marketing

Advertising Agencies: “Do Not Pitch”

Peter · October 6, 2013 · 1 Comment

Cruise around the world of advertising agency new business consultants and you will often hear that ad agencies shouldn’t ever have to pitch for new business. The “pitch” for not pitching is that if you do a well-targeted, brilliant in-bound marketing program you will get direct “I love you, I want you” incoming from all the qualified new clients you desire. Cool. You’ll get all the new business you want without the cost and hardship of pitching.

This “win without pitching” dream does come true for some agencies. And, I do discuss how to build and run targeted in-bound programs with my clients. These programs include the hyper-targeting of specific clients and selected categories and the employment of SEO best practices (understanding your target market; smart keyword strategies; use of longer posts; syncing your blog, Twitter, LinkedIn and Slideshare, channels; leveraging YouTube.)

However, for the vast majority of agencies, in-bound marketing simply isn’t enough.

Telling Advertising Agencies “Do Not Pitch” For New Business Is Simply BS

I’ve been involved in advertising agency new business since my first pitch (we won) for Western Union’s EasyLink email service in 1984 (yes, this was the first commercial email service — just a touch early.) I’ve run business development at Saatchi and my own agency. Guess what, unless you are the darling of ADWEEK; just won the Gold Lion and some Clios; do Apple or Samsung or Coke advertising; have some form of secret sauce (you are the first ad agency to actually get mobile advertising with ROI proof); have an outrageous database of marketing friends for continuous referrals or are well-know as a category expert…

Fuhgeddaboudit. Chances are rather high that you will have to pitch the accounts that you want. Sitting back and waiting for those love-child clients to call you ain’t going to keep your agency afloat. Wishing that you will never have to pitch is lunacy.

So, please, win without ever pitching? Maybe for the 1%. But, not the other 3,999 agencies.

My bottom line? Learn how to win more of the pitches you should be invited to. I’m going to start to write about how to pitch. It will be a good “pitch” for my business.

And…. Here is how to position your agency so you might win those pitches you are invited to.

Yo!… Don’t miss any of my brilliant (LOL, but I mean it) thoughts on new business.

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The Pitch – My New Favorite Ad Agency Name

Peter · September 29, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Ladies and gentlemen: The Pitch. OK… How could you not like the name of this agency?

Pitching, to consumers that is, is in fact what advertising agencies do for their clients. So, why not name your agency The Pitch?

Oh, agencies also do a lot of pitching for themselves, but you knew that. Oh, and everyone in LA is pitching something all the time. So, The Pitch is a name-tri-fecta.

Find The Pitch on Pinterest’s largest database of advertising agencies. (I love pitching that.)

Advertising Week: Advertising Agencies Advertise

Peter · September 23, 2013 · Leave a Comment

It isn’t often that we get to see how advertising agencies advertise themselves. Thanks to Advertising Week and its Guide, we can see how 40 agencies advertise their brand or promote their session sponsorships. Its a rare opportunity to look into the heads of the agency world.

The ads fall into three types:
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How To Position An Advertising Agency – Part II

Peter · September 19, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Welcome to Part II of How To Position An Advertising Agency. Here is Part I. It’s a good place to start.

Positioning An Advertising / Digital / Design Agency Isn’t Easy…

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.

marketing

Telling Advertising Agencies “Do Not Pitch” For New Business Is Simply BS

Yo!… Don’t miss any of my brilliant (LOL, but I mean it) thoughts on new business.

Sign up for my weekly newsletter.

Positioning An Advertising / Digital / Design Agency Isn’t Easy…

The Power Of A Powerful Advertising Agency Position