Phil's Blog

And Now For The Bad News

Those that believed the economy was at its bottom and their business wouldn't decline further are finding that the other shoe is dropping. Sagging client sales mean further cuts in agency compensation.

It's all happening now: consolidation of firms, reduction of fees and scope creep. 

Agency staffs who received pay cuts and freezes but retained their jobs are now facing job losses.

There are solutions. There are adjustments that can be made. But time is not on your side.

Let's have a conversation. This is no time to become a follower. It's about survival.

Phil

Why Would I Let You Spend My Millions When You Don't Know The Singular of Media?

"I remember when only athletes spoke broken English."                                                                 -                            - Me

TV is a medium. TV and radio are media. "We plan and buy all the medias" is illiterate.

The most important question is why would a potential client hire a media planner that didn't take the time to pay attention in English class? Or during their years learning media planning, buying and strategy?

The next question is why don't the other members of the new business presentation team correct the mistake? I have seen at least three media directors present more than once making this singular mistake each time.

Agencies who want to win should improve their presentations in many ways including presenting in a language we've all agreed upon.

Inevitably, somebody on the selection committee will ask a question such as: "If their media guy doesn't know media from medium, what do they really know about media planning and buying?" One person's snarky-ness is another person's true belief. If they are the potential client, it matters.

The Death of A.O.R.

Regional and local ad agencies have unique opportunities to win business these days. Those opportunities are enhanced by one of the changes brought about by this Great Economic Compression: the death of the "Agency of Record" (AOR) concept.

Here's exactly how to capitalize on it:

1.

2. Sorry. This section has been redacted due to my capitalistic desire to earn money by speaking directly to your agency in my one-day Business Building seminar. E me to find out more.

3.

4.

 

Broken Brands - Part 2

Dear Copywriter,

Let's imagine it's a year from now. Or five. What are the emotionally charged and motivating words that you, an advertising copywriter, can use to draw interest, create buzz and, most importantly of all, get people to buy?

For the first time in advertising history, the word "New" with or without an exclamation mark will be innocuous. So will the word "Special." And forget about using the word "Sale" unless it's a sale on a sale on a sale.

"Lowest prices ever." -- Right.

"Never before seen" -- Uh huh.

"Today only" -- Sorry, I can't make it.

"Supplies are limited" -- Yawn.

Sorry, my copywriter friend, the welcome mat has been worn out during this recession.

Fortunately, there are two answers. Number one, is doing what used to be called "high school" advertising meaning using naughty words (oh no!) or writing suggestive headlines. What's the big concept here? Pull down your pants to get attention. (For examples, check your local stations. Cable, too.)

The other answer? Some strategizing with your favorite thinker, me. I'm only an email away.

My word!

Sincerely,

Phil

What Is Is.

This may be called a recession, a downturn or a bottom in the economy. Choose your own description.

However, if you believe that things will snap back, turn up or recover to "the way things were" at some point, you need to snap out of it. What is IS the new reality, the foreseeable future, our new normal. 

What do we do to change our company's success in this new reality? First recognize that what is is. Then research, test, figure, innovate, invent, introduce services, products and concepts that people will buy based on it.

We all have to adjust. Doing it now is far better than waiting for Godot. Because Godot never comes. 

Phil

E.T. phone, er, Google home.

Welcome to Brand Central. We've got your number.

Google is hoping to revolutionize phone and messaging communication with an extraordinary new organization of mobile connections where one number fits all.

Like any new technology, it'll come in fits and starts. As a service to loyal readers, this is about the starts. Google will handle the fits.

So, are in good voice? Great. 

Are you in Google voice? If not, boys and girls, you should sign up here: Phil sent me and I'm glad he did.

Don't let someone get your number.

Waiting For The Dough

"It is a game. Everything is a game."                                                                                           -Samuel Beckett

We are overwhelmed with media. Online, off line, in our faces, eyes and ears everywhere we go. Even if we don't go, they're there. 

The media tell us that times are bad and no one knows when things will get better. They tell us this over and over again.

Is it any surprise that advertisers won't start spending again?

So what will trigger a change in attitude that will start the flow again? It may be simply courage. Courage on the part of some advertisers to take control of their futures from "the crowd," the conventional "wisdumb" and the media.

I suspect those who act first in their competitive set will be the winners.

Sony should have invested, then invented the iPod after its Walkman success. Polaroid should have researched and been early to digital photography. Microsoft should have foreseen and been first in Search. But in each case, these companies squandered opportunity. 

And it never came back.

Broken Brands - Part 1

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." And then what?

There are a number of marketers who, because of the pressures of a down economy and the need to survive, will face even more challenging times when the recession recedes.

For many months, Macy's has presented one sale after another. Deep discounting has retrained consumer brains to expect more. And to accept nothing less. What will the nation's number one department store chain do when they want to improve margins? Seems to me that they will face conversion of their concept to a permanent, everyday sale positioning. Macy's will become Target without the shampoo and toothpaste.

I've written before about how the Great Depression brought about change in business and branding. Soon we will see changes emerge from this downturn. Some will be for the good. New concepts in a new normal.

But for brands such as Macy's, the future may be not-so-smooth sailing. After all, Kris Kringle doesn't exist. Neither does Gimbel's anymore.

Phil's List of Enlightening Stats - Part 83

While all those other blogs give you the top tens on this or that, we give you the top eleven.

Here are the top eleven social bookmarking sites (Sources: Compete and Quantcast)

1.  Digg

2.  Yahoo! Buzz

3.  StumbleUpon

4.  reddit

5.  Technorati

6.  del.icio.us

7.  kaboodle

8.  mixx

9.  Propeller

10.newsvine

11.Fark

Why Not Win?

After consulting in more than 60 agency searches, I have reviewed:

• 1200 sets of agency promotional materials
• 900 RFP responses
• 1000 agency presentations (semis and finals) 
• and an array of items that you would simply not believe. (Sorry, I can't show them cause everything is confidential.)

Here's what I've observed, concluded and can impart: 

1. The biggest overall mistake agencies make.
2. The largest oversight in preparation and presentation.
3. Top five remarkable omissions.
4. Top ten offenses, discourtesies and rudenessthat can prevent winning.
5. Most significant way for a PR firm to differentiate itself and probably win.
6. Twenty-seven things to do before, during and after. Many are overlooked.
7. Top ten errors in presentations or, to be positive, the top ten things it wouldn't be good to do.
8. Top tips in insuring respect of the agency, its staff and its work.
9. Two costs of entry. Without at least one of them, you'll probably lose. 
10. Most insightful, full day new business session around.

 The answer to number 10 above is my Business Building Seminar -- a full day at your agency's office evaluating your agency's materials and presentations plus a complete discussion of the pursuit of new business in the depths of a recession.

E me to set up a date.

Phil 

• 1200 sets of agency promotional materials
• 900 RFP responses
• 1000 agency presentations (semis and finals) 
• and an array of items that you would simply not believe. (Sorry, I can't show them cause everything is confidential.)

Here's what I've observed, concluded and can impart: 

1. The biggest overall mistake agencies make.
2. The largest oversight in preparation and presentation.
3. Top five remarkable omissions.
4. Top ten offenses, discourtesies and rudenessthat can prevent winning.
5. Most significant way for a PR firm to differentiate itself and probably win.
6. Twenty-seven things to do before, during and after. Many are overlooked.
7. Top ten errors in presentations or, to be positive, the top ten things it wouldn't be good to do.
8. Top tips in insuring respect of the agency, its staff and its work.
9. Two costs of entry. Without at least one of them, you'll probably lose. 
10. Most insightful, full day new business session around.

 The answer to number 10 above is my Business Building Seminar -- a full day at your agency's office evaluating your agency's materials and presentations plus a complete discussion of the pursuit of new business in the depths of a recession.

E me to set up a date.

Phil