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It Might Be Time To Start Your Own Ad Agency

Peter · September 22, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Yes Folks, You Can Start Your Ad Agency – And Succeed

Great article in the U.K.’s The Drum from London Advertising’s CEO Michael Moszyinski on what might just happen if you bailed from your ad agency and decided to go out on your own. Sure, it’s scary. Sure, you might not succeed. Sure you are putting your career on the line. Sure you’ll miss the other hundred’s of people you drink with at Ogilvy or Droga5 or 72andsunny.

But, you know you want to do it. You know that you can do a better job than the management of your current agency. You know that you have super special smart ideas that you’d like to share with high-profit clients. You know that your time may be running out. You know that you might even be able to steal one of your clients.

“Confessions of an indie agency start up: Seven years in”

Take a good read of Michael’s agency launch story on The Drum. It will be enlightening, repeat enlightening, and should get your entrepreneurial juices flowing. Here is a brief energizer from London’s history for you to get you packing up… [Read more…] about It Might Be Time To Start Your Own Ad Agency

The Real Power Of Video

Peter · July 21, 2015 · 1 Comment

The Power of The Advertising Agency Video

Putting a video on your website will increase your odds of selling your advertising agency’s services. I’d like to think that most agencies get this. But, not all do. Here are some compelling stats to help you make sure that you use the power of video on your website.

59% of senior executives prefer video over text. (Source: Brainshark)
The average user spends 88% more time on a website with video. (Source: Mist Media)Of the 80% of internet users who watched a video ad, 46% took some sort of action after viewing the ad. (Source: Video Brewery)
About 46% of people say they’d be more likely to seek out information about a product or service after seeing it in an online video. (Source: Eloqua)
Zappos has reported that placing a video on a sales page increases sales impact from 6% to 30%.

Surprising? I didn’t think so. So… how do advertising agencies use video on their websites to help sell the agency?

Four Ways Advertising Agencies Use Video As A Sales Tool

Overdone Ad Agency Design Fries My Brain

Peter · June 4, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Overdone Ad Agency Design Fries My Brain

I spend a lot of time looking at ad agency websites. I even have a Pinterest website that includes many (that’s it on the left.)

Soooo many are overblown, over baked, over jam-packed with copy and images. These websites also sound alike with about, work, process (‘our agency’s very own special sauce), client lists, photos of offices, contact pages, hip staff photos and long lists of services. Yes, I get it. These are logical sections. But doing what the other 4,000 ad agencies do is not very original.

I Am Beginning To Really Dig Minimalism

I am not yet sure what I really think about Walrus‘ approach (i.e. the talking walrus.) BUT… it is minimal and does not look like any other agency and there is a bit of humor which is sorely missing in the advertising industry, so I will give it a mighty WOW.

2 Minimalist Inspirations

Ad Agency Videos: A Series

Peter · April 16, 2015 · 1 Comment

Ad Agency Videos: Humor Sells

Videos are everywhere. The increasing use of videos for marketing is well known. The power of videos to tell stories is well known. Agencies discuss the power of video everyday.

However, few agencies actually use video power in their own business development marketing.

In an effort to stimulate the use of videos as a business development tool, I offer this ongoing series on which agencies are doing it right and, occasionally, doing it all wrong.

Oh, Canada – Or, What’s Up In Toronto?

Two Tronto agencies have delivered some of the best, very off-the-wall , videos designed to sell the agency and how it works and thinks. If I were a client looking for an ad agency that could deliver a big strategic idea in a way that would get my brand attention, these shops would be on my short list. [Read more…] about Ad Agency Videos: A Series

Fame and Advertising Agency Business Development

Peter · March 31, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Fame For Advertising Agency Business Development

I have an objective that I give to all of my advertising agency clients. I tell them that they need to include FAME as an agency marketing objective. My primary point is that in a universe of 4,000 agency brands in the USA and possibly dozens in their home town, standing out from the clutter is an essential goal. Sounds obvious, right? However, most agencies do not actually have FAME as an objective. Or, maybe more to the point, they don’t actually work hard to be famous.

I put David Ogilvy’s’s photo on the left because he just might be the most famous man in the history of advertising. He worked it. In addition to founding one of the world’s most well-known agencies, he wrote three seminal advertising books that propelled his FAME: “Confessions of an Advertising Man” (1963), “Blood, Brains and Beer” (1978), and “Ogilvy on Advertising” (1983). These books formed the platform for his agency’s thinking and awareness. This is an important point. I’ll come back to it.

What is Fame?

Google defines fame as, “the condition of being known or talked about by many people, especially on account of notable achievements.”

Known and talked about. Interesting, right? One of those easier said than done things. But, I can virtually guarantee you that if you do not make fame an agency objective, chances are you will not get there. [Read more…] about Fame and Advertising Agency Business Development