by Next Wave Team | Feb 20, 2007 | Advertising, Brand Relevancy, Creativity, Differentiating Your Brand, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Great Ad Agencies, How To Select An Ad Agency, Marketing & the Web, Practical Marketing 101, Search and Business, Secrets of Great Advertising, Web strategy
Good content brings good business. At least for The Next Wave. Chief Creative Officer, David Esrati was just interviewed for an hour by Inc. Magazine for their “Smart Questions” column for the May issue.
Our section of this site called “How to select an ad agency” pops up at the top of Google and apparently our insight was more interesting than other results.
There is no magic formula for selecting an ad agency for small to medium sized (Inc. sized) businesses- but there are some do’s and dont’s. Some advice worth taking (as shared with Inc.):
- Read at least a few books on advertising to establish common ground (our booklist should help.)
- Realize advertising is not a silver bullet solution to business problems and that great work takes time to gestate.
- Have a high level of trust and respect for your agency partner.
- Look for passion for your product- David Ogilvy always used his clients products.
- You get what you pay for. “Saving money” by buying your own media, print, trash and trinkets (promotional items) when not specifically spelled out in your retainer agreement might not end up saving your relationship.
- Don’t ever ask for a campaign that “looks just like” your competitors.
- Remember, advertising takes time to get results. Nike has had the same agency from the start (Wieden + Kennedy) - and it took a long time to get from the first ads to “there is no finish line” to “just do it.”
- Make sure both client and agency have shared expectations for the brand/campaign.
- Great advertising can be shown to your mother- without excuses or explaination.
- Don’t separate internet, media buying and creative if you want a consistent brand voice.
There was a lot more, but this is a quick recap. There was no simple answer on what agency compensation should be, we’re still trying to find a balanced solution like every other agency. Look to the May issue of Inc. Magazine to see what made it in.
by Next Wave Team | Feb 14, 2007 | Brand Relevancy, Careers in Advertising, Creativity, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Differentiating Your Brand, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Future of advertising, Great Ad Agencies, Marketing & the Web, Public Relations in the Web 2.0 world, Web strategy
If there is one thing the Internet/web 2.0 thing does, it makes connections.
The idea of six degrees of separation is so, like Web 1.0, now if it’s more than 2 degrees, you’ve got a problem. In fact, that’s the new job of marketers and ad agencies- reduce the gap between the consumers and the brand- make them intimate.
So, an official announcement of sorts: The Next Wave is working with Hogshead Media, the biggest small ad agency in the country. We’re helping Sally Hogshead do web 2.0 magic- and to create that intimate connection between her and her markets. For those of you who don’t know Sally, I highly recommend you bop over to read her bio. Besides working at Wieden + Kennedy, Fallon, opening the West Coast office of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, having her own shop: Hogshead & Robaire, and winning every award known to advertising, she wrote the book Radical Careering which is a great primer on how to jump start your career.
Working with someone you idolize is one thing. But, to make it even sweeter, I got to write the headline for her post about her podcast with Seth Godin. (Note: If you don’t know who Seth is, and didn’t know who Sally is, you probably shouldn’t be reading this).
[update: Seth posted about Sally’s interview here]
Hog Blog » Bald head & Hogshead: An interview with Seth Godin
For those of you not familiar with Seth- I’ve included a picture at right. Yes, he’s bald.
For those of you not familiar with Sally: she’s sort of famous for writing a lot of headlines just to get one right. See her post about Luke Sullivan (another hero of mine) and the 800 headlines.
The post and podcast should be must reads for anyone in advertising. I particularly like this quote from the interview:
“Style and fashion spread through the ad agency business really fast. But they’re very bad at changing what they do for a living, they’re very bad at any form of new media, they’re bad at pushing clients to really dramatically, fundamentally reinvent themselves. What they’re very good at is adopting a new slogan or a new look or a new image. That’s deckchair re-arranging.”
The reason we’re called The Next Wave, Marketing • Innovation, is because we don’t believe that advertising is the solution to sales problems. While we can help with the slogan or image, what we try to do is reinvent the customer/brand experience. It’s one of the reasons we’ve been so enamored with the web, where you can establish meaningful relationships with your customers. That’s what we’re starting to do for Sally, and what we would like to do for you.
The best part of this collaboration: I only wrote 3 headlines to get to the winner.
Now jump over and listen to the podcast.
by Next Wave Team | Feb 12, 2007 | Advertising, Change the world, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Future of advertising, Great Ad Agencies, How To Select An Ad Agency, Low Budget Advertising, Marketing & the Web, Media, Practical Marketing 101, Search and Business, Web strategy
A friend in the indy newspaper business sent me this from Editor & Publisher and asked my opinion. She knew I’d have one.
My initial response is that the gene pool needs thinning.
Although most major ad agencies still don’t understand delivery of online ads, or how to build searchable site content- it’s apparent that very few of them understand web statistics- a whopping 84% of advertisers and agencies seem to think you need a third party auditing firm to tell you who hits your own server!
We can save you a bunch of money on online advertising- let us show you how to analyze your results, and continue to build traffic, without having to buy keywords from Google. Organic results are worth more, cost less, and are so easy to attain- if you understand the basics of how this whole thing works.
ABC Study: Advertisers Don’t Believe Online Ads Are Measured Accurately
By E&P Staff
Published: February 08, 2007 5:10 PM ET
NEW YORK Few advertisers and agencies have confidence that their online ad impressions are measured and reported accurately, according to a new study sponsored by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
In the survey, 84% of respondents say they believe that verification of online advertising activity by an independent third-party auditing firm will become increasingly important over the next three years.
On behalf of ABC, NSON Opinion Research surveyed 270 professionals involved in the buying or planning of online advertising in a Web-based poll conducted between Oct. 24 and Dec. 31, 2006.
“Just as publishers and print advertisers require accuracy and credibility in traditional media information, we’re seeing increased demand for transparency and accountability online,” Michael Lavery, ABC president and managing director, said in a statement.
Ninety-one percent of those surveyed said it’s important to audit ad impressions and delivery while 89% want to see the verification of online traffic.
Other findings in the study: 83% of respondents plan to increase online ad spending in 2007, more than half expect double-digit budget increases.
The age of respondents played a role in the results aswell. The younger the respondent, the more blasé they were about the data. Participants under 25 — 75% of those surveyed — said they trust metrics provided by online publishers while 22% of those 55-to-64 said the same thing.
read more here:ABC Study: Advertisers Don’t Believe Online Ads Are Measured Accurately
The reason online campaigns, advertising and even the good old company website are so valuable is that there is an absolute way to measure what brings the customer to your business, what they looked at, how long they spent with your brand. The intimacy of the connection is up to you to nurture- but, it’s almost as good as having a feed directly from a helmet cam as they walked through your store- after completing an interview about what brought them in.
These stats, when analyzed by a brand manager, can tell you everything a focus group can, only better- since the customers have no idea they are being observed. The key to maximize effectiveness is to have content on your site that includes your competition- so you can also find out what customers thing of your them too.
There are a lot of stupid things being done online right now. Google is laughing all the way to the bank. If you want to keep them happy, don’t pay attention to what we are telling you- the Chief Marketing Officer and Advertising agency gene pool needs thinning too.
by Next Wave Team | Feb 7, 2007 | Change the world, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Future of advertising, Marketing & the Web, Practical Marketing 101, Search and Business, Web strategy
David Esrati, Chief Creative Officer of The Next Wave, will be a presenter at:
Web Content 2007 - Chicago Business Conference on Internet Website Content June 18 & 19
Know the State-of-the-Art in Website Content Management
Web Content 2007 is for business professionals involved with creating, organizing and maintaining web content. The two-day conference provides three tracks: content design and access,content development and management and emerging tools and technologies. Each track offers attendees a selection of workshops, case studies, and presentations lead by recognized Internet authorities. Attend all sessions in one track or mix-and-match sessions in any track to create a customized program. Held in an intimate setting in Downtown Chicago participation is limited. Registration is now open. Save $100 if you register before May 4, 2007.
The Next Wave has always been at the forefront of trends in advertising. Our expertise in utilizing blogs as content management tools, and customer information systems created this opportunity for national exposure. Large ad agencies, interactive firms and Chief Marketing Officers still haven’t grasped the importance of search, accessibility, site statistics and community building as key to their online/offline success. We’ve been running our Websitetology seminars for over a year, teaching these methods for creating attention and visibility online. Your group or organization can sponsor a Websitetology seminar in your city, contact us to find out how blogosopher at The Next Wave dot biz.
by Next Wave Team | Jan 23, 2007 | Ad Agenices in Dayton, OH, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, How To Select An Ad Agency, Search and Business, Web strategy
Some local Dayton Ad agencies are starting to get a clue to what we do- and here is an example of one copying our list of Dayton Ad agencies- and posting it on their site.
Call it e-marketing, call it online marketing and communications- but, online is only one part of your complete marketing solution. The ability to build relationships with your customers isn’t just HTML- but here’s an example of what a copy job looks like:
Dayton Ad Agencies and BrainWave Emarketing
Need an ad agency? Get an ad agency. Need online marketing and communications? Get BrainWave.
Some agencies specialize in direct mail, some excel in public relations and some claim to be full service and do it all. BrainWave specializes in what we know - emarketing. And as you know, businesses that specialize in one category will outperform the departments in the one stop shops.
Some ad agencies can build websites. BrainWave builds a marketing tool that works for your business 24X7 and takes your online properties to the next level, making it an integrated part of your marketing communications and a true business value to your company.
We have provided a list of Dayton ad agencies. Call and discuss their online marketing capabilities before or after you have had a chance to chat with BrainWave.
Dayton Ohio Advertising Agencies
There is also another local agency that has a blog- although the integration with their main site is poor- and the content is focused on their own hip factor.
If you are looking for an ad agency in Dayton OH, Columbus Ohio or Cincinnati Ohio you’ve come to the right place- at least if you are looking to research- see our page: Agencies that aren’t The Next Wave.
by Next Wave Team | Jan 15, 2007 | Advertising, Everything You Want to Know About Advertising, Future of TV, Marketing & the Web, Web strategy
Serious 24 fans watch it live, TiVo it, or even use an old fashioned VCR- but they don’t miss the season premier. But, they also go out and buy the entire season on DVD and watch it straight through- and some collect it. Typically, the DVD doesn’t come out until after the season is over- not anymore. Starting tomorrow, you can buy the first 4 hours (premiered last night and tonight) on a DVD. No waiting till the season is over. Have it now. More than likely, after each 4 hours they will sell another DVD, and instead of getting $45 for the entire season in one box, you’ll pay more for the single packages.
Well, some Fox exec is probably thinking how smart am I- when in fact, they are missing the whole point: Bits not atoms. This was the seminal idea presented by Nicholas Negroponte in his 1996 book, Being Digital where he suggests that things that are made digitally (movies, books, newspapers etc) do better to stay in a digital format instead of being converted into atoms. This is what the iTunes store is all about, and what the future of television is- IPTV, on demand TV delivered by Internet Protocol, not, by creating disks with packaging, distribution costs etc.
Granted, television networks still haven’t got a clue what to do about TiVo yet- or the opportunities to build communities around their programming (except ESPN which understands the sportsfan better than anyone). The idea is to embrace your viewers- and make it easy for them to become a “market” with user profiles for direct delivery of targeted advertising- instead of the shotgun approach we now use.
The idea of the Sprint tie in to 24 is just another way to alienate some of your market. Is there anyone who really believes that fans will walk out of their Cingular or Verizon contract in order to move to Sprint to watch a webisode or get additional info? All this is doing is ticking off your most rabid fans that love 24, but don’t love Sprint.
Accept it: the customer is in control. It is your job to remove barriers and make them jump through as few hoops as possible to get access to their favorite shows. No big stupid Flash intros like they had on Rockstar Supernova, no sites that require proprietary browsers or specific hardware, you must work to make your content accessible to the widest possible audience, and let them feel like they aren’t being sold to- but embraced and part of something special- as you deliver the marketers message quietly through the screen.
