New Business

Mitch Joel On The Art Of Ad Agency Social Media

Peter · January 16, 2015 · 1 Comment

Twist Image’s Mitch Joel On The Art of Ad Agency Social Media As A Business Development Tool

And… Writing Like Crazy Since 2003

Quick note. It is 1 January 2018 and Mitch just served up his 599th podcast. He started blogging in 2003. That is what I call some serious focus and consistency. This is how to run social media.

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Here is an interview with Mitch Joel as a counterpoint to his interviewing me for his “6 Pixels of Separation” podcast.

Mitch is President of the WPP Montreal-based agency Twist Image – one of the largest independent digital marketing agencies in North America. Mitch is the most prolific user of social media in the agency world. In addition to his podcast, he authors the agency’s blog, has written two books (with a third on the way), writes for the “Harvard Business Review” and “Huffington Post”, has over 64,000 @mitchjoel Twitter Followers and speaks at major conferences.

Peter: When did you start blogging?

Mitch: I started blogging in 2003. The spirit of it came from my pedigree and background in publishing, media and writing. When I saw the blogging platform come out, it was Blogger at the time, I thought that blogging would be a different and unique way for our agency to do some form of thought leadership. Although, I didn’t call it ‘thought leadership’ at the time.

We were there at the early days of digital becoming something in marketing. It just seemed like the right, comfortable fit for me. Then I got very addicted. I publish eight hundred to a thousand words every day. I couldn’t tell you logically why I do this. I don’t check my stats. I do it because I like to write and there happens to be a publish button.

You’re up to four hundred and forty-four podcasts. Why did you move into podcasting in addition to such prolific blogging?

Inside Look: An Advertising Agency Search Consultant

Peter · January 11, 2015 · Leave a Comment

An Inside Look At The World Of An Advertising Agency Search Consultant

This interview is all about the world of an advertising agency search consultant and how your firm might get on their radar. To understand this world, I interviewed leading consultant Russel Wholwerth of External View Consulting Group. The interview is in my book, The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches. Sales message coming… buy the book at the top of this page. I’ve sold lots to your competitors. By the way, I know for a fact that everyone that has read this book is now much better looking, smarter, richer and thinner.

Go Forth

If you think that your agency isn’t ready for the primetime of being vetted by an agency search consultant, here are a couple of Russel’s insights that are s applicable to even a two-person shop – tone-deaf is not a good thing:

PL: Conversely, are there any standard presentation blunders that agencies make — over and over?

Russel: Agencies can often appear tone-deaf to the client’s needs. These agencies tend to be intoxicated with their own attributes like the number of offices they have around the world.

Here is one more BIG insight:

Russel: We get at least 20 to 30 inquiries from agencies every week. Most agencies act as if they have no clue how we operate or that they will need to really stand out to generate interest.

Imagine, this is how some agencies run their business. Read on… [Read more…] about Inside Look: An Advertising Agency Search Consultant

My 2 Favorite Advertising Agency New Business Quotes

Peter · December 31, 2014 · Leave a Comment

“If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”

Mario Andretti

My take: It is OK to drive past your comfort zone. In fact, you won’t win without doing it.

“If you dislike change, you’re going to dislike irrelevance even more.”

General Eric Shinseki

My take: Advertising, PR, digital and mobile marketing is changing so fast that it makes me think of one more quote.

OK…. One more: This is the one that I think your advertising agency must (has to) live by if you want to succeed and grow in 2015.

“Lead, follow or get out of the way.”

Ted Turner

Why Advertising Agencies Don’t Win New Business

Peter · December 24, 2014 · Leave a Comment

OK, Why Don’t Advertising Agencies Win New Business?

Advertising agencies don’t win new business on a consistent basis for many reasons. No huge news here. But, there are a few core reasons that are so obvious that I just don’t understand why so many agencies make these mistakes. For the sake of Christmas Eve brevity, I will list three of the most important.

The No Clear Value Agency.

The agency doesn’t have anything special to offer clients. For example, they are not more creative, more strategic, more digitally aware, more media savvy or have not chosen to be a specialist in any category. They haven’t applied the same strategic thinking to their agency positioning that they do (or claim to do) for their clients.

Considering that there are over 4,000 ‘Advertising Agencies’ in the USA and dozens in any large metropolitan area, how can an agency think that they will grow without a distinctive brand position or sales proposition?

If you don’t think I am right, take a look at a range of agency websites on my Pinterest advertising agency directory.
If you would like to see a list of some agency positioning options head over here to see my “how to position an advertising agency” post.

The No Plan Agency.

According to the RSW/US’s 2014 Agency Marketer New Business Report , 66% Of Ad Agencies Have No Business Development or Sales Methodology. What? 66%! Having run ‘sales’ (sorry, it is sales) at Saatchi, my own agency and two Internet companies, I know that a company that has something to sell in the B2B marketplace cannot succeed without a biz dev plan and implementation methodology. Cannot, full-stop. No methodology means no plan and no plan means no growth no growth means lower income.

The No Action Agency.

Once an agency has a compelling brand position and a sales plan, they need to run with it – 24/7. After No Value Proposition and No Plan, I think that the number one reason that advertising agencies don’t win new business is because they do not run their plan on a consistent basis. These agencies have an essentially start-stop approach that reflects a lack of CEO attention, simple planning and scheduling (calendars rule here), a sense of who is actually in charge of what (treat your new business planning like you treat client jobs), and the use of inbound and social media marketing that will deliver the right clients to your website or email box on a regular basis.

15 Minutes To Get To Yes…

If you would like to get past: No Value, No Plan, No Action, give me a shout. My very own new business program has yielded me a range of happy advertising agency clients on four continents. I know from experience that a 15 to 30 minute phone call will get you thinking about how I can help you grow your agency in 2015.

That is what I call my Corleone offer. Don’t refuse it.