Comments on: Focus to Grow http://www.ignitiongroup.com/propulsion/focus-to-grow/ Exploring the "next-practices" of successful marketing communication firms Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:07:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Thomson Dawson http://www.ignitiongroup.com/propulsion/focus-to-grow/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Thomson Dawson Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:19:08 +0000 http://www.ignitiongroup.com/propulsion/?p=233#comment-20 I think the comment above misses the point... but I do agree that social media now blurs everything. All marketing communications firms, through their own web sites sound and look alike, and offer pretty much the same expertise (knowledge and talent)... the differences between them are barely perceived by the client buyer. You have a choice to pour your knowledge and expertise into a deep and narrow "pilsner glass", or you can pour it as a shallow film into a wide pan... the point is to narrow the availability of choice and strengthen your power in the buying cycle... there are 77,000 marketing communications firms in the US alone... clients have over-supply and all the power in the buying process... which is why this profession is stuck with providing our expertise for free in the "pitch"... I think the comment above misses the point… but I do agree that social media now blurs everything.

All marketing communications firms, through their own web sites sound and look alike, and offer pretty much the same expertise (knowledge and talent)… the differences between them are barely perceived by the client buyer. You have a choice to pour your knowledge and expertise into a deep and narrow “pilsner glass”, or you can pour it as a shallow film into a wide pan… the point is to narrow the availability of choice and strengthen your power in the buying cycle… there are 77,000 marketing communications firms in the US alone… clients have over-supply and all the power in the buying process… which is why this profession is stuck with providing our expertise for free in the “pitch”…

]]> By: Matt http://www.ignitiongroup.com/propulsion/focus-to-grow/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Matt Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:30:43 +0000 http://www.ignitiongroup.com/propulsion/?p=233#comment-19 I respectfully disagree. I think an advertising agency has to be more than it used to be. And one doesn't become more than it used to be by narrowing. Exhibit A: Motrin. Last year a campaign by Taxi got blindsided by angry moms on Twitter. The PR agency for Motrin was unaware of what Taxi was doing. Two agencies focusing on what they do best by being narrow didn't help the client. Now, you could say Matt, take your one example and shove it. Narrow is the way to win. But I think social media is blurring the lines enough that narrow won't get it done. A decade ago, silos didn't matter to a client (and I use the word silo because it's a large narrow thing that sits in a field by itself not talking to the other silos.) But as Motrin proved (and the next one coming) if a brand doesn't have a plan for a crisis from their narrow agency, I humbly suggest getting an agency with a PA/Crisis team. I'll go further. Why not have the web guys at the TV shoot so that they can take some footage and make it really work in the web (instead of simply putting TV spots on YouTube)? Last question: I'm convinced that this kind of interaction around the brand is the way things are moving. http://tinyurl.com/3clgob. I think more brands are going to want engaging stories that exist online and in ads. I think narrow doesn't come up with this. I respectfully disagree. I think an advertising agency has to be more than it used to be. And one doesn’t become more than it used to be by narrowing.

Exhibit A: Motrin. Last year a campaign by Taxi got blindsided by angry moms on Twitter. The PR agency for Motrin was unaware of what Taxi was doing. Two agencies focusing on what they do best by being narrow didn’t help the client.

Now, you could say Matt, take your one example and shove it. Narrow is the way to win. But I think social media is blurring the lines enough that narrow won’t get it done.

A decade ago, silos didn’t matter to a client (and I use the word silo because it’s a large narrow thing that sits in a field by itself not talking to the other silos.)

But as Motrin proved (and the next one coming) if a brand doesn’t have a plan for a crisis from their narrow agency, I humbly suggest getting an agency with a PA/Crisis team.

I’ll go further. Why not have the web guys at the TV shoot so that they can take some footage and make it really work in the web (instead of simply putting TV spots on YouTube)?

Last question: I’m convinced that this kind of interaction around the brand is the way things are moving. http://tinyurl.com/3clgob. I think more brands are going to want engaging stories that exist online and in ads. I think narrow doesn’t come up with this.

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