Advertising Week: Resources for Daily Reports, Live Updates and Videos

October 3, 2011

If you can’t attend Advertising Week here are some good resources to follow the events, capture insights and even participate in the dialogue through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google +.

Oct. 3 kicks off Advertising Week, New York’s premier annual gathering of marketing and communications leaders from around the world.

Begun in 2004, Advertising Week now draws over 70,000 people who will attend some 200 events featuring the industry’s best and brightest thought leaders. The panels, programs and parties during Advertising Week are divided among multiple locations.

In honor of the week, The Huffington Post has dedicated a new site to cover the events, news, people, articles, blogs and buzz for the week: The Huffington Post Advertising Week 2011. This is a helpful resource.

Here are a few of the articles and insights from Day 1:

Google and Facebook to Take Advantage of Advertising Week

Both Google and Facebook are announcing new ad formats that each hopes will increase engagement between consumers and brands. According to Bloomberg, Google is launching Web-based circular ads that will “make Internet advertising look more like the Sunday paper.” Facebook is also planning to announce its own new crop of “expandable” ads, Mashable reported.  Read more

For additional updates from Advertising Week:

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Posted by Michael Gass

How McKinney achieved one of the best new-business records among advertising agencies

August 23, 2011

Innovation and collaboration, two keys to ad agency new business.

McKinney is an independent advertising agency based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1969 by Charles “Chick” McKinney, the agency is now independently owned by a management team led by Brad Brinegar, CEO.  It has been recognized as one of the nine best agencies in the country by Advertising Age

In 2003, McKinney became one of the first agencies to pioneer connection planning, which determines the most innovative and creative ways of bringing brands and people together in mutually beneficial ways - ADWEEK

In that same year, McKinney hired a group of interactive experts and injected them into the agency’s existing disciplines. (Today, 35% of the agency’s revenue comes from interactive activities, and 88% of frontline staff is actively engaged in interactive work.) Brad Brinegar: Online Advertising

In 2006, McKinney combined its three strategic disciplines (account planning, connection planning and interactive strategy) into one strategic offering and named Andrew Delbridge, previously director of account planning, partner and chief strategy officer - The Cyber One Report 2006

Under Brad Brinegar’s leadership, Mckinney has achieved one of the best new-business records in the advertising agency industry by being collaborative and innovative.

Brad learned the meaning of collaboration as an oarsman on Dartmouth’s crew team: “It’s not intuitive, but a boat actually goes slower when one guy rows better than the rest. And there is no defense in rowing, no way of stopping the other team. So the only way to win is to be smarter, work harder, care more and pull together better than your opponents.”  McKinney’s website

How he has brought innovation and collaboration to McKinney: 

  1. “We designed our entire space, from the ground up, for collaboration.”
  2. “We invest twice the industry average in strategic resources, to make sure that our innovations are grounded in addressing the right business issues to create the results we want.”
  3. “We work in cross-disciplinary brand-teams, to increase the odds that different perspectives will lead to fresh insight.”
  4. “We bring in lots of outside speakers to teach new perspectives.”

Click on the following link to read Business Management Daily’s recent interview with Brad, “Distruptive Player a Game-Changer”

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Posted by Michael Gass

Mine Social Networks for Ad Agency New Business

November 29, 2010

Data mining is an increasingly important tool for ad agency new business transforming data into rich business intelligence, giving your agency an informational advantage.

“The real money in social media might not reside in the ads that sit on Web sites like Facebook and Twitter, but in the data produced by users’ frantic friending and sharing.

Internet users are now spending 22 percent of their time in social media, and Internet activity leaves behind a trail of data: what people like, what they share, and who is connected to whom with similar tastes.

Brian Morrissey, Social Media Data: The Benefits of Friends

There is a shift in focus from social network sites to the data they provide. Mining data from social media sites is not only great for your clients it provides excellent intelligence and important data for you to effectively reach out to your prospective clients.

With 400 million users spending a considerable portion of their online time on site, social networks would appear to be an agency new business director’s dream.

Our accounts on Facebook contain a wealth of data about us, whereas an online merchant’s account contains only a credit card number, address and buying history.

Social Media data that can be collected by any listening platform like a Radian6 or a Networked Insights. But in reality it’s what you do with that data that makes the big difference.

Amazon knew your preferences and that was a good thing because they made your shopping experience better. Netfix knew that one person’s recommendation was 67% likely to be a good recommendation for you, and that was a good thing.

I recently read a brilliant article by Tac Anderson, The Cloud Opened Up and Rained Marketing Data. Here’s s snip-it from Tac’s article, how our personal information and interactions fills data-centers:

“… those data centers process that information in real-time as you move through the Webbed World. It re-calculates your personal algorithm with every click and new event, with each bit of new information you shared on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, your blog, your online and publicly available offline behavior.

There aren’t many other options really. Most people don’t think about it. They refuse to believe the degree of accuracy these machines have. You could do as some have done those who radically removed all convenience from their lives. You could be anti-social.

Even still most people don’t realize the level of slavery they are in. We know exactly what to offer you, when and at what price. We know how often to advertise to you, in what sequence and what frequency is most effective for preparing you to buy, vote or convert.” Tac Anderson, The Cloud Opened Up and Rained Marketing Data

The shift in focus development and growth of social network data opens up new possibilities for ad agency new business. The power to personalize your agency and it’s services is much greater.

When one has access to this rich, new set of data, the ability to target the individual needs of a particular visitor grows considerably.

When one has access to My data, My media, My connections, and My influence, one can truly create a “market of Me,” where the market is customized to my needs and enhanced by my actions.

Accenture’s, Social Networks: Enabling the Market of Me

Get ahead of the curve, learn the potential for data mining for agency new business, the companies and tools that will help you make strategic sense of the data.

Another article that may be of interest: “Five Things You Didn’t Know About Social-Media Tracking”

“A recent test of 101 popular smartphone games and applications for iPhone and Android phones finds that more than half secretly sent user information to other companies”

Additional articles on the subject of advertising and data mining:

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Posted by Michael Gass

10 Twitter Networking Tips for Ad Agency New Business

May 24, 2010

Get more out of Twitter and generate inbound leads for your agency’s new business by creating a personal network of prospective clients.

I didn’t quite know what to do with Twitter in the beginning until I read an article from Angela Maiers, educator, author, blogger who now leads Maier Educational Services. Angela developed a simple Twitter Engagement Formula that provides purpose and direction for her participation. She calls it the 70-20-10 Formula. My formula for using Twitter has evolved differently from hers but it provided a great example on how to get started.

What I’ve discovered with Twitter is that it is great tool for creating awareness and traffic for my blog but is equally effective and efficient as a networking tool. Just remember to retain your offline personal networking skills while online.

Here are my ten tips on creating personal networks with Twitter:

  1. Make a commitment to spend enough time on Twitter to understand how it works. Think of it as just another communications channel. When you’ve paid your dues in the beginning you will be able to better utilize a number of Twitter 3rd party tools to make your time management extremely efficient. Edward Boches, CCO, Mullen, What Twitter Can Do For You – Adweek.
  2. One of the most important lessons I can share is that you remember to Help Others. Zig Ziglar, one of the most successful sales trainers in the world says “if you help enough people get what they want in life, you will get what you want in life”.
  3. Grow targeted Twitter followers. Mashable’s searchable Twitter List Directory is a great place to start. The more traffic that you can generate, from among your target audience, the more inbound new business leads that will follow.
  4. Teach/Don’t Sell. But the best way to close a sale is by building a relationship, Todd Knutson, CEO, The List.
  5. Sustained focused effort. Twitter is more of a broadcast channel than many realize. The majority of users never post anything … but they are definitely reading and clicking. Twitter Usage in America: 2010 – Complete Report.
  6. Gather “real-time” market intelligence and feedback. Social media recognizance could provide a significant advantage to your agency’s new business initiatives. Twitter, along with blogs, blog comments, and other social networks, is abundant with conversations that can give your agency a boost over your competition. Read how JetBlue tested the social media credibility of ad agencies vying for its account and how participating agencies got a leg-up on their competitors.
  7. Take the time to create conversations and get to know those who rise up to help make your content viral by retweeting it through their personal networks. Remember to be genuine. Everybody can tell when someone is schmoozing them.
  8. Give Attention to Your Twitter Profile. Allow your agency to remain in the background. Make your profile relevant to the interests/benefits of your target audience. Here are a few good examples: @bradjhanna, @johnsonnhalter, @parkhowell.
  9. If you are out of sight, you will be out of mind. There are ways to easily maintain a consistent presence  on Twitter within the time constraints of your busy day. Tweedeck, CoTweet, Bit.ly or Social Oomph are some good 3rd party Twitter programs that will be of help.
  10. Point to resources other than your own. Become a repository of great info for your audience that extends beyond your original content. Link to other helpful resources. May will repay you in kind.

Additional Twitter articles, specifically for ad agencies that can help you take advantage of Twitter’s growth for new business:

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Posted by Michael Gass

If 2009 was the year to forget for the advertising industry, what’s next?

December 31, 2009

 

2009 has become the year to forget for the advertising industry.

“If you look at 2009, we have not seen a convergence of so many issues and crises at the same time. It was the perfect storm,”says Maurice Levy, chief executive of Publicis Groupe, one of the world’s largest ad companies, with clients including General Motors, Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola.

It’s “the worst” the business has seen since Zenith began tracking ad spending 21 years ago and “likely the worst since World War II,” says Steve King, Zenith’s global CEO. “It’s been between bad and horrific.”

Over 163,400 advertising jobs lost since the beginning of the recession.

A round-up of some predictions for the advertising industry for 2010 may be brighter but still a difficult year ahead.

For Ad Industry, 2010 Promises Scant Relief – WSJ

More Firing Than Hiring at Ad Agencies – Ad Age

Seven Predictions for 2010 from eMarketer’s CEO

‘Great Race’ Between Traditional, Digital Shops – ADWEEK

Four ways technology will change advertising in 2010 – CSMonitor.com

How To Fix A Broken Advertising Industry – Forbes

Convergence at Heart of Top 2010 Ad Trends – Nielsen

A lot of small-to mid-size ad agencies have been the exception to the gloom and doom of 2009. Many have actually prospered during this period. 2010 could be a break out year for your agency’s new business if your agency has a consistent inbound new business pipeline generated by a clear focus and appealing point of differentiation to a specific target audience.

Additional articles that may be of interest:

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Posted by Michael Gass

The Changing Role of Ad Agency Rainmakers

July 14, 2009

 

I read an interesting ADWEEK article regarding the “Changing Role of Rainmakers”. Suffice to say that with a major paradigm shift for how ad agency new business is acquired it also significantly impacts the role for those with the responsibility for business development.

Agency leaders say that the job has become more complex and therefore more difficult to cast. As a result, searches for new business talent takes longer.

“It’s just such a hard position to fill,” said Michael Zuna, New York managing director at Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi, whose new CMO, Benjamin Bittman, started last week. “The Mad Men-rainmaker days — that doesn’t happen anymore. It’s a tough job.”

Why? These are some of the reasons given:

  • Because client reviews in recent years have generally become more complicated, given the expanding marketing needs of clients
  • The more common presence of search consultants
  • RFP-driven processes
  • Participation of procurement executives
  • Agencies generally are reinventing themselves for the digital age and how they market that to prospective clients and consultants has changed

“There are not a whole lot of people who have done this job in the past who know how to do it well now,”

Avi Dan, a former new business executive at Euro RSCG, Berlin Cameron United and Saatchi who’s now president of Darling in New York.

The agencies mentioned in this article are the large agencies. Large agencies acquire new business differently than small-to mid-size shops. But I have no doubt small to mid-sized agencies new business development must change  as well.

“With over 50% of client relationships lasting less than two years and the average CMO tenure 27 months, the role of new business at our agencies is more important and a bigger focus than ever.

Behind the closed doors of every shop there is a person or group of people whose very jobs are to focus on the growth of the agency’s reputation, client base and skill set, not to mention revenue. But do you have the right person(s) in place to successfully carry out your own agency marketing plans? ” Noelle Weaver, Advertising Age’s Small Agency Diary

Having a working knowledge of social media isn’t even an option any longer for an agency’s new business director. Social media is having a big impact on how agency’s promote themselves and how they are found online by their prospective client audiences.

Here are 4 ways social media impacts ad agency new business:

  1. A paradigm shift for how new business is acquired. According to a recent CMO survey, 80% of decision makers say they found the vendor, not the other way around.
  2. SEO is now a critical part of new business strategy. According to Marketing Sherpa, 80-90% of business to business transactions begin with a search on the web.
  3. An agency blog is a necessary component for marketing your agency. As necessary as it was for an agency to have a Website, it is now as relevant for them to have a blog. It becomes the gateway to the agency and puts a face to it.
  4. The growth of new media mandates agencies participation. Social media is now mainstream, your agency’s credibility is suspect if it isn’t walking the walk, not just talking the talk.

So before hiring someone responsible for your agency’s new business efforts, in addition to the questions regarding their new business expertise, think about asking some additional questions like these. How they answer will tell you what they really know about social media.

  • Do you read blogs?  Which ones?
  • Do you have a personal blog?  What’s it about?
  • What are the social networks do you participate in?
  • Have you ever uploaded a video online?  What program did you use to do it?
  • Besides making phone calls—how else do you use your mobile phone?
  • Have you ever registered a domain name?
  • Do you use social bookmarks or tagging?
  • Do you use a feed reader of some sort?  Which one?  Why?
  • How do you use Twitter?
  • Do you have a Facebook page? LinkedIn?

What you are looking for is participation, experience and credibility in social media.

If you need someone to lead your agency’s new business initiatives, I highly recommend (without renumeration)  TalentZoo.com

Additional articles that may be of interest:

 

23 Comments | Agency Leadership, New Business Talents, New Business Trends, Social Media | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Survey: Key Insights into Agency New Business Trends

June 3, 2009

Many ad agencies are desperate for new business but desperation can often turn an agency into its own “worst client.” New business activity will not necessarily equate to new business. Agencies must have a discipline and focus to generate new business in this economy. It’s not that hard. Just practice what you preach!

mirren new business conference

The Mirren New Business Conference back in April of this year, 158 advertising agencies participated in a survey about the current economic downturn along with their new business development practices.

Here are some of the key insights into agency new business trends that came from this survey:

  • Organic growth, additional business from existing clients, was the best source of new business in 2008
  • Strategy now plays a greater role than creative for prospective clients
  • The number one reason for losing a pitch or RFP is lack of category experience
  • Presentations are boring and are not appealing enough
  • Agencies are placing a priority on proactive prospecting
  • Despite the size of agencies, most struggle with the same core new business issues: pitching effectiveness, prospective effectiveness and lack of discipline

The top 5 roadblocks to new business effectiveness:

  1. Lack of resources
  2. Lack of focus and discipline
  3. Lacking the best approach to prospecting
  4. Pitching, not being selective enough
  5. Positioning, not truly differentiate

The top 5 reasons agencies say they lose pitches:

  1. Lack of relevant experience
  2. Perceived to be to small
  3. Creative/Programs not as strong as competitors
  4. Presentations not engaging or dynamic
  5. Presentation’s logic rationale not tight enough

Top 8 things agencies need to improve upon:

  1. More proactive prospecting
  2. Be more differentiated
  3. Be more selective about pitches
  4. Develop better strategy and insights
  5. Strengthen overall strategy and creative
  6. Be more focused and disciplined
  7. Hire more dedicated new business staff
  8. Create/refine our new business plan

Read Andrew McMains ADWEEK article, Survey: Shops Plan More Pitches in ’09

To download a copy of  The Mirren New Business Conference: 2009 Trending Report

Survey: Ad Agency Survey Finds Traditional New Business Methods Aren’t Working

Additional article of interest: Should Ad Agency Pitches and RFPs Be a Thing of the Past?

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Posted by Michael Gass

FUEL LINES’ Super Bowl “Advertising” Coverage

January 31, 2009

 

The Super Bowl is not only the Super Bowl for football but also for the advertising industry. What’s the newest trend for this year? The incorporation of social media.

Preview Super Bowl Ads prior to the game: ADWEEK MEDIA SUPER BOWL XLIII

A  good variety of top articles, posts, tools and sites regarding Super Bowl advertising:

  1. Adweek: Super Bowl Ad Drive Leads to Brand Sites - Thirty percent of respondents to a recent survey of those who plan to watch the big game said Super Bowl commercials increase the likelihood they’ll visit an advertiser’s Web site, while more than one out of five said they’ll be tuning in “exclusively or predominantly” for the ads. The survey conducted last week for Hanon McKendry also found women more likely than men by 31% to 11% to watch the telecast for the commercials.
  2. Advertising Age: Direct-Response Cash4Gold Buys Into the Super Bowl - Cash4Gold will run a 30-second commercial in the Super Bowl and a 60-second ad in NBC’s pre-game show, making it the first direct-response advertiser in that venue, according to the Pompano Beach, Fla., company. Havas’ Euro RSCG Edge made the spot, featuring pitchmen Ed McMahon and M.C. Hammer — both celebrities who have had financial setbacks.
  3. Brandweek: Frito-Lay’s Chester the Cheetah gets Super Bowl Spotlight - Frito-Lay is planning a 30-second ad with animated Cheetos pitch-creature Chester the Cheetah during the Super Bowl. The ad, which shows pigeons attracted by Cheetos crumbs attacking an annoying woman, will be shown in the first half of the game.
  4. NY Times: In tough times, Super Bowl advertisers must pitch with care – Super Bowl advertisers have a tough challenge this year: providing entertaining spots that are memorable, effective and don’t appear to be making light of the economic recession. PepsiCo Americas Beverages CEO Massimo d’Amore said, “It’s an historical opportunity to bring a moment of joy to consumers who have been squeezed.” But some advertisers are sitting out the Super Bowl because of the down economy and rising unemployment. Steve Pacheco of FedEx said, “Being in the game simply sends the wrong message to employees and FedEx constituents.”
  5. WSJ: Super Bowl Ads Try Hard Sell - This year’s crop of Super Bowl ads will be notable for the hard-sell approach, according to Wall Street Journal advertising reporter Suzanne Vranica. Attack ads also will be in the mix, including a campaign for Denny’s that takes on rival IHOP.

Additional Super Bowl Advertising articles:

Vote for your favorite Super Bowl Ads:

On Super Bowl Sunday (February 1, 2009), viewers can visit www.ADBOWL.com and rate commercials on a scale between one and five.  Participants have the option of rating the ads online as they air or printing a ballot and rating all of the ads at the end of the game. A complete listing of the results, including a breakdown of winners as selected by gender and age group, will be posted on the site between midnight and 1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 2nd.  Sponsored by  MCKEE WALLWORK CLEVELAND and RASSAI INTERACTIVE, their 9th year of hosting.

SUPERBOWL-ADS.COM: Super Bowl news, reviews and history

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Posted by Michael Gass

ADBOWL: Ad Agencies Should be “Creative” Promoting Themselves

January 18, 2009

You’ve probably heard of ADBOWL, but you may not know that the idea originated  at a midsize ad agency’s Super Bowl party in Albuquerque, NM. Ten years later, growing in size every year, the idea has paid great dividends to the agency generating national television, press coverage and positioning it as an industry leader.

On Super Bowl Sunday (February 1, 2009), viewers can visit www.ADBOWL.com and rate commercials on a scale between one and five.  Participants have the option of rating the ads online as they air or printing a ballot and rating all of the ads at the end of the game. A complete listing of the results, including a breakdown of winners as selected by gender and age group, will be posted on the site between midnight and 1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 2nd. 

adbowl-09

Adbowl is an advertising ranking Web site for consumers developed by Albuquerque advertising agency McKee Wallwork Cleveland in partnership with Fort Worth, Texas-based Web design firm Rassai Interactive  has attracted vote-volume in the hundreds of thousands.

Steve McKee, President of McKee Wallwork Cleveland, recently shared with me how the idea for ADBOWL came about and what it has done for his agency:

“ADBOWL started as a lark. Ten years ago, we thought it would be fun to have a Super Bowl commercials party at the agency, so we did. We handed out little paper ballots on which attendees rated the spots. Pretty humble beginnings.

The next year we put it online and thought we would promote it within the industry. We approached ADWEEK and they thought it was a fun idea, so they gave us some free ad space to spread the word.

One thing then led to another, and in subsequent years things have taken off. ADBOWL has done wonders for the agency on many levels:

First, it gets us lots of free press, which is great for the “I’ve heard of you” factor. It’s gotten us in every major newspaper and trade magazine, on network affiliates all over the country, and even on national TV (a few times). It’s a great door-opener.

Second, it reinforces our desired positioning as an advertising industry leader. We are the expert “color commentators” on the year’s biggest day of advertising.

And third, it has offered us amazing opportunities to learn (by doing) new media. For example, we worked with Sprint to pioneer text-based voting that is now used far and wide, including on American Idol. 

In the first years it was a pretty complex thing to execute–we really didn’t know what we were getting into. But as technology has evolved we’ve gotten it down to a science. We try to make incremental improvements each year but keep the user experience very simple and fun.”

In past years, Adbowl has attracted vote-volume in the hundreds of thousands. The following is a list of voters’ favorite ads from the past five years:

2008 – Budweiser’s “Clydesdale Team”
2007 – Bud Light’s “Rock, Paper, Scissors”
2006 – Bud Light’s “Hidden Fridge”
2005 – Anheuser-Busch’s “Applause”
2004 – Budweiser’s “Donkey Dream”

Follow ADBOWL on Twitter

3dcoverhome-11

Steve McKee recently wrote a book, When Growth Stalls that will be available in March of 2009. Steve has been generating pre-sales using Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I’m sure the book will provide additional promotion for the agency and further position it as a leader.

 

Encourage your staff to be creative in ways to promote your agency. If you have examples of creative promotions to share, please include in the comment section of this post.

 

Additional articles regarding ad agency promotion:

 

For the latest agency new business updates subscribe to FUEL LINES by Email

Michael Gass, agency new business consultant, primarily to small-to midsize advertising agencies, utilizing both traditional and new media tools.

twitter / michaelgass

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10 Comments | New Business Tactics, New Business Tips, New Business Trends, Promotion | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Michael Gass

Social Media “Ad Agencies Don’t Get It”

July 17, 2008

More clients are making social media a top priority. But according to a recent survey, conducted by TNS Media Intelligence/Cymphony,

“traditional ad agencies just don’t get it.”

The research found that the typical agency is poorly structured to help navigate the social landscape.

The report goes on to say that agencies have very little practical skills and personal experience in this area.  They are trying to talk a good talk but they aren’t walking the walk. Most are treating social media like traditional media.

Digital agencies, on the other hand, tend to grasp social media but they lack the branding skills of an ad agency.

Clients are left frustrated.

Two things are clear:

  1. Social media isn’t easy for tradtional agencies.
  2. Advertisers are more in control and the role of the agency is become less relevant in social media. The new web 2.0 trend is presenting opportunities for new web service platforms that replace the middleman agency.

Agencies can still be relevant but they need to roll up their shirt sleeves and jump into the midst of the social media revolution and gain personal experience and skills.

If you are the president or CEO of a small to midsize ad agency, why not use social media as one of your agencies new business tools. It will provide you practical experience on how social media works and benefits your agency in many ways. It will also provide the skills and knowledge that will benefit your clients and prospective clients.

What a powerful demonstration to prospective clients, showcasing how social media has worked for your agency and  practicing what you preach! 

Read the the AdWeek article

 

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