When I say advertising, you all scatter.
In elementary school we played a game called Spud – someone would count to ten and the rest of us would run as far out as we could to avoid getting hit by a big rubber ball. The word Advertising has a scatter effect too. It sends our minds in far out directions. To the Superbowl and Coca-Cola; to dollar amounts with many zeroes and knee-jerk use of the “television” example. Or it sends us the other way to simpler, affordable methods like flyers, printed post cards and the beloved “Fabric, fabric” (30% off fabric) man at the corner of Toronto’s Queen St. and Spadina Ave. What’s left is the big space in the middle.
Are you caught somewhere in between here and there?
With so much distance between concepts it’s hard to know where you fit in. Have you developed a quality consumer product and a profitable business in a sector dominated by international players? Do you have a successful regional brand that’s come far on word of mouth alone? Are you looking to break into new markets and unsure how to go about it? If you’re asking these questions you may be ready for an agency.
Agency vs. Studio
I’m brushing broadly here – with “agency” extended to mean consultant or firm and “studio” standing in for freelancer, designer, and the guy your cousin knows. Of the many differences I mean to speak to two: price and process. Not always but often the choice to work with freelancers is a financial one. And it’s true that agencies almost always come with a higher price tag. The difference is process. When hiring freelance expect to develop the strategy and direct the execution. When hiring an agency show up with or without a strategy of your own; either way expect a good agency to challenge, road-test or rethink your strategy altogether. Execution is almost always included.
Platforms Evolve; Principles Endure
Hark now hear new media sing. With so much tweeting about Search Engine Optimization, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Widgets and Feeds, Communities and Blogs and all the tools that are deploying as I speak it’s hard to make sense of the new new thing and even harder to know if it’s right for you. To that, a few thoughts: While it may be true that new media (what some call New Marketing) has changed the landscape for products themselves (i.e. certain products, services, and organizations are being born out of these tools) what’s more to the point is that not every dog can learn a new trick and tricks themselves are still part of the trade. Simply put, it’s every bit as important to navigate your business through today’s toolbox with proper guidance as ever before. In fact it may be even more important, since the low-cost benefit of technology or what’s called “mechanics” easily tempts us to try everything and see what sticks. History shows that the everything/everybody approach does not a success make.
Which agency is right for me?
You must know nobody can answer this question for you. Sometimes it’s the prince approach – kiss a few frogs. Sometimes you don’t know you’re not with the right agency because you’ve been with the same one for so long – and they’ve always been good to you. My recommendations are: 1) start with the specialist – seek out experts in the services you need today; 2) get acquainted with an agency’s full service offerings – you might be surprised to learn how many of your ongoing “to dos” can be covered by one or two preferred partners; 3) insist on agencies with transparent project management processes, especially if you’re on a deadline; and 4) know for yourself whether it’s all going to come down to the lowest price in the end – this might save a lot of calls and RFPs. And always remember: fast, good, cheap – pick two.