An advertising
agency in
Albuquerque,
New Mexico.

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Take a look at your business category. Does your advertising look and feel like that of your competitors? Do you see too many of your category’s cliches in your overall messaging? Do you analyze your competitors’ advertising and find it difficult to discern anything different about what they are selling compared to your own benefits? Can your customers honestly tell you apart from your competitors?

If this is your scenario, you may have a zombie brand: moving within a slow-moving pack, hunting for the same customers as your peers. To your potential customers, your brand is shuffling down the street with a mob of folks who look and sound just like you. (Hopefully, without the moaning and outstretched arms.)

We think that the most successful brands have distinct personalities, just like memorable, likeable people. Sure, they may follow certain rules of their categories, but great brands usually stand for something. They say, "we stand for this," instead of, "we stand for what everybody else stands for, too.”

So if yours is a zombie brand, find out what truly separates you from the pack that makes a meaningful difference to your customer. If you can't find one, it may be time to take a fresh look at your product offering.

And when you are ready to advertise, don’t hesitate to kill the remnants left over from your “zombie” campaign. There’s no harm done here, a “me, too” campaign is lifeless from the beginning.

Remember: aim for the head. A mere body blow won't do.

 

When a prospect calls or comes into your business, have you planned and determined exactly how they will be treated? Have you considered what you will say to them and how you want to make them feel? You probably have. You want them to have a very intentional experience with your business.

It's just as important to think through the creation of your communications campaign and your advertising. Because to a potential customer, every one of the ads and messages you create IS your business. The language it uses, the imagery, the personality it conveys; even the way your ad is crafted (fonts, layout, type treatments) is a representation of your business. In fact, simply having a well-crafted ad, website, TV spot or logo says something to your target about your offering. It might communicate that you are thoughtful, that you understand their needs, that you take time, that you are precise - basically, that you respect your prospect's time, money and intelligence.

Unfortunately, we all see communications that, whether implicitly or explicitly, communicate a lack of care by having a lack of craft. It takes time to create a good campaign - not just in strategy, but in execution as well. And it's all too frustrating to see a solid strategy executed ungracefully.

Think about the person your ad needs to talk to, what they will want to know about you, and how you want them to feel about you. Then spend just as much time crafting the message as you did developing the strategy. Why? Because the executions are what your prospects will see. And you want them to see you.

After all, your advertising is your business.

 

Hiring an ad agency can be daunting. We’re not clients, but we have learned what makes good client-agency relationships. Here are a few thoughts:

Do you really need an agency? If you have more than a few communications needs outside of your company’s available time or expertise, you may. If you enjoy doing any of this yourself, ask if you’re willing to give it up.

How do you make a short list? First, ask other business owners or marketing directors you know. And chances are you’ve been contacted by sales representatives – ask them which agencies return their calls. Peruse the local business press. Or do an old-fashioned Google search. If you get a good feeling, call to arrange a meeting at your place or theirs.

What to look for? People who listen and are genuinely curious about your business. They shouldn’t act smarter than you. Turn up your BS meter when they do their spiel. Get a sense of whether they like one another. And most importantly: you should like them. If you think you’d avoid them at a party, take a pass.

Should you hire an ad agency with experience in your category? Yes and no. Experience brings wisdom. But an agency that is new to your category can offer fresh perspectives.

What questions should you ask? Find out who would be working on your business and be sure to meet the key players. Are the senior people pitching your business going to run your account, or will it be handed off to others?

If they show you creative work or case studies, ask when it was done, who did it and if those employees are still there. Your work could end up looking very different than what you see in a credentials presentation.

What should it cost? It really depends on the scope of work and the amount of attention your business needs. Be careful to weigh cost and value with creativity and capability. A good agency will explain how an ideal client/agency relationship works, and how you’ll work together going forward.

The best relationships are based on clear expectations. Here’s hoping you find a match.

 

© 2008 3 Advertising LLC, a full-service advertising agency in Albuquerque, New Mexico.