Peter Levitan & Co.
The New Business of Advertising
This BooneOakley YouTube site just might STILL! be the best (as in creative story telling that captures a client’s attention) advertising agency website ever. Remember how groundbreaking their use of YouTube was in 2009. The video has over 1.3 million views. How many views has your site had since 2009?
Oh, yes, they also have one of those look-alike agency websites. So, go figure. Well, not too much figuring is needed…. there are mucho clients that seem to like the same old same old.
This is Part Two of the two part series on how advertising agencies name themselves. Other than the gyrations that agencies constantly go through with how to design and redesign their website; what and how they name themselves is one of their most important branding decisions. Part One is right here.
Just a reminder… I worked for three ad agencies. Two were “founder” agencies: Dancer Fitzgerald Sample (remember “Where’s the beef?”) and Saatchi & Saatchi (which bought Dancer) and the other was my very own Portland agency with its “current usage” name: Citrus. Or, as one of our creative directors thought was critical to our success, citrus, with a lower case “c.’
Yes, there is a process to naming. I believe that selecting a name should be one of the most important elements of your new advertising agency’s marketing plan (a new name also works for agency’s that need a facelift and repositioning.) And, importantly, this process deserves your team’s best thinking and the time to ensure that you have selected the most powerful name possible. Most of us thought hard about what name to give our kids or the letters on our vanity license plates. Your company deserves this as well.
Objectives & Positioning.
You cannot begin to name your brand without establishing a clear brand positioning and business objectives which in the case of ad agencies sometimes just means sounding cool. In San Francisco alone, agency names span Muh-Tay-Zik Hof-fer’s self-love (OK, maybe its just name-play) to Argonaut’s promise of brand voyage (I assume) to Engine Company 1 (yes, you guessed it) to Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and Goodby Silverstein & Partners’ authenticity (for old times sake) to BarrettSF and its hope for BarrettNY — I suspect. [Read more…] about How To Name Your Advertising Agency: Part Two
What do advertising people do for a living? Finally, there is an answer. They curate, design apps, they work on spaces, change graphics, network, freelance, they interdicinplanary, make stock, go viral, drink bottled water, make platforms for Syria, are sustainable, white board…
Check out “Concept Space”, a video that explains it all from the YouTube comedy channel Slackatory.
Should advertising agencies get involved with the digital startup scene? Is going down this digital road a smart idea? What’s the payoff? I wanted to know so I assembled some of Portland’s leading accelerator (Nike+ Accelerator and UpStart Labs), advertising agency (Wieden+Kennedy) and very sharp startup (Opal Labs) leaders for a Portland Ad Federation session.
It grooved. Check it out. Oh, moi? I’m the moderator.
Here is how the Ad Fed announced the program:
Portland has hit the radar: Business Week has noted the stunning growth of our tech scene. Local start-ups are actually being funded fueling awareness and rivaling Portland’s larger competitors (like San Francisco).
The fuel for the fire? Accelerators (PIE: Portland Incubator Experiment) in partnership with leading brands, technology innovators, and trend setting local agencies (Wieden+Kennedy); Upstart Labs is helping grow local companies Chirpify and Celly; and the Nike+ Accelerator is powering TechStars and Nike.
PAF’s GET STARTED gives you a front-row seat by bringing together the leaders of PIE, Upstart and Nike+ Accelerator. Unearthing the magic behind growing startups, they’ll outline how advertising and digital agencies can and are providing guidance and support to bring companies to life. You’ll learn how your agency/company can participate in this trend and how you’ll benefit and grow from your own tech chops alongside your startup partners.
Our panel of PORTLAND INSIDERS will add perspective to nurturing an internal startup:
Welcome to Part II of How To Position An Advertising Agency. Here is Part I. It’s a good place to start.
I know, I’ve positioned and re-positioned my own agency and do this for my ad agency clients. Here’s what you are up against.
Most advertising and digital agencies do essentially the same things for a living. Once you’ve decided on advertising or digital or integrated or mobile you are up against many other advertising, digital, integrated and mobile agencies.
Most agencies fear not being able to offer all things to all clients.
Differentiation itself may not be all that it’s cracked up to be. “The general challenge for any brand in any market is that what is differentiating is often not motivating and what is motivating is not necessarily differentiating.” This from Michael Moszynski, CEO of London Advertising (more on London later.)
Clients have a very short attention span. They might not spend the time required to read your carefully crafted copy. In this case, being concise would help.
[Read more…] about How To Position An Advertising Agency – Part II