Advertising Agencies are really poor at advertising, what we do. I’m not talking about the yellow pages ad that boasts of being able to do anything under the sun that delivers 360 degree brand stewardship. Whatever that means. So here’s a simple list of why I believe we come to work every day at our tiny agency at the corner of Woodford and Warner. (opposite Buzo)
- To be an extension of our clients’ marketing team, using mostly our brains and sometimes our brawn. We just happen to reside somewhere else, but we are part of the TCL or Lok Jack gsb or Unipet teams and help them figure out stuff that they grapple with every day. Like how to position themselves in the market place and how to get closer to their customers.
- To bring some specialized services to the team; Berger knows how to make paint well, they have been doing it since 1760; they however are not in the copy-writing business; some specialized services that an agency like pepper bring to the table are: advertising development (press, radio, TV), public relations (advertising sells, pr tells), direct mail, sponsorship and event planning and execution, as well as helping clients engage their customers online and through mobile.
And yes this sounds tactical and unemotional, like going to the supermarket to pick up a few things. But there is a battle that takes place daily in an agency that involves both science and art as we dig, search and sweat for the “right solution”. If we don’t use the science, we end up with art that’s not tied to anything. And if we use only science we end up with ads like those in the yellow pages which tell of form but not of substance.
