency offerings and we are relegated to discussions of efficiency against the likes of Meredith, Hearst and Google. And yet we have some tricks up our sleeve, right?

By focusing our energy in owned and earned media we feed ourselves, as these media are mostly fee-based (money to us) rather than the media-based alternative of paid media. As an added bonus, we lessen our reliance on the very entities that invade our turf, thus cutting off their food supply. On top of that, we can infiltrate their backyards by becoming publishers on behalf of our clients. After all, conventional media no longer controls the media and conventional wisdom no longer holds value.

It’s time to protect our backyard and organize a small invasion of our own.

In addition to co-founding an agency, I also helped start agencyside, an organization dedicated to serving small- to mid-size agencies and the issues we face. We put on an annual conference called BOLO that will further discussions around the role of the small- to mid-size agency and where we can truly add value in a vastly changing backyard. There is actually tremendous opportunity right now and I think we’ve lined up some great talent to lead forums around that opportunity.

I hope you will join me and about 175 other independent agency owners and executives to further this discussion. You can get a full account of our agenda at www.BOLO2011.com.

Leave a Comment » | Agency Leadership, Agency Networks, Digital, Special Events | Tagged: Ad Agencies, agency side, BOLO 2011, Bret Giles, Digital Agencies, Google, media, Michael Gass, pr firms, procurement | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

7 Ways to Stay Connected for Ad Agency New Business

May 16, 2011

Some simple tips to stay connected and be available for prospects while you are traveling.

Many agency CEOs and those charged with agency new business are traveling a lot these days. I just returned from an overseas trip and it was important for me to stay connected to my own social media new business network.

My on-the-road my basic equipment consists of:

A MacBook 13″, easier to use at airports and lunch counters. I prefer using my Mac when I write even when traveling.
I have an iPad and iPhone (my iPhone is jailbroken which helps with overseas travels and allows me to use T-Mobile’s data and cell phone plan).
I own a T-Mobile aircard/laptop stick but I prefer the Verizon version, that seems to have a much better coverage area. Sometimes it has been helpful that your laptop stick be a different service than your cell phone, when one has weak coverage in a particular area the other may be stronger signal.

Here’s some connection tips that I thought would be helpful to share.

I never know what kind of internet service I’m going to get from one airport, hotel or conference facility. I always carry my T-Mobile air card. I wouldn’t leave home without it.
As a backup for my presentations and other travel information I use Dropbox. It is a free service and I’ve found it to be extremely useful to me when I travel. I can also post large files for others to easily review.
I absolutely love Tripit. I still use its free version which does all that I need it to do. You can easily organize trip details into one master online itinerary. It also will post trip updates through your social networks. When I arrive at an airport, one of the first things that I do is open up Tripit, touch the number for my ground transportation connection and it will automatically make the call. To many other great benefits to list here. But to say the least Tripit is one of my most essential travel tools.
I often have sought out tips from others who are traveling to some of the same parts of the U.S. or abroad for their suggestions. I reached out to Trey Pennington for example. Trey travels often to the UK and provided some great advice. Particularly helpful was his recommendation to add the iPad 3g International plan. I purchased the 50 MB global plan for a recent overseas trip. I only used a small portion of the plan and could have gotten by easily with the 20 MB plan. You can preset the travel dates in advance and have your iPad connection ready to go as soon as you land.
I often use Skype while traveling for video and conference calls. It is free to start using Skype – to speak, see and instant message other people on Skype for example. For very little costs subscribe or pay-as-you go for additional features like call phones, access WiFi or send texts.
I use the Tru global phone service and app to make calls from my iPad to land line phones and to persons who don’t have Skype. Call recipients tell me that the call clarity is great. This tool was great when I made calls from the UK to the US.
I use Foursquare often. It lets others who follow me know when I’m in or near where they are located. For example, I was in Nashville, TN recently, checked into a location with Foursquare which led to an invitation for coffee, a lunch meeting and an offer to drop by one of the agencies for an impromptu meet-and-greet.

I now have This is nowhere near an exhaustive list of tools and tactics to stay connected while traveling. I’m sure others have some additional tools and tips to add to this list. Please feel free to do so in the comment section below.

Update: Shortly after writing this post, I now have the Personal Hotspot for iPhone 4. I dropped my T-Mobile air card service. I upgraded my Verizon cell plan to include the Hotspot service for $20. I’m also able to connect my iPad through Personal Hotspot which allowed me to also cancel my AT&T iPad data plan.

3 Comments | Best Practices, New Business Tips, Special Events, Time Management | Tagged: ad agency new business, Michael Gass, prospective clients, tips, traveling, Trey Pennington | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

101 Insights from the 2011 Mirren New Business Conference

April 13, 2011

The reader’s digest version of the top insights from the largest agency new business conference of the year.

The 2011 Mirren New Business Conference was recently held in NYC. With over 400 advertising agencies represented, this is the premiere event of the year for agency new business. Over 400 agencies were represented for this 3 day event that included 30 sessions.

Wish you could have been there? I thought the next best thing for those who missed it would be sharing some of insights gleaned from the attendees who were Twittering live from the conference using the Twitter hashtag #MIRREN, sharing some of the best-of-the best information.

Enjoy these top 101 nuggets from the conference attendees:

@hugeinc @edwardboches: kids coming out of school today are fearless and don’t label themselves according to job descriptions
@edwardboches: the single most important thing you can do is create the best internship program in the country
@jbraftus: The only proprietary tool agencies have is their people
@dglittlefield Biggest trend in agency selection is category experience. Agencies need to narrow and go deep as opposed to wide and broad.
@HeatherWit Stop selling the agency and start fixing their problems.”
@LaurenOnDemand …great marketing is about being seductive…..about creating content and ideas people want to spend time with.
@kfiddner Congrats on recognition at #mirren for your “brilliant” blog: www.theonethingblog.com Relevant, focused to your target clients.
Brent Hodgins featured theonethingblog.com as best practice example in today’s agency website discussion.@dglittlefield: @kfiddner
@therealadbadger: Clients don’t have time for blogs. But they do have time for focused blogs
@mediatwo 7 basic principles for agency wesite: 1) objectives 2) targeting 3) USP 4) value 5) supported 6) tone/personality 7) user experience
@awbrown 2011 statistic: Agencies lose 95% of pitches when they lack category experience
@greenergirl put your category expertise up front to get the clients u want via your site
@awbrown: There are nearly 70,000 marketing services companies in the US. Over supplied market, receding demand.
@pinkbird_bi Diversify ur pipeline across prospecting, organic growth & pitching; increase ‘qualified’ at bats to improve winrate
@HeatherWit Client anxiety is evolving. Clients are asking “what is my social strategy? Can any of my agency partners do social well?”
@HannahPoferl: “In a meeting, whoever talks most thinks it went really well.” ~ Brent Hodgins
@MikeDuda Start every pitch w/ shot of tequilla, vow to one another the team will win & failure’s not an option. Period.
@pinkbird_biz Laura Maness Is your agency’s positioning client-centric? [hint: the agency monologue is dead]
@tomzazueta: “Fastest path to revenue is influencing your client’s revenue.” – Brent Hodgins
@cullenob Agency biz dev dir’s encouraged to take control of their own job desc’s to be clear on what they’re accountable for.
If you wait to start the brainstorm at the brainstorm, cancel the brainstorm (via @maureendevine)
@omutak Will centralized global capabilities be a profitable revenue source 4 mid-size agencies?
@DMVAND Which of the archetypes Is your presentation style? Motivator, Counselor, Drill Sargent or Professor? Use them all?
@maureendevine: 20% of what you say provides 80% of your persuasion in a pitch. Key is to make sure your client can find your 20%
@cullenob If you want till the brainstorm for ideas, you’re in big, big trouble. @levyinnovation
@maureendevine 20% of what you say provides 80% of your persuasion in a pitch. Key is to make sure your client can find your 20%
@therealadbadger Great ideas are only logical in hindsight.
@pinkbird_biz Search consultants parting advice: believe (u are who u think u are), velocity (be faster), authenticity (be true to ur brand).
@pinkbird_biz communications should drive action: clicking, liking, passing, tweeting, shazaming, sampling fast becoming rule
@jsidess when you focus on what your consumers focus on, you can be much more effective on getting their attention
@therealadbadgerBrainstorming sessions destroy the ability to spontaneously create big ideas. You can’t schedule ideation.
@mediatwo“account planning is the future of the industry” – Brent
@mnburgess Social ROI is still murky. But none of us have the courage to give up on it!
@pinkbird_biz If a client sets clear rules for the pitch, you should probably follow them.
@therealadbadger Pay attention to the CEO. It’s their job on the line. What have they promised to their shareholders?
@therealadbadger: Clients always reveal the secret to winning a pitch if you’re listening closely
@Linkergy:CMO’s say they need Reader’s Digest version of what makes the agency unique.It’s a culling exercise.WOW us in 30 mins
@Linkergy cmo panel says analytics are absolutely table stakes today, no longer just a nice-to-have.
@Melissa_Robison Average lifespan of a #CMO is 2 years: Nick Utton, E*Trade at#mirren
@pinkbird_biz Clients are adding to roster vs. wholesale change. Implication?…get in the door, solve a problem, build a relationship over time.
@omutak: The worst agency cliche: Take your brand to the next level.
@tomzazueta: “Fastest path to revenue is influencing your client’s revenue.” – Brent Hodgins
@Melissa_Robison E*Trade CMO: we are ruled by Wall St. and graded every three months. Need agency big ideas. If they fail, fail cheap and fast.
@ashandy73 “Agencies try to be liked at the cost of being respected.”
@cullenob: “Results” doesn’t mean results in clients’ eyes. Use their lexicon, not yours, if you want to show category expertise.
@therealadbadger: Process is process. There’s nothing proprietary about it.
@cagrana: What’s the most powerful word in New Business?: NO. Have self respect and stick to your limits.
@cagrana Best presentation tools? PPT is out, conversations and Prezi are in.#Mirren.
@edwardboches: if you have to tell a client you’re digital, social, or mobile that’s a crock. If you really are they’ll see it.
@HeidiReys Search consult panel: “U have more control over price than U think. Ex: recent winning agency comp was 40% higher than others”
@tonysignore Don’t try to be all things to all people. Focus. Look at where you do your best work and add to that.
@awbrown: Hiring people with computer science backgrounds is a major trends for agencies.
@mediatwo: #mirren If a client doesn’t fall in love with you, you will NEVER win the business.
@cherwenka Funny brand example: Designer condoms called Proper Attire. If you aren’t wearing one you aren’t getting in
@hugeinc: @edwardboches we try to learn from ourselves too much. We shd get as far away from ad industry as possible to learn.
@HeidiReys Reviews are elimination process all way thru and usually won in pitch vs. client preferences at beginning. Chemisty is huge.
@pinkbird_biz Don’t underestimate the importance of structuring your physical space to support innovation & collaboration
@markschnurman If you can’t present well (or any team member), you are not going to win. I did not pay him to say this:-) Brian Goodal
@dherscott Its not over until its over – never give up throughout the pitch process – indeed!
@rinsights Online surveys are the most cost effective quant research technique. Make sure they are well designed by experienced researchers
@rinsights: Focus groups are great, but many bad decisions can come from them. Use them for “exploring,” not “deciding.”
How did you change your agency to make it more innovative? @tonysignore “make hard choices including personnel changes”
@markschnurman Re: Search consultant- Doing work that gets notices puts you on search consultant radar-Brian Goodall
@cherwenka “74% of the time when a client fired it’s agency, they said they were happy with the work.” -Signore, CEO Taylor
@Malbonnington Love this, from @edwardboches @ #mirren: “Mullen’s new one word mission statement: #velocity“
@jbraftus The only proprietary tool agencies have is their people
@LindsayBL quoting 4A’s study: 617 pitches last year, only 23% of which run by search consultants (down from 38% in prior years)
@rinsights Webcam focus groups trim deadlines, save on time and travel cost, allows geographic diversity
@mediatwo All agencies only have ONE proprietary tool: your people. Showcase them in RFI
@mediatwo Worst mistake in submitting RFI is length. Be innovative and show examples but keep short
@MARKLIMBACH Interesting 4. Clients and agencies agree…67% rely on gut & instinct, 33% on data.
@mjgoldberg Act your way into a new way of thinking instead of thinking your way into a new way of acting.
@cynthiahprice Enthusiasm around what is possible is still one of the best business development tools. Andrew D. From Mother at #mirren
@jbraftus Agencies and clients are more alike than different
@dglittlefield 59% of agencies and clients think an agency’s role is becoming more important in the world of branding and marketing.
@DavidRCampbell: 52% of agency employees like there jobs vs 31% of clients
@pinkbird_biz: @4As Tom Finneran encourages agencies to adopt P&G’s BAL Model: ‘one throat to choke’ for agencies & client
@pinkbird_biz The world is changing. New business today is more global than it’s ever been before.
@cullenob Thought leadership, and standing for something as an agency, formula for new biz, not gimmicks. @scottfrog
@dglittlefield Agencies: Be bold. Be distinctive. Today’s bold doesn’t mean outrageous.
@HeatherWit Today, clients are looking for thought leadership. Gone are the days of the “dog and pony” show
@edwardboches: RT @HeatherWit: Agency cliches: We have: “the best people, award-winning creative, proprietary process…”
@thinairchi: 4As reports average digital agency hourly billing rate is half that of a midsize law firm.
@Cathy_Carl When a client sends you an RFI, you should send them an RFI. An adult, peer-to-peer discussion is a must
@joelparent If we don’t all play by honor system Agencies will lose battle against Brands that seek 2 abuse us. #mirren Hold the line! This. Is. Sparta!
@cherwenka AAAA study across 98 spec work pitches: 67% of winning pitch work was implemented.
@dglittlefield AAAA’s has benchmark for agencies when dealing with… “Your rates are too high!” did u know average hourly rate is less than $150?
@galaxie65 I believe that Tom Finnernan from 4A’s speaks for all agencies and we must increase our rates for our business
@HeatherWit “Vet it quickly and vet it early” (regarding knowing a client’s budget sooner than later) – Stephen Larkin
@mediatwo 4As Tom Finneran says marketing survey shows brands use avg of 13 agencies and 5 are digital
@dglittlefield Creativity is often a feeble weapon… the client problem is strategic, not creative.
@HeatherWit More than having the will to win, you must have the will to *prepare* to win (via @HeatherWit @tomzazueta
@galaxie65 Interesting that agency fees on a standardized basis decreased more than 50% in past 20 years. This needs to change.
@HeatherWit The most substantial thing you can do to regain your power – is to walk away. Take control of how you operate your business.”
@HeatherWit “In all negotiations, you usually have more power than you think you have. They key is to tap into that source of power.” (Gleason)
@maureendevine stop thinking like an agency and start acting like a consultancy = seen as more credible and get make more moolah
@cherwenka: Ouch. “your real competitor is your client, not other agencies.” That seems to be the theme here.
@jonjonbailey Be the orange in a basket of apples.
@MARKLIMBACH The avg agency is doing 20% of its work for free, with the othe 80% being under-paid by client
@HeatherWit “Vet it quickly and vet it early” (regarding knowing a client’s budget sooner than later) – Stephen Larkin,
@DavidRCampbell: Quote of the conference #mirren “Pee in the Shower, it’s fun and 69% of agency people do it”

Which was your favorite? Share it in the comment section. If you were an attendee, please share your best take-aways from this event.

The #MIRREN hashtag generated 429 tweets in a 24 hour period, 648,305 impressions, reaching an audience of 269,600 followers on Twitter. Click on the following link to review the report: HashTracking

Another article that may be of interest: The Future of Ad Agency Promotion at Events Through Social Media

3 Comments | Agency Leadership, New Business Trends, Special Events, Twitter | Tagged: David Littlefield, Edward Boches, hashtags, Michael Gass, Mirren, Mirren New Business Conference, Twitter | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

The Future of Ad Agency Promotion at Events Through Social Media

April 1, 2011

Social media can enhance your special event experience and make networking for new business easier.

Without a doubt an industry trade show or conference has been a beneficial professional networking event for business opportunities. Social media has transformed these events and taken them to a new level.

“I think social media is changing the nature of interaction surrounding conventions,” said Steven Paganelli, vice president of business development-DMOs/CVBs for the Washington, D.C.-based, TIG Global. “Certainly, the opportunity to connect on a higher, more meaningful level face-to-face has always been at the heart of meetings and conventions, but social media tools and new technologies are making it easier for delegates to move beyond their comfort zone to meet new contacts, share ideas and engage in these events in deeper ways.”

In an American Express OPEN Forum article, Scott Belsky, Founder and CEO of Behance, shares insights from his 4-day experience at this year’s South By Southwest Interactive Conference. I’ve taken Scott’s main take aways regarding the future of advertising and self promotion to highlight the future of ad agency promotion at events through social media for new business:

1. Curation is a great tool for agency self-promotion.

Scott identifies one company that stood out above all others at this year’s SXSW event by serving as a curator of of event information.

“AOL set up a booth where they sorted through the day’s news at the conference and streamed channels of information for particular interests. In effect, AOL was serving as a curator of the overwhelming amount of stuff, and people gravitated toward the booth.”

This is a great social media strategy for ad agency promotion. Become a curator of information by allowing your agency blog and website to be a repository of helpful information for your prospective clients. Scott says, “If people like your taste—or just the way you display information—they will tune into your message.”

I was able to interact with attendees of Ad Age’s first Small Agency Conference. From my social media interactions I was able to create this article: 50 of the Best Insights from Ad Age’s First Ever Small Agency Conference. The amazing thing – I wasn’t there!

I was able to create this list of the 50 Best Insights in an article for my blog and propagate it through my 50,000 + followers on Twitter before the conference was even over.

I also helped spread the word of the conference, create buzz and assisted in generating traffic for the conference sponsors: AdAge andAOL Advertising.

It put me on Ad Age’s radar: @adage And it’s not even over! RT @michaelgass 50 of the Best Insights from Ad Age’s First Small Agency Conf #smallagency http://bit.ly/bTZqhL

2. The Future of Advertising (networking) is Education.

I wasn’t able to attend this years SXSW event, but according to Scott, the future of advertising was one of the main topics of discussion.

“With brands in the hands of the people, a new genre of advertising will arise that is more authentic and borderline educational. Companies will tap their expertise as a way to win people over. For example, GE knows a lot about the future of energy and jet engines, Pepsi knows a lot about marketing and beverages, The New York Times knows a lot about journalism.

While you would likely skip over any commercials from these brands, you might be interested in their perspectives in areas where your interests intersect.”

Social media can play an important role in defining your agency’s brand. To be successful with social media you are compelled to lead prospective client engagement with benefits and value rather than agency capabilities and credentials. Check out these “Top 10 Benefits of Social Media for Ad Agency New Business.”

Education provides a great networking platform to build value for your prospects and positioning of leadership for you and your agency.

3. The value of attending conferences lies with personal connections, not panels.

Some people believe that we are so connected online that offline conferences, seminars and trade shows are losing their importance. Scott’s takeaway is just the opposite:

“In a world of increasing remoteness and virtual relationships, the benefits of physical engagement only increase. I would argue that conferences will become MORE essential as our lives become more digital.”

Social media has transformed offline events and can maximize the personnel connections with prospective clients. Your involvement with blogging, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can change your whole experience. You can “get to know” many of the exhibitors, speakers and event attendees from your online interactions that will propagate and enhance meeting them in person.

I recently received this note from Tom Matter, CEO of MAX Advertising in Atlanta. Tom’s agency specializes in law firm marketing and had this to say after attending the Legal Marketing Association’s Conference in Orlando:

“I wanted to tell you how fast we have been noticed by the national legal marketing community. We are easily the most talked about new marketing strategy and creative shop in the business.

All the blogs we followed last year to get started are all now following me for content ideas! They told me this themselves. I

had women stop me and ask to get my picture taken with them because they love The Matte Pad!! No joke. So many people read it and follow it with their RSS reader.

It was great validation for all the hard work we are putting into it. MAX Advertising is a great social media success story. We will get so much work from the conference it’s not even funny.”

Tips for participating in special events using social media:

Include a banner for the event in your blog’s sidebar.
Information about the event in your email newsletter.
Invite one of the event organizers to write a guest post.
Write your own article prior to and/or after the event.
Find out if the event already has a Twitter #hashtag set up. If they don’t suggest one to the event organizers. Use the hashtag for Twitter posts about the event, before, during and after.
Use the time to network
Conduct interviews. Use your iPhone to video and edit podcasts that you can share on your blog.
Act an a reporter for the event with live updates via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Set-up “meet-ups” from your online networks of people

Click on the following link to read Scott’s article, “SXSW Interactive Takeaways: The Future Of Advertising & Self-Promotion.” If you are an event speaker, you might find the “7 Traits Event Organizers Need From Speakers” helpful.

9 Comments | Agency Networks, Best Practices, New Business Tactics, New Business Trends, Social Media, Speaking, Special Events | Tagged: Ad Age, Behance, CEO, curation, events, MAX Advertising, Michael Gass, networking, Scott Belsky, Social Media, Steven Paganelli, Tom Matte, trade shows | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass