Peter Levitan & Co.
The New Business of Advertising
Hi.
If you go to AdPulp… You will see a post I put up yesterday on how the Seattle agency Copacino+Fujikado has done a smart digital trick with their website that puts most other ad agency (and digital for that matter) “wanna-be” we’ll show you our social chops efforts to shame.
Native advertising, content marketing, curation, death. Ah, I love our 2013 advertising buzzwords. I also love seeing companies that are perfectly positioned to take advantage of these buzzwords. This week’s Agency of the Week is just that. They also going to be unhappy with me because I call them the dirty words “advertising agency.”
StoryWorldwide calls itself a “post-advertising” agency that engages consumers through storytelling. The agency sure makes it sound like it’s the right agency for the right time. By the way, the “death” from above is about the looming death of advertising as we know it. I think that Digiday writes about the death of traditional advertising agencies every day. I’m not saying they are wrong. But, it has become an ever evergreen theme for them.
Here is the essence of the StoryWorldwide story – it’s a nice clear message in a word of fuzzy agency messaging:
In this post-advertising age, we work to connect brands directly to customers by telling engaging stories that audiences actually want to hear.
The idea of building audience engagement is not wholly unique, but StoryWorldwide grabbed the idea long before other agencies started to glom on. Plus, they managed to grab the brand name “story.”
StoryWorldwide goes further with this competitive stake-in-the-ground…
Today, brands are competing with filmmakers, writers and entertainers, not other brands.
Story is the world’s first post-advertising agency, applying established storytelling techniques and talent to marketing and communications.
Our work includes integrated campaigns and through-media content for clients such as Lexus, Unilever, Estee Lauder Companies and J&J.
The agency delivers a complete package by “creating stories, telling stories and spreading stories.”
StoryWorldwide is interestingly worldwide, with offices in Asia, Europe and North America. They seem to be cooking with a blue-chip client list that includes Bank of America, Chile’s Epica Wines, Columbia University, Holland America (talk about an industry that needs some good news), Lexus and Starbucks to name a few. They also own a Cannes Lion Bronze.
StoryWorldwide hammers home a few key, compelling points.
Here is one of their videos (they have 20 on their YouTube channel.) At 52,000 views it has a decent view count. For a comparative YouTube view count, Ogilvy’s “Storytelling: Ogilvy’s Rory Sutherland on Defining the Narrative” has only 900 views.
Last week’s Agency of the Week was Jess3.
My earlier post, “From Traditional To Digital To Integrated To Social To Instagram”, on the advertising blog AdPulp took a look at the New York agency The Mobile Media Lab. As I noted in the post, this agency describes themselves as… “The Mobile Media Lab is a creative agency that produces customized visual experiences with brands and their audiences on Instagram and other social media channels.”
Here is an agency that isn’t worried about finding a niche and owning it. They are not trying to be everything to everybody. Their visual marketing specialty has netted them some famous clients including Evian, Puma, Samsung and W Hotels. Accounts most agencies would love to have. Accounts that a “full-service” Boston agency might have some trouble winning.
Clearly, Mobile Media Lab successfully tapped into a growing marketing area where big-name clients want expertise.
When I’ve discussed the visual marketing specialty with agency colleagues, they expressed concerns about The Mobile Media Lab’s narrow focus and limitation of tools like Instagram. I have a different perspective. Yes, visual marketing is a tightly focused approach. But, the use of Instagram and Pinterest is skyrocketing and why couldn’t even a large “full-service” agency build a micro-group around niche visual marketing to get new business interest? Just like The Mobile Media lab, another agency just might get the attention of brands that would have never given them a look. Visual marketing is something that can be pitched and should generate interest from sophisticated clients.
Is there any reason that you couldn’t take a niche play to quickly become an expert in a new marketing category? Advertising agency niche markting could be your ticket into the national marketing arena. I’ll soon write about some of the other niches that can be exploited.
As an agency owner my biggest fear was that I might have more billings walking out the back door than walking in the front. This thought kept me up many nights and it forced me to really think through what it takes to be a successful agency. Here is a list of 11 elements that I think are essential for building a sustainable agency.
Note that this list does not include some of the advertising industries more critical decisions like how to design a cool office, figuring out where to place the creative awards, choosing between a ping pong or foosball table, or what kind of holiday card to send out.
Here are my 11 elements or goals for agency success… And a good night’s sleep.
Just to pile on, allow me to end with a quote that has influenced my personal business decisions and need for speed.
“If everything seems under control you are just not going fast enough.” – Mario Andretti
–> There are more elements, lets discuss how to grow your agency.
This might be a bit off topic, but…
Made Movement is a Boulder “marketing agency” (built by guys from Crispin Porter) that has positioned themselves as being dedicated to, as they say: “We propel brands that make things in America with business-solving, needle-moving strategy and marketing.” I love that they’ve actually manged to find a business niche that delivers some resonance. Most agencies do not have a brand positioning that is remotely different from all their competitors despite the fact that this is what they say they do for their clients.”
They are also in the eCommerce business via their flash-sale site Made Collection. This site sells made in America goods – like shirts made by folks in the Oregon prison system. Made Movement is hoping to build on research that Americans think that goods made here are superior and also build on a bit of patriotism. The site is well-designed, easy-to-use and cool, its in that 2012 hipster style that’s ruling right now. It is an interesting proof-of-concept for the marketing agency pitch.
OK. Why am I blabbing about this? Made Movement has done a couple of the smart / idea / innovative / envelope pushing things that I think we all need / should / could / have to do… If we want to keep the brain juices flowing. In their case, they are taking the very (very) moribund ad agency concept and are adding a very new twist, a way to position themselves differently and, via consumer insight, to deliver very fresh ideas.
Fresh is good. Being fresh is a good strategy. Works for all of us.