video

The 88% Interest Message: Use Video Marketing

Peter · June 2, 2023 · Leave a Comment

Video Marketing Drives More Interest & Leads. Like 88% More Interest.

(Side note… Keep reading to find out why Gandhi is in the pic above…)

Here are a couple of paragraphs on how to build a great/powerful advertising agency website from my book. It is amazing how few agencies use video marketing to tell their own brand story.

It is a long detailed chapter, this is just a tidbit. I’ll get personal below.

Video, Please

Too few agencies include brand-building video on their website. If they do, there’s a high degree of chance that it will be a sizzle reel.

I prefer a video that helps deliver the agency’s USP. The digital agency HawkSEM opens with an animated video that clearly states the agency’s mantra and client benefits—in 10 seconds:

“We could start by talking and bragging about award this and featuring that, but who cares? We believe in results. At the end of the day delivering measurable marketing results, predictable revenue, and high ROI is what matters.”

Another approach is to put a real human in the video. Why not have an agency leader deliver the message, and while they’re at it, also deliver some agency soul? You can make a compelling video introduction. You are creative.

Videos engage, are more memorable, are better at brand recall than text and… increase buying intent.

Still with me? MarketingProfs reports that “the average user spends

88% more time on a website with video than a website without one.” How can one ignore this 88% finding?

Ok. I admit it. I haven’t used enough video enough.

I spent some time today looking at how to use Apple’s video apps. If I can do it, you can. And, yes, there are ways to make your videos better… from editing to including subtitles. Let me know and I can turn you onto some new AI tools and a smart video production company that is waaaaay affordable.

The video that Mahatma Gandhi made for me!

Check out even more thinking on advertising agency video marketing: HERE

Plus why haven’t you bought my Guide to Building A Kick-Ass Advertising Agency book?????? It is a paperback & eBook.

How to Build A Winning Advertising Agency New Business Program

Peter · May 16, 2023 · 29 Comments

An Advertising Agency New Business Survival Guide

A minor (OK, 2 big) updates in the world of advertising agency new business…

#1: Tough News From the 2023 RSW/US Agency New Business Report

We Asked Agencies: How Difficult Is Obtaining New Business, Compared to Last Year?

This year (2023) 58% of agencies report obtaining new business has been harder, or a lot harder, compared to the previous year. As seen in our graph, that’s creeping closer to 2020 levels at 67%, when we faced lockdowns, budget freezes, and overall extreme uncertainty.

#2: My Second Book On How To Run And Grow A Kick-Ass Advertising Agency Is out

If you want to run a kick-ass advertising, digital, or whatever you call your agency new business program… that stands out, makes more money, and is happy, then buy my new book. Its 27 chapters cover every aspect of agency management and business development. Even your very own personal branding. Go here: “How To Build A Kick-Ass Advertising Agency.”

Ok, Onward To Advertising Agency New Business Soultions

I admit it, this blog post… “How to Build A Winning Advertising Agency New Business Program” has been read by your competitors over 50,000 times. Glad you stopped by.

Advertising agency business development is a 24/7 operation that requires the right agency positioning, strategies, action, and high efficiency. I help my agency clients get there faster.

The post’s popularity is due to three key factors:

1. It directly addresses a major marketing pain point: how to build a winning and efficient advertising agency new business plan.

2. The post is well optimized for search engines, delivers high value, and, therefore…

3. Google loves it. FYI, my number two trafficked post is, “How To Name Your Advertising Agency – Part One” at 30,000 + views. While always rethinking their website, advertising agencies also obsess about their name. By the way, this post is also a very good cheat sheet on naming that you can steal if a client ever needs a new brand name.

“How To Build…” is all about the most important thing an advertising agency can do (while it is nurturing its current clients)… run a new business program that ensures that the agency will keep growing. Agencies are like sharks. They must keep moving forward to eat or else.

Your potential clients have over 4,000 marketing communications ‘agency’ options (other agencies, new consultancies, freelancers, even your ex-creative director…).

Therefore, any form of business development passivity on your part – sucks. If you think you are doing everything right, you probably are not. How can I say this? I never thought that all was well whilst running business development at Saatchi & Saatchi and when I owned my own agency.

Here’s my “ad”: I suggest that you give me a shout and take me up on my Corleone offer – It’s hard to refuse.

OK, Let’s Go… The 24/7 Business Development Plan = Advertising Agency New Business

I moved from New York to Bend Oregon in 2002 to buy a very successful advertising agency (and raise a family 20 minutes from a ski lift).

Citrus grew to add a Portland office and national accounts including Dr. Martens, Harrah’s, Leagalzoom, Nike, Providence Health, Montana Lottery, and the UN.

I woke up every day as if a client like Nike was going to walk out the back door along with its revenues. I bet as an ad agency owner or manager you have rough nights too. One of the things I knew I could and should do was to manage this back-door issue was to have an active, I stress active, new business plan in place.

Here are some (I stress some) of the elements of my marketing plan. They helped me grow Saatchi & Saatchi and my agency Citrus. I hope my insights help you grow your agency.

Execution Rules.

When I set out to write this advertising agency new business post I didn’t think that it would be this long – a warning to the ADHD types. But, advertising agency new business planning is complex and is getting more complex every day due to the rapid changes in our industry and technology. That said, the devil in business development, you know what’s coming, is in the detail. Success is all about execution.

For example, running a successful inbound biz dev program that attracts market attention must be based on a sound strategy and smart agency process if you want to run a 24/7 sales program. Staying the course is critical.

The Advertising Agency Business Plan. First Things First.

r/Advertising Advertising School

Peter · June 21, 2021 · Leave a Comment

An Advertising School For You. Yes, You.

A few months ago I bumped into the r/Advertisingschool on Reddit. I’m like = this is a cool, smart, and free online advertising school. All of this, especially smart, being a good thing for the vast majority of advertising agencies who do not do any employee training – a thing from the higher-margin past.

Not to get too far into the old days. but, when I started in the business at my mega New York agency, I, along with my cohort group, had weekly training sessions. We covered how to communicate with clients, how to be strategic geniuses, how to write creative and media briefs, and how to present.

Those were the old days. Days before agencies curtailed training. Now with r/advertisingschool y’all got… Imagine… A free, smart set of courses that even an “I know it all” veteran can learn from. For example, watch the Digital / Social course on YouTube – its below.

Just Do It

I urge you: agency owners; employees from all groups and your “I wanna work in advertising” types to peruse and watch the sessions. Try one on for size. Here is the school’s description:

r/Advertising School is a free portfolio school hosted in Reddit’s r/Advertising community.

The 12-week program features courses from industry professionals alongside real assignments to promote diversity in the ad industry.

Yes, a course. BUT, BUT… you can watch the advertising school course videos at your own speed when you want.

Hey, just go here and check the videos out.

The courses include:

Digital/social
Strategy Account
PR
Media Planning
Design
Brand building
Portfolio

Watch the Digital/Social video as an appetizer… it gets cooking at about the 4:30 minute mark. I have been using and social media thangs since 1995, yes, true. I learned from this one.

The Best Super Bowl Commercial Ever

Peter · February 5, 2021 · 3 Comments

The Best Super Bowl Commercial – According To Mom

Back in the late 1980s, I ran the $60 million Northwest Airlines account at Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide. Northwest was a national and regional airline advertiser in the days when airlines advertised – alot. The airline competed with big-budget United, American, and a range of international carriers. All these airlines produced and ran expensive TV commercials. But, this Northwest TV spot was the best Super Bowl commercial – ever.

The commercial below was a part of the EFFIE and multiple creative award-winning “Asia Series”. The campaign included TV, radio, print, and out-of-home executions. The objective of the campaign was to grow Northwest’s transpacific business. At that time, Northwest was the leading airline flying to Asia and needed to maintain its leadership business.

The Asia Series was notable for two reasons.

The campaign utilized an early form of pre-internet content marketing. In addition to traditional advertising, we created long-form radio content, print, and even the use of telephones (800 and 900 numbers) all designed to provide detailed information on how to conduct business in emerging Asian markets. We viewed our business and cultural guidance as ‘information as a service’. Common today but not back in the 1980s.

We ran our TV advertising nationally and regionally. The Asia Series was supported by a multiple-execution TV campaign created by our ECD Pat Peduto and CW Paige. St. John, which was shot over six weeks in Thailand, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo. We ran a couple of these on the Super Bowl in select markets including New York, L.A., and Chicago. The spot below is without question the best Super Bowl commercial ever. Why, well, it’s a cool spot. But, if you go to the 13-second mark, right after the glowing elephants, you can see me crossing a Thai road. Yes, this was my rather brief turn as a businessman star in the best Super Bowl commercial – ever.

Well, at least it was according to my mom.