|
|
| |
 |
| |
 |
|
Few Employee Policies for Use of Personal Technology |
|
| |
| In our most recent Quick Poll, we asked site users if their agencies have guidelines for in-office use of cell phones, PDAs, and other “personal technology.” An overwhelming 89% said they have no guidelines for how employees use personal technology in an office environment. This is an issue for some agencies, and no big deal for others. But agency managers should be aware of potential issues relating to confidentiality, data security and human resources. See our sample policy language for in-office use of personal technology in the Knowledge Base. |
| |
|
| |
 |
|
Need Training? Try Our Webinars Library. |
|
| |
| If the hassles and expense of air travel are inhibiting employee training at your agency, we have a great option. Second Wind Webinars are digital training modules featuring detailed slide shows plus audio, and can be purchased for download from our Webinars Library. You can present a Webinar as a “lunch and learn” session right in your agency, to as many employees as you like, for less than the cost of a single seminar registration. View our Webinars Library. |
| |
|
| |
 |
|
New Webinar Focuses on “Green Marketing” |
|
| |
| This week’s Second Wind’s webinar, Help Your Clients Do “Green Marketing,” will air on Thursday, June 19, 2008. This special session provides agencies with a good grounding in how the green marketing and services revolution will affect B2B and B2C clients, altering how they run their businesses, sales and marketing. Registrations for the live event are limited, so sign up today! Or, register and download the recordings after the event. Read more or register! View our Webinars Library. |
| |
|
| |
|
Making Corporate Footprints Smaller and Greener
by Second Wind
While the obvious reason to engage in “green” business initiatives is our collective responsibility to take better care of Mother Earth, greening your business—and helping clients do the same—is also smart branding. As the... read more 
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
What Do Your Clients Think About the Economy?
Mark Sneider of Reardon Smith Whittaker shared an overview of A Client’s Perspective on Economic Conditions, a 2008 survey of marketing decision makers, in the current issue of The Second Wind Newsletter, Vol. 21 No. 5. Some 200 senior marketing managers from a broad mix of companies and industries completed the survey. The good news? Sixty-nine percent of respondents had made no changes in their use of outside marketing services over the past six months, and 76% reported they do not foresee changing the number of agencies they work with in 2008. Click here to see the full survey.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Brand Passion Trumps Interactive Mystique
by Second Wind
With the shift in marketing emphasis from traditional media to online and “new” media, many agencies have struggled to reposition their skill sets. Clients moved more quickly to embrace Web 2.0 and new media opportunities than their a... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Idea Bank Launches Video Production Studio
Television commercials, video press releases, product demonstrations, corporate and informational presentations, interactive DVDs, web-based video and more began rolling out of Idea Bank’s new video production studio in Hastings, NE this spring. The Second Wind member agency converted available office space to bring projects in-house that were formerly contracted to outside vendors, gaining a new profit generator as well as greater control over timelines and product consistency.
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Brand Webinar for Ad Agencies and Their Clients |
|
| |
| Second Wind’s newest webinar, A Brand is a Reservoir of Cash Waiting to Be Tapped, will air on Thursday, June 5, 2008. This special session is a great lunch-and-learn opportunity for agencies and their clients. We’ll help you explain the value of branding to clients who need help reaching new, proactive consumers using all appropriate touchpoints. Register Now. Also, learn about two more June webinars, How to Keep Your Agency Solid... When the Economy Goes Soft, and Help Your Clients Do “Green Marketing.” Registrations for the live events are limited, so sign up today! Or, register and download the recordings after the event. Read more or register! View our Webinars Library. |
| |
|
| |
|
Is That Account on the Rocks?
by Second Wind
The business world can be very stressful, and your clients are not immune to the impact of market changes, internal politics and competitive forces. But you must also be alert to possible failures on the part of your agency’s client service tea... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Promote Excellence, Not Mediocrity
by Second Wind
We work in an extraordinarily creative industry. Or so we like to think. Yes, our product is “creative,” but our human resources management practices often support the opposite of creativity, swamping employee talent in old-school management tec... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Mudd Top Fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis
Team Mudd of Mudd Advertising participated in the annual Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser walkathon in Cedar Falls, IA on April 27, 2008. Forty-eight employees represented the agency, raising $2,800 for the local CF organization. Mudd is a national automotive marketing firm with offices in Los Angeles, Chicago and Nashville.
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Three Timely Webinars for Ad Agencies and Their Clients |
|
| |
| Second Wind has three new webinars scheduled for June 2008. A Brand is a Reservoir of Cash Waiting to Be Tapped, June 5, 2008, is a special session for agencies and their clients. We’ll help you explain the value of branding to clients who need help reaching new, proactive consumers using all appropriate touchpoints. On June 12, 2008, we’ll offer How to Keep Your Agency Solid... When the Economy Goes Soft. Learn ten ways to guide your agency through a recession. And on June 19, 2008, learn how to Help Your Clients Do “Green Marketing.” Develop this new specialty and position your agency as the first to bring green concepts to the table. Registrations for the live events are limited, so sign up today! Or, register and download the recordings after the event. Read more or register! View our Webinars Library. |
| |
|
| |
|
Doin’ Donuts: 360º Workforce Reviews
by Second Wind
Conducting annual employee reviews is often regarded as a necessary evil by smaller- and midsize-agency principals. Because many smaller firms do not have the resources to employ a full-time human resources manager, principals are often responsibl... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
The Votes Are In! |
|
| |
| Ad agency principals prepare or co-prepare (at least) 50% of all new business pitches. In a recent Second Wind Online Quick Poll, we asked, ”Who in your agency typically prepares a new business pitch?” For 35% of respondents, the agency principal prepares the pitch. Another 16% said the principal teams with their new business developer. Read More... |
| |
|
| |
 |
|
Ad Publishing Source Wins Recruitment Marketplace Award |
|
| |
| Broomfield, CO agency Ad Publishing Source, a nationally recognized recruitment advertising and marketing firm, won First Place for their Six Flags Great Adventure radio spot, at the Creative Excellence Awards in April. The annual international awards sponsored by Recruitment Marketplace honor the best advertising designed to recruit new employees and retain current talent. The firm also took second place honors for two other campaigns for Six Flags Great Adventure of Jackson, NJ. It’s the eighth consecutive year that Ad Publishing Source has been so honored. |
| |
|
| |
|
Smart Creative Teams Ask: Where Is The Research?
by Bill Thomasson
Contrary to what some would have you believe, great advertising is not created, it’s built… and the foundation of really strong creative campaigns is research.
In all of my 30 years in the advertising business, I never understood why so... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Why Don’t Advertising Agencies Advertise?
by Mark Sneider
The dynamics of the advertising industry are constantly evolving. With recession looming, bringing scattered fears of potential budget cuts and apprehensions of a lagging economy, advertising agencies are pursuing a more aggressive strategy in s... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Don’t Shoot the Messenger
by Larry Melnick
“We’re on our third business developer in the past two years. I can’t seem to find the right person.”
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. It’s a theme I’ve heard consistently over the years. In fact, the words above were r... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
2008 CreateAthon® Pro Bono Effort Needs YOU!
The annual CreateAthon®, an agency-led effort to provide marketing assistance to non-profit businesses, is scheduled for the week of September 15-19, 2008. Since going national in 2001, CreateAthon has served over 1,000 non-profit organizations. Last year, founding agency RIGGS welcomed a number of new Second Wind agencies to the CreateAthon Network. For full details about how your agency can give back to your local community through CreateAthon, lists of past participants and clients served, and a full history of this notable event, visit
www.createathon.org
|
| |
|
| |
|
Big Buildup Backfires in Building Word of Mouth
by Second Wind
The recent rumblings regarding the demise of Katie Couric at CBS point up a valuable lesson: you can’t create a groundswell of word of mouth by making a media splash.
Think back, oh… 18 months to a year ago. The entire big media was agog ... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Everyone Knows It’s Wind-e…
Every month, we email a copy of Wind-e, our free e-zine, to our online subscribers. Each issue features two articles on a current “hot topic,” so you can stay informed as well as get a taste of the content offered at Second Wind Online. The current Wind-e discusses how to adapt ad agency culture and practices to vest younger workers in your agency’s future. If you are not yet a subscriber, click here to subscribe to Wind-e.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Leadership! Straight from Your Drill Instructor
by Paul Field
We are not in the ad biz; we are in the people business. We spend most of our time finding, keeping and nurturing the best people—to create ideas that produce impact and results for our clients. As an agency manager and consultant, I often... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Smiley Addresses National Health Care Group
Mike Smiley, VP of account services at PAPA Advertising, presented “Crisis Media Relations: How To Respond When The Media Come Calling!” at a national meeting of health services professionals held in Niagara Falls, New York. Smiley outlined proven principles for effectively managing media inquiries and delivering the organization’s key messages. PAPA is a full-service marketing communications firm with offices in Erie, Pa., and Charlotte, N.C., serving clients throughout the eastern United States. Share your agency news: email editor@secondwindonline.com
|
| |
|
| |
|
Recalling the Past, Looking to the Future
This month we celebrate a few anniversaries. We published the premier issue of The Second Wind Newsletter in April 1988. Happy 20th to us! And on April 22, 1970, the environmental movement got started with the very first Earth Day. This Tuesday, Earth Day 2008, volunteer in a local clean-up project. Switch to energy-saving light bulbs. Plant a tree. The Earth will thank you. Me, I’m headed to the local garden center. Watch for more on Second Wind’s 20th Anniversary.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Google Print Ads™ Debuts “Interactive” Tactic
There is a reason why Google continues to trump most marketing experts by being “first in” to just about every new interactive venture: They are not hampered by a hidebound mentality that cannot think beyond traditional media practices.
... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
RIGGS Wins 8 InShow Awards, 13 ADDYs |
|
| |
| Second Wind member RIGGS of South Carolina won the acclaim of all three AIGA Awards judges to win a spot in InShow, a statewide design competition. They topped that honor by taking home eight InShow awards. THEN they won 13 ADDYs at the Columbia, SC, event, including Best in Print for client Cane Bay Plantation. RIGGS celebrated their 20th anniversary early this year, and are prepping for CreateAthon 2008. Stay tuned for more CreateAthon news… |
| |
|
| |
|
Catalyst Wins Recognition and Clients
Second Wind member Catalyst Advertising, Pittsburgh, PA, was recently nominated Best Overall Agency and Best Boutique Agency by the Media Association of Pittsburgh. Partner Mark Baldauf also reports the agency won three new accounts in the first quarter of 2008. Even better, Catalyst celebrated its 24th anniversary on April 1. (No fooling!) Congratulations to all the folks at Catalyst!
|
| |
|
| |
|
Ad Agency Schizophrenia
by Deborah Budd
Sometimes it feels like we are being torn asunder by the demands of our rapidly changing industry. On one hand, our clients require us to be all about the numbers. ROI, media measurement, customer statistics, et. al., are the coinage we are expec... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Need Training? Try Our Webinars Library.
If the hassles and expense of air travel are inhibiting employee training at your agency, we have a great option. Second Wind Webinars are digital training modules featuring detailed slide shows plus audio, and can be purchased for download from our Webinars Library. You can present a Webinar as a “lunch and learn” session right in your agency, to as many employees as you like, for less than the cost of a single seminar registration. Or, register for a live webinar webcast. Now available: The Agency of the Future Webinars. See our current webinar schedule and available recordings.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Finding a Great New Business Director
by Paul Field
With the economy starting to look pretty shaky, agency owners are giving business development a higher priority. Several of them have asked me lately about how to find a really good new business hunter. Here's my advice.
First, Figure... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
61 Percent Offer Case Studies Online |
|
| |
| Second Wind asked readers, “Do you offer case studies on your agency website?” in our most recent Quick Poll. Sixty-one percent replied that they offer examples of their thinking, strategy, execution and results, rather than just showing pictures of completed projects. Clients increasingly want to know that their next agency understands how to plan for and measure results. Case studies are a great way to demonstrate past experience and accountability to new business prospects. |
| |
|
| |
|
Sequential Liability Circa 2008
This week’s AdLaw By Request e-zine from law firm ReedSmith examines advertising agencies’ potential for exposure as corporate bankruptcies increase. One area discussed was preference litigation, under which companies paid just prior to a client entering bankruptcy may be sued to return monies paid within 90 days prior to a bankruptcy. This can mean increased exposure for agencies in the area of media billings. Examine your contractual practices and discuss with your own legal advisor whether your agency has too much exposure in this area. Read “How Will the Economy Affect the Advertising Business?”
|
| |
|
| |
|
How Spider-Friendly Is Your – Or Your Client’s – Website?
by Allan Godshall
We were recently asked to conduct a website analysis for a regional wedding planning website. As is our custom, we first looked at it from a coding and SEO point of view. What we found astounded us. The home page was essentially acting like a va... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Sheroian Wins Five ADDYs
Michigan marketing and communications firm Sheroian Associates, Inc., was honored with five 2007 ADDY Awards by the Ad Club of Greater Toledo. Sheroian won awards in multimedia, web, poster design, print and self-promotion categories, showing off their well-rounded skills. Congratulations to Theresa Sheroian and her talented staff.
Share your news on Second Wind’s home page! Send your PR to: editor@secondwindonline.com.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Are You Looking for an Ad Agency?
If you are a company searching for a new marketing partner or advertising agency, use the Agency Search feature in our Member Directory. Customize your search by location, industry experience and service specialty. Or, contact Second Wind for a referral at 610-374-9093 or info@secondwindonline.com.
|
| |
|
| |
|
NC Agency Goes “Petty Fast”
Campaigns that enlist celebrities for promotional value are still valid when they’re as well conceived as “Petty Fast,” a new effort from Ed Kemp Associates of High Point, NC. The agency enlisted the reputation of auto-racing legend Richard Petty to promote client ExpressNet’s high-speed Internet access. The campaign uses mostly traditional media, including direct mail, outdoor and truck signs, as well as offering a free Petty poster to 100 new Internet subscribers.
|
| |
|
| |
|
How Can Smaller Agencies Land the Big Fish?
by Frank Meyer
The first step in landing a large, agency-elevating client is always the toughest. Devising a plan to land the signature client that will forever transform the face of your agency is no easy task, and executing it effectively is even mor... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
LWT Teases Alabama to Create Buzz
When Georgia-based developer Greater Valley Group needed to promote a new mixed-use development, Second Wind member LWT Communications devised an old-fashioned strategy—a “teaser” billboard campaign. Billboards are aimed at commuting workers traveling I-85 to reach a new KIA plant just next door to the under-construction development. Four teaser executions over a few months will lead to a final “reveal” of the community’s name and location, in sync with availability of rental units and retail space… reminding us that “buzz” is not exclusively an interactive result.
Be featured on our home page. Send news to editor@secondwindonline.com.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Proposal Pizzazz: 20 Tips for a Winning Proposal
by Paul Field
Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, a well designed, compelling proposal helps greatly to land accounts. Here are 20 tips for creating the strong account-winning proposals, developed over several decades of pitching new business.
... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
The AE and Account Resignations
by Second Wind
Resigning an account is a painful but sometimes necessary step to ensure your agency grows according to your business plan. To allay any “separation anxiety” during this process, it is important to address the concerns of affected age... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Agencies Assist Clients With Strategic Planning |
|
| |
| In our latest Quick Poll, we asked Second Wind Online readers, “With what percentage of clients are you involved with strategic planning?” Eleven percent of respondents said they participate in strategic planning with 100 percent of their clients. Another 50 percent of respondents said they provide strategic planning to 50-75 percent of clients. Our clients increasingly need strategic planning to help them steer through an ever more complex and crowded marketplace. Agencies that offer strategic planning are perceived as valuable partners by clients and new business prospects. |
| |
|
| |
|
Bergey Creative Group Honored with Pepperpot Award
Bergey Creative Group, a strategic communications and creative agency in Harleysville, PA, began the year by accepting a first-place honor at the 39th Annual Pepperpot & Achievement Awards presented by the Philadelphia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). A brochure produced for Corrado & Sons, Inc., a masonry contractor based in Souderton, Pa., received the esteemed Pepperpot award in partnership with Profit Communications. Congrats!
|
| |
|
| |
|
Four Campaigns, One Message
by Second Wind
For the third time this year, I’d like to talk about Geico’s advertising. This company was recently named one of Advertising Age’s 2007 Marketers of the Year. They are the No. 4 auto insurer in market share, but they are No. 1 in new cus... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Keating Magee Offers New Orleans Recovery Update
Keating Magee Momentum Marketing of New Orleans, LA, has published a report about the status of the city’s recovery two years after Hurricane Katrina. Written by Exec. V.P. Holly McCollum, the report provides a comprehensive look at progress made and new opportunities arising through the determined efforts of the New Orleans business community. Market Profile: New Orleans K + 2 is available for download at Keating Magee’s website. If you or your clients do business in the New Orleans market, take time to read this valuable update.
|
| |
|
| |
|
How Prospect (and Customer) Friendly Is Your Agency?
by Larry Melnick
“Hi, I'm Heather, your automated attendant.” I “met” Heather recently when I returned a call from an ad agency. Although Heather’s voice was rather pleasant, my blood pressure immediately went north, just like when I call the cable company, bank ... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Are You Aware of These Trends?
by Second Wind
Search Marketing is Essential!
You can no longer ignore the power of search, especially where target audiences are younger and tech-savvy, read fewer print publications, and are more inclined to use search engines than to type a URL... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
PAPA Advertising Receives Award
Second Wind member firm PAPA Advertising, a full-service marketing communications firm with offices in Erie, Pa., and Charlotte, N.C., received a Professional/Business Services award honoring its growth, achievements and community contributions. The Gannon University Small Business Development Center Awards Program annually evaluates competitive businesses in nine categories, weighing innovation, staying power, response to adversity, community contributions and demonstrated growth in sales, staff and equity position. PAPA Advertising also is one of only 200 certified National Yellow Pages companies in the USA.
|
| |
|
| |
|
What is Your New Business Resolution?
by Bill Thomasson
Every January, every agency principal undergoes the annual exercise of evaluating their new business program. Inevitably, the principal promises the staff that “This year will be different,” perhaps even stating “I really mean it this time.” Then... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Reprise Media’s Super Bowl Search Marketing Scorecard
Since 2005, the search experts at Reprise Media researched intensively to see how well television’s most expensive ads integrate search marketing tactics to capture online users during and immediately after the Super Bowl. The big game is on February 3, and this year’s Search Marketing Scorecard will be published on February 22. In the meantime check out their 2007 report. We can all learn from the “big money” marketers’ mistakes!
|
| |
|
| |
|
Become a Great Thinker
by Mark Schofield
During my years as a Brand Manager, I learned the hard way what distinguishes a poor thinker from a good thinker or a great thinker.
A number of years ago, I presented a brand marketing plan to forty people. However, I knew there was onl... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Step Away from the Microscope… and Lead!
Part 1
by Second Wind
Nobody likes to be examined (think physical, dental, collegiate or otherwise). Undergoing an examination has few positive connotations and equates with squirming, frustration, pain, discomfort, etc. Being human, when held up to scrutiny, we all... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Has Your Server Taken Over Your Life… Or Your Agency?
by Allan Godshall
I think I first began to hate our agency server after I named it. I began calling it Hal, and I actually considered trying to destroy it on more than one occasion.
On a serious note, your server can have a major impact on your agency. An... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
How Do Agencies Bill for Planning Services? |
|
| |
| In our most recent Second Wind Online Quick Poll, we asked how ad agencies charge clients for planning services. A solid 46% report that they bill “one all-inclusive price” for planning; another 40% bill by hourly rate. The remaining 13% bill their planning services according to “menu pricing” (analysis, plan and execution estimated and billed separately). We like the menu pricing option, as it is more like the pricing model used by architects and other professional services firms. This model tends to add perceived value to services, allowing agencies to bill what a service is worth, rather than as a commodity. Participate in our new Quick Poll at right. |
| |
|
| |
|
What’s the CODE?
by Tony Mikes
I’ve just read an intriguing book about discovering cultural codes in people. The book is titled read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
The New Business Prioritizer
by Paul Field
There is a reason why two-thirds of all agencies lack a new business program: it just seems so overwhelming on top of everything else. As one agency owner said to me the other day, “I know I need a proactive new business program, but it’s all I ... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
The Client Feedback Meeting
by Second Wind
Conducting regular client feedback meetings can be very helpful in maintaining good relations between clients and your agency. Do this at least once a year, or more often for those clients who require more 'hands-on' service.
Some agenci... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
 |
|
This Month in The Second Wind Newsletter… |
|
| |
| Our new issue, Vol. 20 No. 12, offers advice on annually updating your agency business plan; the importance of employee retention for future business stability; why Service Design is an ad agency growth opportunity; why diversity hiring should matter to smaller ad agencies and design firms; and dealing with client conflicts in a global economy. Download Vol. 20 No. 12. |
| |
|
| |
|
Ad Spending Forecasts Gloomy – (What? Me Worry?)
by Second Wind
On the one hand, it’s flattering that the advertising industry comes first in one area—as a leading indicator of the nation’s economic health. I only wish we didn’t owe that position to being first on the chopping block wh... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
 |
|
New! White Paper Tips for Increasing Client Billings |
|
| |
| With doomsayers warning that the economy is edging toward another recession, agency owners’ thoughts may be turning to how to generate profits—just as clients are thinking of cutting budgets. Our new white paper, Ten Ways for Agencies to Get More Billings from Current Accounts, offers tips for gaining increased work from your current clients. Second Wind White Papers are free to members, and available for visitor purchase. Download Ten Ways White Paper. See more White Papers. |
| |
|
| |
|
Russo Consults on Unusual Brand Image Project
The Russo Group recently was called upon to offer their branding expertise to an unusual client, whose in-house agency recommended a re-branding effort. The firm developed a detailed report for the client, and invites Second Wind Online readers to view the sample. You will need current versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader and video/audio players. Follow the links at www.TheRussoGroup.com/brand-xmas. And Happy Holidays!
|
| |
|
| |
|
Creativity Matters
by Dr. Nate Pritts
Rather than picking a cause du jour and excoriating our industry’s practices, or writing some kind of know-it-all sales pitch about how YOUR AGENCY will be LEFT BEHIND unless you immediately implement PROGRESSIVE IDEA X, I’d like to te... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Lovio | George Celebrates 25 Years of Inspiration
lovio | george marketing communications + design of Detroit, MI, are marking 25 years of award-winning creativity. The agency’s clients include the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, the SuperBowl XL Host Committee and PGA of America’s 35Th Ryder Cup Matches. Their base of operations is a renovated, three-story, 1904 brownstone in Midtown Detroit. Principal Christine Lovio-George notes proudly that the agency still serves two of their original clients. Congratulations, Christine and company!
|
| |
|
| |
|
E-Self-Promotion Not Widespread
In a recent Second Wind Quick Poll, we asked, “Do you send an agency e-newsletter to prospects?” While 33% of respondents said they use an e-newsletter to stay top-of-mind with prospects, 67% do not. E-marketing is a cost-effective self-promotion method agencies should explore. An e-newsletter that is informative and engaging can highlight your agency expertise, and draw prospects to your website for deeper engagement. Read more about Agency Self-Promotion Using Interactive Media in our new Bundle.
|
| |
|
| |
|
The Model “21st Century Agency”
by Second Wind
Huge technology changes have affected the media world and are changing traditional advertising and marketing practices. Soon, the traditional advertising agency will disappear. A new model has emerged, displaying certain critical characteristics:... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Yelping
by Allan Godshall
Word of mouth advertising: Until N.W. Ayer created the first real print ad, it was the only type of advertising that existed… unless you count the Oscar Mayer ad that once hung in the Coliseum. (See read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Walker Gains Four New Clients and New Headquarters
Tampa’s Walker Brand Communications has added four new clients to its roster, including: the multifamily division of Crescent Resources, LLC; Horizon Bay Senior Communities; O&S Holdings, LLC; and Federal Realty Investment Trust. Walker Brand Communications is nationally recognized for its residential and mixed-use real estate development destination and place marketing. Walker’s new 10,000-square-foot headquarters will open in 2008, and will be Downtown Tampa’s first privately-funded LEED-certified building. Congrats to president Nancy Walker and staff!
|
| |
|
| |
|
Let’s Stop Eating Our Young
by Mark Schofield
Account service is dead. Account leadership is the future. Without leadership, there will be no future.
Over the last several years, I have made two polar-opposite observations about account people working in our business. First, the ac... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
What Do You Call a New Business Hunter?
by Second Wind
With all of the talk about being customer- and service-focused, an agency principal recently asked us about a better title for a new business hunter. She felt that “new business hunter” is too agency-centric, and not the kind of title... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
“Warm-Call” Your Prospects
by Second Wind
Recently, I read an interesting article by a Pennsylvania-based sales specialist named Gene Taylor. In the regional business newspaper Business2Business, Gene offered a fresh take on cold-calling tactics I would like to share with agency n... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
New Self-Promotion Bundle!
As we wrap up our spotlight on agency new business, we have a few more goodies for you. Our new bundle, Agency Self-Promotion Using Interactive Media, examines how to use websites, search marketing and optimization, RSS feeds, blogs and other new media tactics to promote agency reputation and brand awareness. Bundles are a great way to quickly access topic-specific content and can be found top left in the Knowledge Base.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Oster Helps San Diego Auto Show Go “Green”
This year’s San Diego International Auto Show will feature an “Eco-Center” designed by Oster and Associates, a California-based Second Wind member, for their client The New Car Dealers Association of San Diego. The center will serve as a one-stop resource for “green” auto technologies. The Auto Show will take place at the San Diego Convention Center, December 26 through the 30th, 2007.
|
| |
|
| |
|
That Marketing Show Is Back!
Rodger Roeser of Eisen Management Group is back with new broadcasts of “That Marketing Show,” the Internet radio show focusing on marketing and advertising. Tune in every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. EST for the live broadcast, or listen later to Rodger’s interviews with leading industry practitioners.
|
| |
|
| |
|
New Business Pursuit
by Paul Field
For smaller agencies, finding time to regularly pursue new business is often a chore. Hiring a designated new business hunter is the first step to generating a regular flow of new projects and accounts through your agency. But the key to new bu... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Search Marketing Builds Awareness
by Deborah Budd
The application of search marketing tactics to agency websites has been a long time in development. Ad agencies had a crash course in website development in the late 1990s as the business world moved online. Then came e-commerce sites, rich medi... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
 |
|
Second Wind Agency Growth Training Webinars |
|
| |
| With Second Wind Webinars, you can learn how to tap the power of your people and your processes. Our next session is “How Ad Agency Account Executives, Traffic and Creatives Can Work Better Together, AND Help Agencies Make a Lot More Money.” Improved collaboration and processes help agencies function like well-greased machines. Access to the live broadcasts is limited, so register early! Learn more or register. |
| |
|
| |
|
Optimize for Better Engagement
by Deborah Budd
Many agencies still struggle with using their websites to generate business leads. Too many in our industry see a website as little more than an online portfolio, with perhaps a contact information page and a few lines about agency philosophy. Eve... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Looking for Last Week’s Article?
We know. You meant to come back last week to read that article we posted, but just couldn’t make the time… and now it’s gone. Scroll to the bottom of the Second Wind Online home page and click Home Page Archive, where you can view the past several week’s content. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, email editor@secondwindonline.com. We’ll be happy to track down the article for you.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Clearing House: How to Resign an Account
by Deborah Budd
We’ve all had them; the clients who were with us at the beginning of our agency careers, and still ask us to help them with vest-pocket brochures or fliers for their church group. And there are the other kind, too; those clients that that have out... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
New Business Planning Not a Priority for 62% of Readers |
|
| |
| In our most recent Quick Poll, we asked, “Does your agency create an annual New Business plan?” Among respondents, 38% replied that they did create a new business plan. But 62% stated they did not develop this valuable and important tool for agency growth. Without a plan, agency growth is haphazard, erratic, and controlled by outside forces. Pursuing a plan for growth means you are “the decider” of your agency’s fate. These numbers were similar to the Second Wind 2007 Annual Agency Survey, where just 42% of responding Second Wind members said they create new business plans. Click here to download the 2007 Annual Agency Survey Report. |
| |
|
| |
|
New Business Planning – Getting Started
by Paul Field
Let’s face it. Most agencies pay little attention to new business. They treat it as something they’ll get to when they have time, when something comes over the transom, or when the CFO starts shallow breathing. According to the read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
“Total Immersion” New Business
by Deborah Budd
The word “holistic” gets tossed around a lot these days. It is one of those jargon words that marketing people throw into a new business pitch or presentation in an effort to sound smart. But do you really know what it means?
Webster’s de... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
 |
|
New Small Agency Salaries and Hourly Rates Report |
|
| |
| Second Wind Publications has produced a study on ad agency salaries and related payroll and benefits issues. The report examines industry salary trends as well as trends among our member agencies. Additionally, the report provides typical hourly rates data. The 2007 edition of Smaller Agency Salaries and Hourly Rates is available for purchase and immediate download. Learn more or buy now.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Where Is Your Agency On the Prospecting Pyramid™?
by Mark Sneider
Prospecting is as much a marketing-focus game as a relevancy game. You must constantly review, update and assess your prospect list, weeding out prospects that may no longer be a fit with your agency due to business changes, market or financial c... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
2008 Seminars Schedule Now Posted!
Our complete 2008 Second Wind Seminars schedule is now set, so check the dates and mark your calendars. Agencies can prepare for the future with Agency Owner/Manager Workshops in Las Vegas, on February 26, 27 and 28, and our most popular seminars are back on the schedule as well, including Creative Juice in Fall 2008. Consider Second Wind Certification to help employees grow into your agency’s next leaders. And watch for your members’ only Supersaver Vouchers offer, coming soon! Vouchers are a great way to save on seminar registration fees!
|
| |
|
| |
 |
|
How Do You Follow-up a Pitch? |
|
| |
| Often, it’s what you do after a new business pitch that closes the deal. This new Bundle, New Business Pitch Follow-up, offers ideas for following up on new business pitches or presentations. It includes methods for agencies to win the business, and requesting the prospect to do a post-pitch evaluation. Bundles are a great way to quickly access topic-specific content and can be found top left in the Knowledge Base. |
| |
|
| |
|
Changing of the Guard at Second Wind
Callers to Second Wind Headquarters may have noticed a new voice. Stephanie Haag comes to us with previous experience in e-marketing and lead tracking, in addition to a BS in Marketing. Stephanie covers the phones, and has assumed a number of marketing duties formerly handled by Stef Linderman. Stef, our former gatekeeper, publications fulfillment expert and database manager, began her new duties as a p.a. to a Reading-area school principal in September. Best of luck to you, Stef! We’ll really miss you. And members, say hi to Steph when you call in!
|
| |
|
| |
|
What Prospects Really Want: The Value Proposition
by Larry Melnick
You see what looks like a good prospect for your agency, so you pick up the phone and call the company. A receptionist warmly answers the phone and without hesitation, politely asks you to hold and puts your call through to the marketing execut... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Get Your Cold Call Past Company Voice Mail
by Deborah Budd
If you are a new business hunter trying to get through to a company leader and set up a meeting, what are your best tactics? Specifically, how do you get past voice mail to make your pitch?
Automated voicemail systems are ubiquitous in tod... read more
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
It’s Time to Get Down to New Business
Agency new business is our current topic at Second Wind Online, from planning through what to do when you win. The economy is on the verge of a shift. A regular new business effort can save your business from serious losses in a downturn. We’re here to help you get your new business process into gear for 2008.
This week Mark Sneider of Marketplace partner RSW talks about finding a prospecting “sweet spot.” Also, register for our new business webinar on November 14. And visit the Knowledge Base for more fea |
