Anna Forbes

If you know me at all, you know that I’m a sucker for strategic marketing. Because of this, I’m constantly thinking about what it takes to be a good, solid brand in this world. But recent work that we’ve done here has required us to not only work with brands, but to help them figure out who they are and who they want to be when they grow up.

Most of the time, we as marketers are faced with creating strategy around an already existent brand; one with a set of pre-conceived notions and ideas. We aren’t able to create something from nothing. But there are those rare opportunities where we have the chance to build brands from scratch and create the perfect storm for them to enter the product realm. These kinds of challenges are exciting, yet scary. If you have the chance to make something out of nothing, what kinds of risks would you take? How much research would you do? How would you launch the product? Who do you tell, and how do you get the word out there? There are endless opportunities awaiting a brand who has yet to see the light of day.

While it’s exciting, it’s a huge responsibility. We’ve all heard the cliche that first impressions are lasting, so think of the pressure you might be under if you’ve only got one shot, one chance, to hit consumers with who you are. After that first time, it’s all repetition. And it can be a difficult thing to figure out who you are as a brand at any point in time, let alone before you hit the marketplace. That’s like saying, “When I grow up, I want to be a marine biologist,” and then actually becoming a marine biologist. It’s easier said than done.

Long term vision is what it’s all about. Picture where you want your brand to be in 1 year. 5 years. 10 years. Think long term. Cut out anything that will hinder you from getting there. Keep your focus, and don’t get distracted by your short term vision. Because in this game, it’s all about endurance, not how quickly you can win the race.

In the marketing world being “the first” is an incredible thing. Whether it is being the first brand in a niche product category, the first to use a new media strategy or the first to make a creative new ad claim, people take notice. Firsts also provide tremendous competitive advantage. The only thing worse than being second is blatantly copying the brand that did it first. We’re talking to you Dairy Queen!

If you haven’t seen Dairy Queen’s latest campaign – take a look. For me, it’s a little too close to Old Spice’s campaign. We all know how popular and successful Old Spice’s use of the sarcastic new icon was with the over-the-top irony of their spots. They scored a huge “first.” They came up with a creative strategy that really worked to grab (and hold) the attention of their target audience. It was so popular many of the spots went viral, topping the most watched YouTube video charts. So I can certainly understand why someone in a board room at Dairy Queen must’ve thought – let’s do that! And granted, the two brands aren’t even in the same product category, but still – did they really think the copycat campaign wouldn’t be obvious? And the worst part? Others (like Edge Shave Gel) have starting shamelessly jumping on the bandwagon.

Lesson learned: do your own thing. Sure, plenty of people say there are no more new ideas out there; that everything we come up with has probably been used in some way, shape or form at some point over the past 100 years (even if we don’t know it). Maybe that’s true in many cases, but that doesn’t mean we’ve lost our ability to create new and impactful advertising. And I’m not saying we shouldn’t use creative ideas and strategies from great campaigns that are already out there. We should be inspired by the great advertising around us, not take the easy, copycat way out.

We are happy to announce our newest addition, Danielle Ensley.  She has joined us as an account coordinator, working with clients such as Phillips Foods, Strayer University, Better Than Bouillon, and more.  She brings advertising and social media experience along with her passion for strategic marketing.  We’re thrilled to have this new addition to the team and can’t wait to put her talents to good work!

Danielle graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Psychology.  Born and raised in Annapolis, Danielle loves her family, lacrosse, country music, and the color pink.  She also loves football, getting her nails painted, pillow fights, comfy pajamas and sleepovers.  Okay not that stuff about pillow fights and sleepovers, but the part about getting her nails done is true!

Welcome, Danielle!

In our industry, it is important to always be moving forward. Marketing without progression makes a company, brand, or product antiquated in so many ways. However, as the landscape changes and marketers are constantly learning of new ways to communicate with the audience, we sometimes forget to get back to the basics and make those new again.

Consumers are so inundated with advertising messages we have a very small window of time in which to accomplish our objectives. It becomes increasingly difficult to find new and different ways to get their attention. Web 2.0 has provided those new and different attention-grabbing ways, so it’s not surprising how easy it is to get caught up in the latest and greatest ways to get brand messages out there. But what about old tactics?

This article from Fast Company got me thinking about a marketing technique that’s been used since the 1920’s. The Jingle! For some reason many people seem to view the jingle as an antiquated strategy. And while yes, many jingles we know may be pretty old school – that doesn’t mean it’s not still an effective way to connect with the consumer. One thing that stood out to me most from this article was this little tid bit:
“There’s no doubt about it, sound is immensely powerful. And yet 83% of all the advertising communication we’re exposed to daily focuses, almost exclusively, on the sense of sight”.

The real key is to apply the same marketing 101 principles in today’s advertising environment. We don’t have to create spots with a doe eyed kid, sitting in his 1960’s kitchen singing to the camera. Jingles aren’t just voice overs anymore. Think State Farm – they do a really great job of integrating a jingle within their ad message to create stronger recall of their tagline: Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

It’s not so much about whether or not to use “old school” marketing techniques like the jingle. It’s more about HOW you use them. The landscape may have changed but the principles haven’t. Our challenge is still to get (and keep) the attention of the target audience. And sound is an amazing way to do that.

Have you ever had an irritating little computer problem that you just couldn’t figure out for the life of you? (If you work on a PC, I’m sure you can identify with this more than most). You try for what seems like ages to fix a formatting issue or convert a file properly, but you just can’t make it work. After exhausting all of your creative options (for me that means closing the program and re-opening the file) you finally cave and ask a co-worker for help. And of course, the moment they look over your shoulder they instantly know the answer.

Good agency relationships provide the same vital external input to marketing departments. Yes, internal marketing teams know the brand inside and out. They’ve spent countless hours pouring over research, reviewing sales data, and executing strategic plans. They have an in depth understanding of their product, the competitive landscape, and the target audience. But living and breathing the brand and being that close to a product can take its toll on a marketer’s ability to take a fresh look at things from an outside perspective. Enter the ad agency.

At the onset of a new client relationship, we as the agency are well aware that we don’t know the ins and outs of the brand the way the client does. But therein lies our strength.  We have the unique privilege of being able to take an objective look at the big picture. Ask some new questions. Research the answers to the same old questions. Take (or at least recommend) some risks. Change up the creative execution. Explore a new strategy.

Now of course it’s not all rainbows and sunshine just because we get the opportunity to take a fresh look at things. We have to work collaboratively to leveraging the history and knowledge of the client’s marketing team with the creative and strategic talents of the agency. We may have different perspectives and roles, but in a great relationship we’re able to combine our efforts for an incredibly powerful end result, that ultimately benefits the brand.