Insights

Unacceptable Advertising Agency Website

Peter · June 2, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Months ago I wrote about agencies that use an “Under Construction” message on their website’s front page. I see no excuse for this. None, zero, zip.

I just read an Adage article about Acme Idea Co. resigning the Duracell account. I haven’t see what Acme has been doing for awhile so I went to their website. This is what I found.

Unacceptable for a few reasons.

Why stop marketing?

Why not find a slightly more creative way to transition (I assume they are.)

Why look lame?

A piece of advice: Never, ever go Under Construction or Coming Soon. Its a bad idea.

Agency Search Consultant Trends

Peter · May 29, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The scary Barbie and Ken slide on the left is a visual from the webinar “Agency Search Consultant Trends, Predictions and Recommendations for Agencies” hosted by Dave Currie, CMO of The List Inc. with Russel Wholwerth and Gerry Preece of The External View Consulting Group.

The image acts as a visualization of the high number of advertising agency options that clients are confronted with when they search for an ad agency. Breaking out from the thousands of other agencies is critical to your agency’s growth. Watch this webinar if you want to break out from the pack.

The webinar covers the search process in great detail and I can guarantee that every agency executive from large to small agencies will learn how to improve their agency’s new business batting average.

I recently interviewed Russel and Gerry for my book on pitching and can find no better, highly practical expert insights on the agency search process and how agencies can run smarter pitches. Many thanks to The List Inc. for posting this webinar. I highly recommend The List Inc.’s database and information services for agency new business. I used it when I owned my agency and now recommend it to all of my agency clients.

A quick piece of advice: make sure that your agency is listed in The List Inc. and External View databases. Invisible, wall-flower agencies don’t get asked to the dance.

You can see a full set of the slides on this page of The List Inc. website.

Is Your Advertising Agency Positioning “Normcore?”

Peter · May 28, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The June ’14 issue of WIRED reports that “normcore” is a jargon word to watch. Normcore is so vanilla that it reminds me of at least 50% of the advertising agencies. That’s all agencies. Here is WIRED’s definition.

Averageness as a personal style. The apotheosis of anti-fashion, being normcore entails blending in – wearing a baseball cap to the ballpark and a velvet suit to the disco – and always acting like you’re totally into whatever you happen to be doing.

Yo, Is Your Agency Normcore?

How are agencies normcore?

They sound alike. See my long post on advertising agency positioning.

They say the same things: consumer conversations; media agnostic (yes, some still say this); full-service; we are problem solvers; we are creative; we are nimble; we came from large agencies… and on.

They even like to have photos of their reception area on their website.

They serve beer from real-life kegs on Fridays.

I’ll help you free your agency from being normcore. I do it every day for agencies that know that the only way they will succeeded is to be abnormal-core.

Best Read Advertising Blog Posts

Peter · May 27, 2014 · 2 Comments

In the interest of sharing, here is a list of my best read / performing blog posts during the past few months. All of these posts are found via a search engine optimized blog; my email newsletter list (sign up for it below); Twitter; LinkedIn; Facebook; my Pinterest agency directory website; guest posts; Reddit and a test I did using Outbrain (nice traffic but not well targeted.)

The Worst Advertising Agency Presentation post went somewhat viral across social media with a special thanks to Facebook. I suspect that the story resonated with the Saatchi & Saatchi and M&C Saatchi universes because it discusses a looser pitch for Adidas I did with Maurice and Charles Saatchi. It is an entertaining, if sad story.

How To Name Your Agency is clearly a hot topic for new and existing agencies. The majority of the other posts address my main topic: agency new business. Thank you SEO Gods.

Next: I am interested in seeing how the brand new 34 Advertising Agency Search Consultants post does in the coming weeks.

The links are hot. Go on and visit some of my best read posts.

Title		Views
The Worst Advertising Agency Presentation – Ever		7,301
Hi.		5,239
How To Name Your Advertising Agency: Part One		3,782
Insights		2,926
How to Build A Winning Advertising Agency New Business Program		2,150
I Grow Advertising & Design Agencies		2,007
I can help.		1,665
It’s Me.		1,656
Home page / Archives		1,654
How To Position An Advertising Agency – Part I		1,117
How To Write An Ad Agency Business Plan		1,056
Talking As An Ad Agency Business Development Tool		965
#3240 (loading title)		894
13 Free Big Data Tools For Advertising Agency New Business		718
35 Ways To Start & Grow An Ad Agency		607
How To Name Your Advertising Agency: Part Two		596
How Small Advertising Agencies Can Win Big Clients		587
How To Position An Advertising Agency – Part II		496
Advertising Agencies: “Do Not Pitch”		422
Advertising Agency Business Development & Cold Calling		419
Which Social Media Strategy Is Best For Advertising Agency New Business?		417
Finally, A Fcking Ad Agency Blog Worth Reading		408