How To Drive Advertising Agency PR – As In Getting More Fame
Imagine that your advertising agency is so unique, so well positioned, so good at messaging, so unignorable that it stands so far out from the vast pack of other agencies that your agency gets press and praise from Advertising Age, ADWEEK, The Drum, Marketing Week, Fast Company, and Forbes. And the trade press that your future clients read.
Do it and you’ve hit the advertising agency PR jackpot. A jackpot that gets attention. This is way cool since, in New York alone, WINMO says that there are over 1,500 advertising agency options. And your agency is just one of them and needs to be found – not easy. PR helps getting found. I know, I know you know this. But… are you getting found?
Now imagine the New York wine market where the New York Daily News estimates that wine buyers have themselves over 1,500 wine store options to choose from. A similar marketing and advertising clutter problem to the agency world.
How Orange Wine Kicks It
I was in New York’s lower east side this month and stumbled upon the wine shop Orange Glou. A shop that is so unique, so well positioned, so unignorable that it stands out from the vast pack of other wine shops. In fact, so special that they have received praise from The New York Times, Saveur, Food & Wine, Punch, Money, and Fortune. Even local New York TV (see the video below.)
From The New York Times:
In November 2019, Doreen Winkler started selling orange wines by subscription. Its success led her to open a wine shop specializing in the wines, which are white wines given enough skin contact to add a ruddy blush to the color. Orange Glou, the shop, is opening Friday with 100 different wines from many regions priced from $19 to $99. She points out that these “exciting” orange wines tend to be low in alcohol and great with food. Her inventory also includes some pet-nat bubbles. She said her audience tends to skew younger, under 50, and she’s pleased that chefs are among her fans.
Why Wine And Advertising Agency PR?
Why point out the success of Doreen and Orange Glou? Because Doreen has accomplished what many advertising agencies seek. She has a specialized passion; is a recognized expert; knows how to market her product; gets national attention and is clearly an expert at knowing how to drive PR.
Orange Glou’s press page has some, understatement, cool publications that help drive Orange Glou awareness.
What Can An Advertising Agency Do To Drive Awareness?
Here is a quick list of actions that you could take to get that “free” PR action. No this isn’t easy. But if you try sometimes you will get what you need.
- Actually have or create an agency point of difference. Find the market GAP and use your smarts to fill that niche to look special and expert. I list new expertise you can own for a few months below. DAO, baby.
- Know what publications or influencers or podcasters will help you reach your audience. Have you looked at TikTok’s Creator Marketplace? Note: Poorly targeted press for press’ sake isn’t worth your time and effort.
- Create or craft some news that will make you stand out to the hungry press. Journalists need stuff to write about – every week/day. Give it to them. For example, research and insights that matter and are unique or a truly brilliant campaign). Be creative in your approach.
- Distribute your news to the right people and publications. Publications include advertising and marketing pubs, specific digital media news outlets, client category trade pubs, and on. Write a contact doc or produce a short video that will get the attention of the right writers and influences.
The Caveat – It Ain’t Easy
It can be particularly hard to get your agency news into the ad trade pubs like Ad Age and The Drum. Their MO is writing about client moves, new campaigns (usually national campaigns), big brands, awards, big agencies, ad news that includes celebrities – you know, the obvious subjects.
New Is News
However, there is always something new or an angle that should get market attention for your agency. TikTok was newish 24 months ago. You could have written a report about the soon to be way popular TikTok platform that would have been news.
Today, people are trying to figure out NFT’s. So, guess what, Ad Age just published an article about NFT’s… “How NFT’s Can Actually Benefit Brands and Agencies” Could you have written this?
What’s next? Could you write about DOA’s – a new technology using the blockchain and cryptocurrencies to buy a rare surviving original copy of the US constitution – this project was called: ConstitutionDAO. Why not think about how DAO’s will impact marketing because they will. DAO’s are kinda similar to crowdfunding, to keep the definition simple for now.
Get the press you deserve. Make some news.
Get on TV. Go Orange.
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