Insights

How To Make Thought Leadership Easy

Peter · June 22, 2016 · 1 Comment

Easier Thought Leadership

Yes, that’s Seth Godin to your left. He has been a master thought leader since the mid-1990’s. He has made a lot of money doing that by being opinionated, smart, a prolific writer and global speaker. A serious thought leader. You can do it (well a form of it) too. Here’s a how-to to get this important job done faster.

Let’s start with a definition for thought leadership from Wikipedia (of course.)

A thought leader can refer to an individual or firm that is recognized as an authority in a specialized field and whose expertise is sought and often rewarded.

Let’s unpack this:

“A thought leader can refer to an individual or firm that is recognized as an authority in a specialized field…” Two obvious points; It is good to be 1) recognized as an authority (as in known for your gray matter and insights vs. being invisible) and 2) it is good for your personal or company brand to be specialized vs. a generalist in today’s fragmented marketing environment.

“…and whose expertise is sought and often rewarded.” Another obvious point, it is good to be sought after and rewarded.

If thought leadership can actually deliver “recognition” and “rewards” for you and your agency… then do it.

This is about getting your unignorable on (read this post about how to do that.)

Not So Easy…

But, the hard part is getting thought leadership done at your very busy company. I’ve seen this up close at many agencies. Too many, given how y’all can get the job done without too much pain, time and money. Read on. [Read more…] about How To Make Thought Leadership Easy

Advertising Research Tools

Peter · June 15, 2016 · 2 Comments

How To Win New Advertising Accounts With Research

I am a research junkie. I think it comes from having started my career at Dancer Fitzgerald Sample, a huge NYC agency that excelled at consumer research and had a range of proprietary tools all managed by a multi-person research staff. And then, a couple of years at Saatchi London, with its cadre of Account Planners. And, over the years, I worked with clients like General Mills, J&J and Sara Lee that used advertising research to track everything before they made big buck decisions.

And, I know that smart targeted research is one of the best new business attractors. Read this article on how to grab the attention of virtually any client “An Irresistible New Business Sales Pitch“.

And, when used strategically in an in-person pitch, smart, compelling research can help you win the heart and mind of a client within the first five minutes of your meeting. Used correctly, research can be a dramatic wake up call or a smart way to confirm that you get the client’s business and industry.

It’s Gotten Easier

Good news on the research front is that with digital tools, we do not necessarily need to run expensive research programs to generate decision-making or new client attracting data. Here are a few tools that even an intern can manage (manage, not set up) to whet your information appetite. [Read more…] about Advertising Research Tools

How NOT To Build A Winning Advertising Agency New Business Program

Peter · June 10, 2016 · Leave a Comment

How Not To Win While Losing

A friend in advertising sent me the following email. I’ll follow it with some thoughts. I removed names to protect the innocent (actually, not so innocent).

“I read your long blog post, “How to Build A Winning Advertising Agency New Business Program“. Every sentence is worthwhile.

I did new business at Big NYC and Big L.A. agencies, and then at BlahBlah/SF, where it was my sole responsibility for 3 years. The biggest thing I noticed at BlahBlah was that they lost their biggest client every year. If they had shut down the new business operation and had me, or someone like me, be the client retention and client delight manager, the agency would’ve doubled in size just by not losing the biggest account.

What a piece of insight! But, being digital geeks, the principals didn’t like to leave their desks, screenss and their HQ meetings. Instead of wandering the halls of their biggest clients, cementing the relationship and pulling in even more business, they stayed in the office talking about getting new clients, which, as we know, is a low-odds practice.”

My Unpack

Business Development Is A Must Do

I tell all of my agency clients that they must have a business development plan that runs 24/7 because they will lose large clients every year. This inevitable loss has accelerated over the past few years because an ever increasing number of client assignments are now ‘projects.’ Larger, longer Agency Of Record accounts are becoming scarce. Is the need for a BD plan a secret? No. But, half of all agencies don’t have a sustained sales effort that will replace those lost clients.

Grow Your Current Clients

Put The iPhone Camera Down

Peter · June 8, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Martin Parr Does Not Use An iPhone

Do you know Martin’s work? You should. From LensCulture:

I accept that all photography is voyeuristic and exploitative, and obviously I live with my own guilt and conscience.

— Martin Parr

Martin Parr deliberately directs his camera at the unspectacular, the commonplace, the normal, at things that at first glance do not seem worthy of being captured in a photograph. His dissecting gaze reveals in an honest and unflattering way the excesses of our contemporary society.

My Friend David Bowie On My Personal Mantra

Peter · June 3, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Just Watch & Listen To His’ Advice.

Hey, you could be reading a bunch of marketing… advertising… ad agency… how to do social media, etc. stuff. This is much better advice.

My Friend David Bowie On My Personal Mantra

“If I feel a little unsafe where I am going – I am going in the right direction…”