Agency Websites

Is Your Ad Agency Special?

Peter · October 31, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The “Special” Ad Agency Wins

I’ve written about the need for creating ad agency differentiation if an agency wants to excite and win new clients…

(I know, I know, you know that I know that you know how important having an agency positioning that stands out is.)

But, most agencies do not seek a high degree of differentiation. They are not bold. Full stop. They are willing to be not different.

There are many reasons for this. One of the most expressed fears is that (and I know that this is going to sound insane)… is that agencies do not want to sound too different for fear of losing the opportunity to pitch LOTS of clients. The belief is that being a ‘general’ agency, even a general digital or PR agency, will beget more opportunities to pitch for a broad range of clients. These agencies are playing a losing numbers game. Having a clear, yes narrower, refined, brand positioning will win in the end.

Give clients an opportunity to view your agency as being special and unmistakenly desirable. Think different and look different.

My Unignorable Agency Presentation – 9 Paths To Special

I was recently asked by a large agency network to give a brief presentation on what are key ways to differentiate an agency. I came up with nine paths to being Unignorable: Positioning; Attitude; Ego Mania; Specialization; AHA!; Carpe Diem; Humor; Awards; Your Website.

Each one of these paths represents an opportunity to help your agency stand out from the other 3,999 agencies seeking the clients you deserve and… Be Different.

Hope yo enjoy the presentation and take away a couple of paths to specialness.

Smarter Advertising Agency Business Development

Peter · September 15, 2016 · Leave a Comment

How To Build A Better, Smarter Advertising Agency Business Development Program

WARNING: This is a long blog post about how to build a better, smarter advertising agency. Actually, this is Part One of an even longer post. It is a looong post for a couple of reasons.

This is a transcript of a 40-minute interview on advertising agency business development that I did with the super savvy Drew McLellen and his must / should listen to advertising podcast, “Build A Better Agency“.
Google loves loong blog posts. So, having an interview transcribed into text is a very good SEO tactic. I’ve done this before with some of the interviews I did for my book on pitching. Having text allows me (us) to have an audio and text for a blog post which can then be marketed across social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. It is a very smart idea to extend the reach of any thought leadership you do. So easy too.
Some people would rather read an interview than listen to it so here it is.
I want to use Drew as an example of how to do and market a podcast. To date, he has done 49 interview podcasts. Podcasting provides 4 basic but sweet benefits. 1) It is a great way to look and sound like an expert by interviewing other experts; 2) podcasts are relatively easy to do; 3) interviewing people helps you make friends (imagine having an agency podcast in your agency’s specialized category where you interview potential clients); 4) it is all about marketing yourself or your company.

Here is a link to some other smart marketing podcasts.

Build A Better Agency

4 Advertising Agencies That Get Video Marketing

Peter · July 27, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Does Your Advertising Agency Get Video Marketing?

You know video is a powerful marketing platform.

You know that people absorb more information from videos than from reading (Why? Maybe it’s our 2016 style mobile phone-driven ADHD…)

You know that video sells because you remember how much those mini shoe demo videos did to increase Zappos’ shoe sales. From a reelseo 2009 interview with Rico Nasol, Zappo’s Content Team Senior Manager: “Those videos are said to have a sales impact of 6 to 30% which has prompted Zappos to strive for 50,000 videos next year (they have about 8,000 currently). That will include 10 fully working studios for 2010 to handle all of it.”

You know that your current and future clients need to know that you know that video is a critical element of today’s advertising world.

You know that people will spend a lot less time looking at your website’s really cool graphics than your creative director thinks. You need to capture their attention – quickly and dramatically. You know that videos do that.

????

So, why don’t more agencies use video to sell themselves? Beats the heck out of me.

4 Advertising Agencies That Get Video Marketing

Here are four agencies that get video. Benchmark them.

By the way, I am not going to write a 750-word SEO-oriented blog post to support my thoughts. Just read my quick intro and watch the videos.

HawkSEM

HawkSEM is an L.A. based search engine marketing company. They lead their website with a video that immediately says… “HawkSEM in 90 Seconds”. They understand ADHD.

FUNNELBOX

FUNNELBOX is a video marketing expert that sells itself via a wide range of informative videos about, yes, video marketing. They deliver these on their website, in their email program, and on YouTube. Even you can learn from them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewJS4Ma07cw

Brand Definition

Output PDX is a new video series from Portland and New York’s Brand Definition. This agency interviews leading Portland marketers to deliver smart thinking and to increase the brand recognition of… Brand Definition. Here is one of my favorite videos. Yes, its true.

Zulu Alpha Kilo

Finally, if you don’t think that video can help sell an advertising agency… visit Zulu Alpha Kilo and see why Zulo was named Ad Age Small Agency of The Year. Here, use their spec work video with your future cheapskate clients. I am sure that Zulo wouldn’t mind.

Should Your Advertising Agency Blog?

Peter · February 24, 2016 · 4 Comments

The Advertising Agency Blog? Worth The Effort?

You know all about blogging so I won’t go down the pedantic click-bait road of using a headline like: “24 Unbelievable Reasons That Your Advertising Agency Should Blog”.

But, do you actually know if your advertising agency should blog? Here are the pros and cons and a path beyond running and jumping through the hoops of doing it right… like writing over 7,000 words per month (I made that up, but it’s about right if you want Google to dig you).

Blogging: The Pro’s

Blogging is an incredibly powerful new business attractor tool. Virtually all of my incoming leads and new ad agency clients come to me because I have over 500 well-targeted blog posts… just like this one. It works for me.

What about you?

Your agency blog allows you to self-publish thought leadership on a daily or weekly basis.

Your blog delivers SEO chutzpah to your website that results in more repeat views than your ‘brochure’ website could ever generate.

You have a refined content plan based on agency objectives.

You target the right viewership (as in future clients) with targeted posts.

Your blog is Ta Da… 24/7 national owned media.

Your best blog posts will get shared accross the universe.

Your posts are designed to build your new business pipeline.

Your blog is used to reinforce agency culture and acts as a new employee attractor.

Blogging: The Con’s

Seen The WPP Worldview?

Peter · January 31, 2016 · Leave a Comment

WPP’s Worldview — Too Wide?

How do we wind up by ‘accident’ in unintended places on the Internet? It often (very!) seems soooo random. I just stumbled upon WPP’s PR site on a quiet Sunday when I should be somewhere else and saw the following chart that gives the WPP internal corporate view of their vast agency and services universe. Did I say vast?

If you were a prospective network client, would you view this cavalcade of companies as being a …

Pick one.

Turn on?

Turn off?

Me? I find the sheer number of logos a bit freaky and am turned off. Why? Because as an ex-Saatchi & Saatchi global-behemoth-employee (i.e. the old days) who worked across many global Saatchi offices and companies, I know for a fact that these various owned agencies do not / cannot work well with each other. They have P&L (and ego) battles. Understatement.

Look, I am sure that WPP management kinda says that all of these various companies work super well together. But, when you are an individual agency CEO with P&L responsibility, and your bonus is predicated on profitability and great work at your agency, how can you really stand out if you have to UBER collaborate? Like, and let’s keep this easy– like how to you divvy up the client’s moolah between other voracious CEO’s?

OK, back to the WPP Mega chart.

By the way, who, because logo positioning isn’t random, decided that the AKQA logo goes first? I’m trying to imagine the conversations leading to finalizing the layout.

(Oh, one more thing. Willing to think small(er) — Here is an agency that is totally positioned against the need for the global behemoth approach.)