Ad Age is looking for innovative strategies for the next advertising agency model. In their first article, “How Toyota got in touch with the heartland” they look at how mega-agency Saatchi & Saatchi partnered with 4 small agencies and 5 freelance creative consultants to work on the new Toyota Tundra campaign.
Now why would Saatchi do that? And why would Toyota agree? It’s called diversity- maybe not in the traditional sense of minority hiring, or Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business- but in diversity of ideas. Big agencies, in big cities are sometimes insulated from the reality of the rest of the country. As Ad Age points out- the difference between calling that thing under the back bumper a “tow hitch” or a “receiving hitch” would escape most creatives in LA.
It’s also a form of creative out-sourcing- not in a bad way, but in a forward thinking way like the way Eli Lilly and Company went Open Source in their search for answers to create new drugs. Saatchi can hire an agency where 80% of the employees actually own pick-ups(Brothers & Co) as opposed to the yuppie-mobile favored by people in LA. The perspective on the consumer is different out here in the “fly-over” states.
A recent trip to NYC gave me insight on the BMW motorcycle account. Walking around NYC I saw BMW’s everywhere. The agency is in NY, the client in NJ- this is what they see. The only time you see more BMW’s than Harley’s in the Midwest is when the weather sucks- and we BMW riders are the only ones on the road. Our reality is that the dealers are going under left and right- from lack of interest generated by advertising created in an alternate reality- where BMW’s rule, and dealerships are plentiful.
Saatchi also doesn’t have to carry as many people by using this strategy. Why buy the cow, when you only need the milk? The cost of a creative team is more than just salaries and benefits- overhead for office space, computers, support personnel all add up.
Is this the model of the future? Is this the beginning of the end of the Mega-agency and a return to small creative shops? Are there creatives outside the spheres of advertising that can do good work? Whoever heard of creative in Minneapolis, Portland or Miami before Fallon, Wieden + Kennedy and Crispin Porter + Bogusky?
The best soliders in the US Army, a megalithic organization, aren’t operating in the huge units- they work in teams of 12 on a Special Forces team. Maybe the ad world is starting to see that big isn’t always beautiful. After all is said and done, most “Big Ideas” come from a creative team of two.
Maybe the return of the creative team is the next big thing.
Working with small clients, doing great work is what got Fallon, McElligot Rice started in Minneapolis when most big clients thought they had to work with a NYC, Chicago or LA agency. We view work with independent local restaurants as part of keeping our city unique, interesting and fun. It’s also nice when a national publication includes examples of our work as part of a how to differentiate your small business to compete with the big chains.
Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory will never sell more pizza than Domino’s, Papa Johns, Donato’s or California Pizza Kitchen, but, they will have a loyal following and leave every customer smiling.
New Rule #3 Surprise people (and they may surprise you)
Nothing gets customers buzzing like a surprise. Sometimes it’s a new product, or even a stunt.
“Target does great word-of-mouth stunts,” says Andy Sernovitz, CEO of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. “They didn’t have a store in Manhattan, but they brought a truck of $99 window-unit air conditioners, parked them in Union Square and sold them off the back of the truck.
“The Drury Inn hotel chain gives you an hour of free long distance for every guest every day. It costs them nothing, but the first thing you do when you pick up the phone is to say, ‘Can you believe there’s a hotel with free long distance?’”
Even your humblest item can offer a surprise, says David Esrati, chief creative officer of ad agency The Next Wave in Dayton, Ohio. Like the pizza box he designed for Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory. The front of the box reads, “Smile! Your pizza’s here,” while the bottom says, “If you can read this, it’s time to reorder.” Says Esrati, “Everything you do in a restaurant is an advertisement.”
Unique service also gets people talking, says McConnell. At Cyrus, a fine-dining establishment in Sonoma, California, the hostess alerted the kitchen to a new guest’s arrival. Once seated, a cart came up with champagne and caviar. “It’s an experience I’ve talked about hundreds of times,” McConnell says.
Another gossip-starter is to offer dishes that aren’t on the menu but can be requested by people in the know. California’s In-N-Out Burger has a cult following for its “secret menu,” with burgers like the Animal Style, Protein Style, Flying Dutchman and 4×4. Jamba Juice has a similar reputation for smoothies, with unofficial concoctions like White Gummi Bear, Strawberry Shortcake and Peanut Butter and Jelly.
It’s nice to be quoted in the same article as Laura Ries, Jay Levinson and a mention of Crispin Porter Bogusky’s “Subservient Chicken” site- but what was more important is the results Pizza Factory has enjoyed over the years.
We’ve introduced blogs as a tool for our other restaurant clients, Eclipse and Coco’s Bistro, and although they haven’t fully taken advantage of them yet, once again, The Next Wave is on the forefront of Marketing Innovation.
I just returned from NYC to attend the first AAAA/AAF Supplier Diversity Trade Fair.
The Next Wave is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business, with HUB (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) zone certification. If you are a big agency that’s doing work for the Government, those certifications are very important- it’s Federal law that 3% of your budget be allocated to working with SDVOB and there can be other requirements mandating HUB zone participation.
The Next Wave has been listed in CCR (the Federal data base for eligible contractors) for over 10 years. We have been called by exactly 6 different businesses over those years- either as a last minute effort to include us in a list of “possible subcontractors” in a bid (Leo Burnett for the Army recruiting contract- which went to McCann, and Burson Marsteller on an unnamed project) and a whole bunch of times by the diversity master of the moment at SBC/ATT. It seems that SBC/ATT has very high diversity goals- but very poor follow through.
Since ad agencies don’t typically like to admit to hiring either freelance creative, or another agency to do work for their clients- we took a different path to approach them in partnering for diversity goals: we only talked about helping them understand Web 2.0 and Search Engine Optimization, Direct Mail fulfillment (pimping for a local SDVOB who is also a member of VOB108.org with us) and video production- which we can do in-house, or partner with others to deliver product that qualifies for SDVOB participation points.
Our promo piece included the an analysis of how each of the above agencies compared in number of actual pages indexed by Google. The results were astonishing- of the 22 agencies in attendance, The Next Wave beat all but 4 for accessible, searchable content. Here is what we found:
2 from mccann.com
4 from greyny.com
4 from saatchiny.com
24 from deutschinc.com
29 from element79.com
37 from tbwa.com
39 from leoburnett.com
52 from kaplanthaler.com
58 from bbdo.com
58 from mediavestww.com
94 from publicis-usa.com
114 from gsdm.com
152 from loweworldwide.com
161 from arnoldworldwide.com
193 from yr.com
212 from merkleyandpartners.com
230 from draftworldwide.com
244 from campbell-ewald.com 260 from thenextwave.biz
480 from ddb.com
577 from ogilvy.com
621 from eurorscg.com
2,220 from jwt.com
Note: Crispin Porter Bogusky, the agency that is known for their viral video and “web and new media expertise” only returns 1 page.
Presenting proof that 82% of the Agencies in attendance have interactive departments don’t understand Google isn’t always the best way of making friends, but most of the representatives there seemed genuinely interested and surprised by the results- and the implications for them.
If you work at one of these big agencies, or others, and want to learn how you need to build websites that have content (including your ads) that the general public can find- and interact with, we are available for consulting.
If you want to find out how to tell how many pages Google knows about in your domain do the following:
Go to Google
type: site:yourdomainname.tld in the search box
it will return the numbers of pages it has indexed and what each page is about and it’s title (if your title says “untitled” or “home” and the “about text” is the same for more than one page- you need to call us ASAP).
We believe “Search Engine Marketing” is voodoo, however, we are sure that if your customers can’t find your content in google- you don’t exist for most of the market.
If you are looking for a way to meet your Federally required SDVOB participation for contracts- we can help you with the following NAICS Codes:
54143 Graphic Design
541810 Advertising agencies
541613 Marketing Consulting Services
541511 web development
518210 web hosting
512110 video production
Will this trade fair generate diversity in advertising? Probably not. But it was a step in the right direction.
Some suggestions for future trade fairs: Supply a database of vendor attendees and their services and qualifications to the Agency buyers- and include that information on the name badges. It would be a huge help.
The other suggestion: Hold it in a place that has a history of supporting diversity, instead of the NY Athletic Club- it seemed almost like blasphemy to be in a place that didn’t have African American Members until the 80’s and was so concerned with a dress code.
As always- when the results are good, no one ever says “the ads did it”- but when the results are bad- it’s always the advertising that’s to blame.
When I first saw the “Get a mac” campaign- with the two guys chatting it up in front of a simple white screen- with “Hello, I’m a Mac” and “I’m a PC” I thought that Chiat/Day had hit a home run for Apple. Not only had they gone to a direct product comparison, they had captured the “user friendliness” of the Mac perfectly.
It was also an affordable campaign- with the potential for having legs. With a rumored 27 different executions already in the can- it stays fresh- and on target.
If there was any doubt that this campaign is resonating, Apple just released it’s latest quarterly results- and the news is great.
CUPERTINO, California—October 11, 2005—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2005 fourth quarter ended September 24, 2005, reporting the highest revenue and earnings in the Company’s history. Apple posted revenue of $3.68 billion and a net quarterly profit of $430 million, or $.50 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $2.35 billion and a net profit of $106 million, or $.13 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 28.1 percent, up from 27.0 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 40 percent of the quarter’s revenue.
Not to say all honors belong to Chiat/Day- Apple completed their move to Intel processors- making their computers capable of running Windows should you absolutely have to (and unfortunately- due to some bad web coding- there are still some sites that only work for a PC running Internet Explorer). Apple also introduced the new MacBook to replace the iBook giving them one of the sexiest laptops on the market, albeit at a higher price than most entry PC laptops- but here’s the difference- you really do get what you pay for.
A Next Wave teammate who likes to hack things bought a Dell laptop for $800. It had more ram, more HD and a DVDr drive and a 15″ widescreen- feature wise, it looks like a great deal compared to a similar Mac laptop. But, here’s the catch- it’s all plastic- designed like a kids Lego version of a laptop- instead of the sleek, sexy, smooth lines of the Apple product. We’re comparing a Citroen 2cv to a Lotus Elise. If you need a hint- the 2CV is on the left in red- and the Elise is in blue on the right.
Apple is delivering a clearly differentiated product- competing on factors other than price, with a consistent brand voice, in a highly competitive market. Will they be number 1? No. Do they have to be? If being number one means you are delivering the most product- at the expense of profits, sustainability will be short lived.
Apple is working on expanding their brand to be central to the “digital lifestyle”- with the iPod being given more credit by stock analysts than it is due. The idea of making life easier for Apple users which is reinforced in every Get a Mac ad- is part of the strategy for Apple’s move into other areas like the delivery of digital content- with the iTunes store- and the much rumored iPhone.
Could these ads sell the new products- definitely. That’s the mark of great ads that bring brand voice, design and company strategy together for results.
What makes the people at Crispin Porter + Bogusky do what they do? A handbook of course. How many jobs have you had where the orientation was: here’s your desk, get to work?
In his book “The Great Game of Business” Jack Stack makes a case that work is like a sport- only most companies never do a very good job of telling their employees how to win, how the score is kept and how to avoid penalties. It’s a very good book and on our booklist.
This might not be a best seller, but, if you are in the ad business, these are the people who are selling the best right now- from Volkswagens to Burger King Whoppers, Crispin Porter + Bogusky is the agency at the top of every agency search consultants list. Here is their playbook for new employees and some insight on how they do what they do.
My first experience with the power of suggestion came from a boss when I sold stereo equipment in Atlanta. Larry Sarner had been a sales superstar for “Crazy Eddy’s” in NYC before starting “Stereo Village” (yeah, we used to call them “stereo’s” back then). As people left the store, Larry would call out to them “Bye Now” as they headed out the door, some would leave, but I was amazed at how many would get out to their car, turn around, and come back in and say “I’d like to buy that now.” As if he had implanted the idea to “buy now” with some sort of super sale ray gun. It worked, and it’s part of the reason this new campaign for VW works.
If you are searching for the secrets of great advertising, take notes from this campaign for Volkswagen by Crispin Porter+ Bogusky: Vdubrocks.com
Just as politicians and magicians use distraction to move the conversation and attention away from their obvious short comings, Crispin uses the technique of “Cool by association” to make you think differently about Volkswagen- instead of being a poorly made German car with obvious shortcomings- it is now the only car you can plug a guitar into and become a rock star- that’s right, don’t buy the car because it’s a reliable form of transportation- buy it because you will be able to jump out of your car in a traffic jam and jam like Slash. What? You don’t play guitar? Don’t need a guitar? Who cares? Think of it as a $599 rebate- without costing VW a dime- or turning them into another price competing car company- just throw in a guitar that no self respecting pro would play- with some special VW touches on the knobs and the fret inlays- and then stamp them with a matching VIN code- and you’ve differentiated your brand and made it one step cooler than the run of the mill iPod integration that everyone else is so “hip” with.
Guess what- any car with an iPod in jack could be a “rock car” with the pre-amp included First Act guitar that VW is partnered with- but only their über agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky made the leap. To explain it to the people in Detroit- it’s not about playing guitar anymore than it’s about a “Hemi”- it’s about people thinking- “He drives a VW- therefore he could be a rockstar- like Slash in the tv spot.”
Cars are a product that are sold on many levels. The rationale for buying varies for every buyer- but it comes down to how the driver sees themselves once they own the car. At one time VW stood for practical, fuel efficient, reliable and un-pretentious (remember, Beetle body styling didn’t change much from year to year for 35 year). Now, VW is trying to find a new position, one that distracts consumers from the poor quality and low resale values, and cool is a good place to hang out until the other problems can be resolved.
What’s even more impressive is that Crispin is probably getting the guitars for next to nothing in exchange for giving First Act a chance to get high dollar media exposure on VW’s ad budget. While Crispin probably doesn’t make more money by suggesting this, they create a win-win for VW, First Act and the guitar stars that appear in the campaign. This is the thinking that sets them apart from most agencies. First Act - About First Act - In The News - 10/1/2006
In a groundbreaking new collaboration, First Act has teamed up with Volkswagen of America, Inc. to present the First Act GarageMaster guitar, an innovative guitar that plays through the audio system of select VW models. As of October 3, each new Jetta, GLI, GTI, Rabbit, New Beetle, and New Beetle Convertible will come with the custom-designed First Act GarageMaster guitar.
Owners of new VW models can transform their cars into mobile amps, with a newfound freedom to rock in the driveway, play at outdoor parties, or shred in the beach parking lot. New rockers will hit the road with a First Act GarageMaster guitar in the trunk, ready to stop and dispense riffs wherever the mood strikes.
While other car companies keep talking about the cars- CP+B keep the conversation focused on the buyers. And even if I don’t play, it really doesn’t matter- because my new Vdub rocks. Yeah, that’s what I want people thinking, even if it has nothing to do with music.
