Insights

Do You Me-Me When Selling Your Advertising Agency?

Peter · July 16, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Me-Me!

I’ve been told my entire advertising and marketing career that talking about ME and not my business prospect in a sales situation will lead to failure. I’ve had this confirmed over the past couple of years in my conversations with advertising agencies, clients and advertising agency search consultants. Here are three quotes from agency search consultants from my book, “The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches.” The point being… [Read more…] about Do You Me-Me When Selling Your Advertising Agency?

An Advertising, PR, Marketing, SEO, Design & Sales Listicle

Peter · July 9, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Advertising, Marketing, Design Tool Freak Listicle Lovers Unite

I am starting to see lots of lists (OK, listicles) of tools for marketers and advertising folks. I love these lists because a real human being has curated the list so I don’t have to spend hours Googling the marketing world. Curation is a good thing. Lists are a good thing. I like humans more than algorythms.

Here Are Three Favorite Marketing Tools Lists

Um, yes, this list itself is a mini-list.

MAQTOOB

As of today, MAQTOOB lists 1,482 tools that cover 112 categories. Here’s what they say:

We want to help you with one single thing. Being your own boss and having control of your own time and money. That’s it. You will find here the best available tools to start and grow your business. If not, let us know what’s missing, or help other entrepreneurs by sharing your feedback…So we can all make a difference.

How about 43 website builders? 79 design resources? 7 ways to make infographics?

Freebie Supply

Ali Mese is one of the smarter self-marketers out there. His looong list that covers: Business, Marketing, Design & Code, Productivity and Learn is made for you Ms. marketer / advertising person / designer and on. Here’s what he says:

I’m a freelance marketer and blogger.

Storytelling, entrepreneurship, and wandering pretty much summarize the things I am passionate about. Recently, I moved from Rome to amazing Singapore to explore Asian countries and learn more about their incredible cultures.

And…

Growth Supply is… my base for things like my newsletter and where I plan to place my side projects such as Freebie Supply.

Razorsocial

Ian Cleary’s Razorsocial is my go-to list of digital tools. His list covers 15 marketing categories. It is very list-like but also includes his words of wisdom (read the blog). The website and tutorials are oriented towards online marketers. He keeps the lists up to date and, if you follow him like I do, you will look smarter than the ad guy down the street. And, isn’t that a positive bene? What he says:

Are you struggling finding the time to be effective with social media and online marketing?

Finding it difficult to find the best online marketing tools and the best process to deliver results?

We are here to help you achieve better results and become more productive with online marketing using the best tools and technology.

We are not the strategy people, we are the tools and technology people.

Even more tools, especially ones that I think will work for advertising professionals are right here. Yes, you can use these to spy on Droga5.

Advertising Agency New Business Failure

Peter · June 30, 2015 · Leave a Comment

San Francisco’s MosaicSF Failed

Way back in 2007, my Oregon advertising agency Ralston360 (we eventually became Citrus after buying the design firm Citrus), decided we’d enter the San Francisco advertising market because, you know, SF needed yet another creative advertising agency.

Since there were only a zillion agencies in SF, we made the strategic decision to break out from the competitive pack by launching a VLOG (video blog for those of you who have forgotten) about the city’s cultural diversity. MosaicSF was created to showcase the quirky lifestyles of the people living in around the bay area. Interviews with Internet startups, bands, actors, pimps, boxers, drag queens, the San Francisco Giants, and even midnight pillow fight enthusiasts, were all a part of the video mix. Our business development director MC’d the show.

We supported the program with a dedicated website, a launch party, ads in SF Weekly (we had a partnership deal with them) and advertised a promotion to win $1,000 all designed by one of our art directors Michael Hofler.

Our goal was to become famous by not being ‘yet another advertising agency’ touting its superior creativity, strategic chops, totally unique marketing philosophy, happy people, cool office furniture, pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge… you got it. The same old, same old.

Did MosaciSF work as an advertising agency new business tool? No.

MosaicSF didn’t deliver enough new business traction in San Francisco. Frankly, I was surprised. Despite our failure, I think, even with crystal clear hindsight, we did everything right. We had the goal of becoming famous (something I tell all my ad agency clients to do to get noticed), created a brand new video program before everyone talked about the power of video, looked like we knew San Francisco (remember, we were introducing a Portland agency to the city), covered a wide range of crazy subjects, built a new brand, delivered attitude and showcased our own digital and analog marketing expertise by putting our talent and money on the line. Why didn’t this work? I actually have no clue. Do you?

Hmmm. Here are a couple of good reasons why our VLOG might not have worked. 1) SF is actually a very small, provincial city and really does not need another agency. 2) It isn’t very welcoming for newbies – especially Oregonians. 3) It is a very ‘who you know place.’ Connections matter. 4) Maybe they don’t like pimps (and, yes, I know we pushed the PC envelope on this one. But, it was about the mosaic after all… see below).

But… we gave it a shot. A type of shot at breaking out that I think more ad agencies need to try. And, importantly, we had a lot of fucking fun and have no regrets. Hey, it’s OK if you want to use your agency’s talent to make things for yourself.

MosaicSF Videos

Below is Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy, our best-viewed video at 54,000 views (!). You can see some others right here on YouTube. There are more, But, you’ll have to search for them.

A Sweet Music Video To Get The Weekend Going

Peter · June 26, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Weekend World Music To get You Out Of The Office

Once again the great Jools Holland** turns me on to brilliant music. You do watch Jool’s “Later“, the best music show ever… right? See way below.

This week, he turned me on to Songhoy Blues from Mali. Just watch the video and get ready to dance out of your office and enjoy the summer.

From the Songhoy Blues website:

Produced by Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Marc-Antoine Moreau (Amadou & Mariam, K‚naan), “MUSIC IN EXILE” marks the arrival of a powerful and truly unique new band. Though their music bears elements of contemporary rock and hip hop, at its heart is Songhoy Blues‚ deep attachment to the homegrown songs and dances of Mali‚s Songhoy people as well as such iconic West African guitar heroes as Baba Salah and Ali Farka Touré. Songs like “Irganda” and “Al Hassidi Terei” see Songhoy Blues blending the traditional and the modern, the homegrown and the foreign, the youthful and the ancient.

Have fun!

** Jools… From the BBC website:

Jools Holland has introduced hundreds of established and new musical artists, from solo performers to bands and larger ensembles, since this program debuted on BBC2 in 1992. It’s still going strong more than two decades later, with millions of fans around the world — including those watching on Palladia in the U.S. — enjoying the hourlong episodes taped in a studio near Holland’s home in Kent, England. “Later …” features multiple songs by each guest, and Holland — a founding member of the band Squeeze — interviews one or more of the performers and frequently jams with them.

How To Make Big Money After Advertising

Peter · June 25, 2015 · Leave a Comment

The Truth About ‘After Advertising’

There are actually people making a very good living after leaving advertising. Yes, I know this is hard to imagine. LOL.

Want more? Many are doing this while sitting under a palapa drinking margaritas as the money hits their bank accounts. These folks are smart enough to know how to use their MacBook Pro to leverage the power of online business to grow their very own cool lifestyle. They are not working for the man (and I mean guys like Sir Martin Sorell.)

I realize that this can sound like a pipe dream. One of those ‘I wish’ kinda thinking. But, I know from personal experience that it can happen.

Friday Is Coming / Time For A Food Truck?

So, this Friday when you are sitting at your desk wondering if there is a better way than writing dog biscotti ads, I want you to visit Smart Passive Income and hear how Pat Flynn does exactly what I’m talking about. Ok, Pat isn’t doing all of this from under a palapa. But, he will tell you how you can. The link goes directly to Pat’s income reports. He is 100% transparent about his business — another thing to like him for. Read Pat’s blog and you will see why I mention food trucks.

“How Pat Flynn Made His First $3 Million In Passive Income”

If you need a head start, read Pat’s sweet story in this Forbes interview.