Ad Agencies: Will 2013 Be the Year 3D Printing Goes Mainstream?

3d printing advertising agencies

3D Printing is an innovative technology that is sure to impact advertising, marketing and even agency new business. 

“A faster and cheaper alternative to traditional methods of manufacturing is making its way into the mainstream market, and it looks to be changing the way people do business—including advertising.” 3D Printing Buzz

3D printing is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital model. Objects are created by laying down successive layers of material. This is performed by a materials printer using digital technology.… Continue reading

Filed Under: Agency Leadership, New Business Trends Tagged With: , , ,

David Ogilvy: Writing Tips for Ad Agency New Business

David Ogilvy ad agency new business content marketing

David Ogilvy remains one of the most famous names in advertising and continues to provide us with relevant content marketing tips. 

In 1948, at the age of 37, Ogilvy founded the agency that would become Ogilvy & Mather. Starting with only a staff of two and no clients, he built his agency into one of the eight largest advertising networks in the world. Today it has more than 450 offices in 169 cities.

“On the occasion of his 75th birthday, Ogilvy’s staff put a book together of all Ogilvy’s best memos and speeches [The Unpublished David Ogilvy].

… Continue reading

Filed Under: Agency Leadership, Content Marketing, Fuel for Thought Tagged With: , , , , ,

How to Build A Platform for Ad Agency New Business

Michael Hyatt Platform for ad agency new business

If you’re serious about taking your agency to the next level, “you can’t succeed without a platform.”

Most agencies were late getting into social media. Then they literally “jumped in” with little to show for their time and effort. It takes more than a completed check-list for having an agency blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts to have any kind of success.

The “typical” agency blog has:

  • No plan
  • No objective
  • No target audience
  • No integration
  • No consistency
  • No value (self promotional)
  • No traffic

Could this be why “nobody reads agency blogs?”

There are many benefits if you build an online platform the right way: 

  • Provides a better focus for new business
  • 24/7 top-of-mind awareness without interruption tactics, such as cold calling
  • Allows an agency to be more narrowly niched without the risk
  • Pre-qualifies prospects
  • Networking on steroids and increase in referrals
  • Win business without having to pitch
  • Eliminates the dating process
  • Consistent new business pipeline that is sustainable when the agency is at its busiest
  • A greater market area, with the potential for national and international new business opportunities
  • A positioning of expertise that allows charging higher premiums and working with fewer clients that are a better match

I am a fan of Michael Hyatt, former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the seventh largest trade book publishing company in the U.S.… Continue reading

Filed Under: Agency Leadership, New Business Tactics, New Business Tips, New Business Trends, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

10 Tips to Supercharge Your Energy for Ad Agency New Business

energize ad agency new business

Agency new business does not come from burning ourselves out, grinding ourselves down or using ourselves up.

Last year I felt lethargic. I went to my doctor for a checkup. Beyond being overweight and overworked there was nothing physically wrong with me. What I needed was a change of direction. I did a thorough self assessment and with a lot of reading and research, trial and error, I came up with a personalized game plan for a lasting lifestyle change.… Continue reading

Filed Under: Agency Leadership, Best Practices, Fuel for Thought, Time Management Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Can commissions for ad agency new business do more harm than good?

ad agency commissions and sales

Raising the discussion about compensation for those charged with ad agency new business.

It is time to re-think how we compensate those “odd ducks” who do what no one else wants to do, sell the agency. Their motivation for creating new business opportunities is thought to be primarily by financial rewards. The traditional ‘carrot and stick philosophy. Remove the dangling carrot and their new business activities will quickly dissipate.

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Daniel Pink challenges the ‘carrots and sticks’ philosophy as the wrong way to motivate sales people today.… Continue reading

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What is your agency doing to meet the escalating demands for digital?

digital marketing ad agencies

 

Digital is not an idea that you merely ‘check off’ your list.

Traditional agencies should know by now that digital training is critical to their new business success. 

“The market is now ready to take a big step to join, and in some cases even replace, traditional agencies in leading marketing strategy for top brands.” Sean Corocran, The Forrester Blog for Interactive Professionals

Rising to meet the explosive growth of digital, many of the larger agencies are now requiring that almost all of their employees develop digital skills.… Continue reading

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Why ad agencies should learn about Springpad

Springpad re-imagines how sharing and discovery should work.

If you are a regular reader of Fuel Lines, you know that I am a big fan of Edward Boches, Chief Innovation Officer (formerly Chief Creative Officer and Chief Social Media Officer) at Mullen. Edward was among the few creatives to understand the importance of social media as an active practitioner. He has led his agency by example.

I’m honored to have Edward share a new social media platform through this guest post that will help your agency and your clients.… Continue reading

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The Pitch: Mad Men Pitching For Ad Agency New Business

Real ad agencies take the veil off the new-business-review process and it isn’t pretty.

“The Pitch”, is a new reality show featuring two agencies, McKinney and WDCW, who are competing for a Subway assignment. The new business pitch is the way agencies win most of their business and grow.  The sneak peaks of The Pitch is an edited version of the creative process of both agencies that builds toward the pitch and then declaration of the winner.… Continue reading

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A Resource for International New Business for Ad Agencies

An agency network that is focused on helping independent agencies to pitch, win and manage international accounts, themselves.

I asked Julian Boulding, London England,  to share information about an international agency network called thenetworkone, which he co-founded. This non-traditional network, provides a custom-built international network, that is available “on demand” for new business pitches and with existing clients at an affordable price.

Julian, a graduate of Cambridge University,  began his career in media sales and direct marketing before switching to the agency  business side.

… Continue reading

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Validation for the World’s First Creative Ad Agency Built on Crowdsourcing Principles

A new business model for ad agencies that combines the best of what a creative agency can do and the best of what crowdsourcing can offer.

Havas, a leading advertising holding group, sees enormous potential in a new model for advertising agencies. They have announced acquisition of Victors & Spoils, the world’s first creative advertising agency built upon crowdsourcing principles.

“When an industry goes through a revolution, you can either sit and watch it happen or embrace the exciting new business models at the forefront of that revolution.

… Continue reading

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