Comments for b&a blog http://www.babrain.com/blog advertising and branding thoughts Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:10:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Five Considerations When Selecting an Ad Agency by Jeff Miskis http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=247#comment-285 Jeff Miskis Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:59:38 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=247#comment-285 I think an important thing to note about selecting an agency would be their experience in your niche. Ask each agency about the experience they have relating to your particular market. Often times we see new clients who have come from a previous agency-relationship with a sour feeling because their marketing initiatives simply weren't in line with the complexities that often arise with specific audience groups. If you're a B2B company, you want to make sure that you work with an agency who has experience communicating the same way. Just as companies have become more specialized, agencies have been doing the same, and finding one that as experience/expertise in your niche could prove to be the most important part of the selection process. I think your points 1, 2, and 3 relate here. Aside from that, I agree that the working relationship is going to be the next most important part. After all, an agency is quite simply a group of focused individuals - if you aren't comfortable with and trust the people themselves, you can't trust the work that they might produce for you. I think an important thing to note about selecting an agency would be their experience in your niche. Ask each agency about the experience they have relating to your particular market. Often times we see new clients who have come from a previous agency-relationship with a sour feeling because their marketing initiatives simply weren’t in line with the complexities that often arise with specific audience groups. If you’re a B2B company, you want to make sure that you work with an agency who has experience communicating the same way. Just as companies have become more specialized, agencies have been doing the same, and finding one that as experience/expertise in your niche could prove to be the most important part of the selection process. I think your points 1, 2, and 3 relate here.

Aside from that, I agree that the working relationship is going to be the next most important part. After all, an agency is quite simply a group of focused individuals - if you aren’t comfortable with and trust the people themselves, you can’t trust the work that they might produce for you.

]]> Comment on My Favorite Ads of the Past Five Years by Artie Isaac http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=276#comment-283 Artie Isaac Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:36:47 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=276#comment-283 I agree with the Cadillac spot. It is priceless. And, for me, very inspiring. I agree with the Cadillac spot. It is priceless. And, for me, very inspiring.

]]> Comment on Turning Point #2: Be blind to how an ad agency is “supposed” to be. by Gary Hess http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=278#comment-278 Gary Hess Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:46:51 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=278#comment-278 No worries Rebecca! This has always been a subject that frustrated me both as a recruiter and a candidate. I do hope agencies start to open their doors but given the state of our current economy it seems agencies have resorted to what is comfortable. When I returned in July of last year, I struggled to get attention from agencies and ended up in the newspaper industry. Coming from a digital background, this has been a shock to the system but fingers crossed clients will open their pocketbooks and normal business will resume! Thanks for the book recommendations...I will give them a look but unfortunately I'm battling our new cable system installed last week! No worries Rebecca! This has always been a subject that frustrated me both as a recruiter and a candidate. I do hope agencies start to open their doors but given the state of our current economy it seems agencies have resorted to what is comfortable. When I returned in July of last year, I struggled to get attention from agencies and ended up in the newspaper industry. Coming from a digital background, this has been a shock to the system but fingers crossed clients will open their pocketbooks and normal business will resume! Thanks for the book recommendations…I will give them a look but unfortunately I’m battling our new cable system installed last week!

]]> Comment on Turning Point #2: Be blind to how an ad agency is “supposed” to be. by Rebecca http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=278#comment-277 Rebecca Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:00:59 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=278#comment-277 Thanks for the comment, Gary! I especially agree with the analogy to agencies berating clients for picking the safe option. It's totally hypocritical. I've always admired the people in the business who didn't study it in college. In advertising, you have to be a student of life. One of my favorites is Jon Steel - he was a geography major and has gone on to become one of the most renowned planners around and an accomplished author. If you haven't read his books, you should pick them up. Also, one of my favorite people at our agency, Tim, started out studying physics. And he's a brilliant strategist now. Everyone has ideas - you're right. We're all consumers. We're all exposed to marketing and advertising every day. Another favorite example of this is the Nissan design center that built a prototype they were all very proud of. They were standing around patting themselves on the back when an administrative assistant walked by and said, "it's ugly." It wasn't until then that they considered the consumer and went back and changed the design. Anyways, thanks for the comment and the follow on Twitter! Thanks for the comment, Gary! I especially agree with the analogy to agencies berating clients for picking the safe option. It’s totally hypocritical. I’ve always admired the people in the business who didn’t study it in college. In advertising, you have to be a student of life. One of my favorites is Jon Steel - he was a geography major and has gone on to become one of the most renowned planners around and an accomplished author. If you haven’t read his books, you should pick them up. Also, one of my favorite people at our agency, Tim, started out studying physics. And he’s a brilliant strategist now.

Everyone has ideas - you’re right. We’re all consumers. We’re all exposed to marketing and advertising every day. Another favorite example of this is the Nissan design center that built a prototype they were all very proud of. They were standing around patting themselves on the back when an administrative assistant walked by and said, “it’s ugly.” It wasn’t until then that they considered the consumer and went back and changed the design.

Anyways, thanks for the comment and the follow on Twitter!

]]> Comment on Turning Point #2: Be blind to how an ad agency is “supposed” to be. by Gary Hess http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=278#comment-275 Gary Hess Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:53:24 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=278#comment-275 I once had a flourishing career recruiting for digital ad agencies in London until the perils of immigration sent me back to Columbus. A friend of mine had some insight on this matter that I thought you might find interesting... The world’s built like this, millions of members clubs of all shapes and sizes; you have a nationality, you went to a certain school, you belong to a race, a family, member of a gym perhaps? Industries are no different, however it strikes me as a little counterproductive when trying to address a problem such as a skills shortage. Looking at the constant improvements: the diversity being shown in both the method and finished product on digital projects, it seems logical that we should consider candidates from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to continue bringing fresh ideas to the table. In the same way agencies berate clients for pursuing the safe option, agencies will often do just that when it comes to bringing in a fresh perspective. I’m not advocating a return to the days before the bubble burst when agencies were recruiting irrelevant skill sets to run interactive accounts; our sector has matured, but that doesn’t not mean that we should become set in our ways. The problem needs to be approached from both sides. Not only should agencies be thinking laterally when it comes to looking for the ideas people, but in turn those with the ambition need to think hard about what they have to offer, and how. After all, everybody has ideas and everybody has something to offer, those who succeed will be those who are willing to show it. I once had a flourishing career recruiting for digital ad agencies in London until the perils of immigration sent me back to Columbus. A friend of mine had some insight on this matter that I thought you might find interesting…

The world’s built like this, millions of members clubs of all shapes and sizes; you have a nationality, you went to a certain school, you belong to a race, a family, member of a gym perhaps?
Industries are no different, however it strikes me as a little counterproductive when trying to address a problem such as a skills shortage. Looking at the constant improvements: the diversity being shown in both the method and finished product on digital projects, it seems logical that we should consider candidates from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to continue bringing fresh ideas to the table.
In the same way agencies berate clients for pursuing the safe option, agencies will often do just that when it comes to bringing in a fresh perspective. I’m not advocating a return to the days before the bubble burst when agencies were recruiting irrelevant skill sets to run interactive accounts; our sector has matured, but that doesn’t not mean that we should become set in our ways.
The problem needs to be approached from both sides. Not only should agencies be thinking laterally when it comes to looking for the ideas people, but in turn those with the ambition need to think hard about what they have to offer, and how. After all, everybody has ideas and everybody has something to offer, those who succeed will be those who are willing to show it.

]]> Comment on My Favorite Ads of the Past Five Years by Colson http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=276#comment-274 Colson Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:40:23 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=276#comment-274 I love the Trunk Monkey campaigns that came out of R/West for the Suburban Auto Group. I believe there is a site dedicated to these spots - www.trunkmonkey.com. I love the Trunk Monkey campaigns that came out of R/West for the Suburban Auto Group. I believe there is a site dedicated to these spots - http://www.trunkmonkey.com.

]]> Comment on My Favorite Ads of the Past Five Years by Jack http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=276#comment-272 Jack Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:30:59 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=276#comment-272 I love these too - I have been disappointed to not see them run more often. Although Cadillac has done an amazing job at changing it's position in the market in the last decade. I love these too - I have been disappointed to not see them run more often. Although Cadillac has done an amazing job at changing it’s position in the market in the last decade.

]]> Comment on Turning points: growing a great agency brand by Rebecca http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=274#comment-271 Rebecca Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:24:22 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=274#comment-271 Thanks for the comment! Of course they get in front of people, not to worry, that will be addressed. There are many more points to come. The great work and some other points (culture being one of them) are sometimes the requirements to getting in front of the right clients. And yes, the barbershop work got noticed - consumers loved it and the salon got double-digit growth for fourteen months after the campaign. Thanks for the comment! Of course they get in front of people, not to worry, that will be addressed. There are many more points to come. The great work and some other points (culture being one of them) are sometimes the requirements to getting in front of the right clients. And yes, the barbershop work got noticed - consumers loved it and the salon got double-digit growth for fourteen months after the campaign.

]]> Comment on Turning points: growing a great agency brand by Jack http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=274#comment-270 Jack Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:57:12 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=274#comment-270 Interesting, but i wonder where you are headed with this. It seems that while making the work superior, original, arresting, effective - the other part of the equation is getting in front of people to give them the opportunity about considering your agency. I wonder if even the greatest work may go un-noticed by too many people - makes we wonder that even great work which is essential to growing the agency brand and more particularly culture is enough (wonder how much the barbershop work got noticed at the time) - feed me more. Interesting, but i wonder where you are headed with this. It seems that while making the work superior, original, arresting, effective - the other part of the equation is getting in front of people to give them the opportunity about considering your agency. I wonder if even the greatest work may go un-noticed by too many people - makes we wonder that even great work which is essential to growing the agency brand and more particularly culture is enough (wonder how much the barbershop work got noticed at the time) - feed me more.

]]> Comment on Books that Shape Our Thinking by Tim Laubacher http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=271#comment-266 Tim Laubacher Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:56:25 +0000 http://www.babrain.com/blog/?p=271#comment-266 That's one of the benefits of working on a campus. You've got quick access to books. We've created a little library of a few shelves of books here at b&a, but it probably doesn't compare to the library system at IU. Just a guess. I'll have to look into The Sales Bible. That’s one of the benefits of working on a campus. You’ve got quick access to books. We’ve created a little library of a few shelves of books here at b&a, but it probably doesn’t compare to the library system at IU. Just a guess.

I’ll have to look into The Sales Bible.

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