Do I really need an ad agency?

I hear this question a lot, perhaps too much, but given the economic climate it is understandable, we are all questioning everything and re-writing the way business is being conducted.

To answer this I will turn to a sports analogy that is very familiar to me and I feel answers the question as good, if not better than just about anything else:

I grew up sailing, as a young child I spent hours in a boat learning to read wind and feel shifts, and as I got better, sailing progressed to racing sailboats. I had to learn how to strategize, make decisions and react all while maintaining control of my little boat. I made mistakes that cost me races but I learned and moved forward. With time I got better and the boats got bigger, so did the races, the competition and the stakes. Now, instead of just me and a small boat I find myself at the helm of a much larger and significantly more complicated yacht. I have a full crew, all with very specific, focused jobs and all depending on me to drive the boat fast and safe from start to finish.  I still have to read the wind, feel the shifts and make decisions all of which can affect the final outcome of what we set out to do but in addition, I now have to keep an eye on the crew.

This is where my tactician comes in…

In the world of yacht racing, when you reach a certain level, there is a person on board know as a tactician. While the skipper is busy driving the boat the tactician stands aft and watches the entire race unfold, he sees it all, the competition, clean lines to the mark, and possible problems. The tactician relays all this information to the skipper so better decisions can be made, and as with most things in life, the better the decisions, the better the results.

So to bring us back to a small to mid sized business owner asking if they need an agency or not is not a yes or no answer but as someone that has been there I can tell you, it is a lot easier to drive the boat, go fast and win races with a good tactician behind you working with your best interest in mind.

No One Likes a Copycat

One of the most iconic ad campaigns in recent memory is the USDA's
"Got Milk?" program. The idea is pretty great: milk is, for most
people, almost a necessity; therefore, it's a good idea to make sure
you have it from time to time.

Now sit back and think about how many times you've seen that slogan
ripped off. I've seen it on everything from "Got Religion?" (on a
church sign) to "Got Gas?" (on a medical pamphlet).

The easiest thing to do in the creative world is to steal. Anyone can
fill in the blank in "Got ___?", but that doesn't mean you're being
creative, or original, or clever. Instead, dig below the surface.
Great campaigns get at the heart of the product or service and attempt
to bring out their strongest aspects. Just because it worked for
someone else doesn't mean it will work for your brand. It's tempting
to sit back and think that your brand is as essential and universal as
milk--but don't. Even if it is, there are better ways, original ways,
to get the message across.

When you see a great ad or slogan, get inspired, not lazy. Look at why
it works, not how it works. You'll not only be doing yourself a favor,
but you'll be being polite to the artists and copywriters who spent
months coming up with an original idea.

Online Reputation Management

What is an online reputation? Your company's online reputation consists of what people say about you online, this includes your reviews, start rating, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social media platform comments.

Why is online reputation important? Your online reputation reports how your customers and people you interact with perceive you. If you have a wonderful online reputation and nothing but glowing reviews then chances are when someone searches for you online they will be more likely to do business with you. If all of your online reviews are terrible then new customers will hesitate prior to doing business with you, if at all. 

Why do people write such mean things? It is much easier to write a review when you’re upset about something than when you’re happy. People expect to receive good service and therefore don’t usually write about it unless it was exceptional. On the other hand, if something goes wrong and the service was not what someone perceived it would be, they are more likely to go online and write about it. 

How to do I manage my online reputation? The best way to manage your online reputation and to redeem yourself from bad reviews is by showing your customers that you care. Stay on top of bad reviews, write a response to the person who is upset, apologize, and offer them something to make up for the bad experience that they had at your business. Never get defensive, make sure you take the “customer is always right” approach, especially if you’re responding on social media outlets such as Facebook where others will see your response.  If you can master the art of pleasing your customers they are sure to come back and write positive reviews in the future. 

At TOMA our client’s reputation is very important to us, that why we offer online reputation management. If you need help boosting your online reputation and addressing the concerns of your customers, give us a call and we’ll get you on the right track (480.502.6852).

How much is the lowest price really worth?

How can everyone have the lowest prices? Someone is not telling the truth. Is it a low price that people are even looking for or are they looking for something more?  I believe we all deserve more. The lowest price battle is a losing proposition. It fails in so many ways that I could write an entirely separate blog about it.

Don’t fall in to that trap. Create a great brand, a brand that people will resonate with, and price won’t even be an issue. Create a brand that people will actually pay more for. Create something special, something people really want, and they will pay more for it.

Look at Apple as a perfect example, they make computers, how many companies make computers? All those other companies are busy fighting the low price battle while Apple is offering more than just a computer. They have created a separate distinguished category within a category. They don’t sell computers they sell Macs. What does Apple have that the others do not? Apple makes products that people really want. Great products that people will wait weeks for, products that people will pay more for. Apple has a great brand and great brands have brand loyalty.

The consumer resonates with the brand they identify with. In some instances they are the brand and the brand is them. Count the Apple stickers you see on cars, that alone should tell you how people feel about Apple. Create something people really want, something special and you won’t have to fight for the crumbs that the price position leaves for those who don’t.

SACRIFICING ETHICS TO PROMOTE ETHICS

by Mike Kelley

Has anyone else noticed how PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have been relaying their information? Some of you may have heard about their campaign directed at children called “Your Mommy Kills Animals” or even the “Lettuce Ladies” who walk around wearing salad bikinis, and of course their most popular nude walks that boast “would rather go naked than wear fur”. 

PETA recently released a series of commercials that were banned from airing during the Super Bowl due to content. These commercials showcased everything from women stripping down to take a bath and relax by some candles with certain vegetables, to an injured woman returning home after her boyfriend went vegan and knocked the bottom out of her. Although they are very creative and entertaining to watch, what is PETA really trying to say?

I am currently taking a graduate level business ethics class and seeing this has really made me question PETA and the messages they are sending. I would safely assume that most males tend to care less about the well-being of animals compared to the average female. This brings me to question the intentions of PETA and their current campaigns. Why is an organization with the word “ethical” in their name really using suggestive advertising? The obvious answer would be they are targeting males, but that seems too obvious. PETA even launched a soft pornography website in the .xxx domain to make sure all audiences were reached. PETA spokesperson Lindsay Rajt commented, “We try to use absolutely every outlet to stick up for animals,” adding that “We are careful about what we do and wouldn’t use nudity or some of our flashier tactics if we didn't know they worked.”

I find it amusing that an organization that was based on ethics and ethical treatment is making decisions and taking an approach that some would consider very unethical. Being a male I can’t say that I am offended by the content, but is this really keeping female members around or turning them away? I know their “too hot” for TV commercials aren’t making me want to eat less meat or adopt a new pet, so what are they really accomplishing? I do, however, praise PETA for their creativity in some of their new campaigns. In the furthest stretch of my imagination I could have never pictured the content that they have recently released and the buzz it’s creating. I am also curious to see the result of these campaigns, and if or how their followers shift due to these commercials.

With the past that PETA has who knows what they will come up with next!

SEE YOUR TRUE COLORS...

by Kristy Kondo

Clearly a better picture in HD…

Does this sound familiar?  You're at home watching your favorite TV show and a commercial pops up that looks absolutely terrible. You can’t help but wonder why someone would spend their hard earned money on a TV spot that looks grainy, blurry, and is not even full screen.  So, what gives?  It must be the production company's fault, right?  Wrong! 

THE MISCONCEPTION...

Technology can be a good thing, and a bad thing.  While it has allowed us the luxuries of movie theater like quality in the comfort of our own homes, or smart phones that tell us what to do, where to go, and may even tell us jokes, it has also spoiled our thinking.  Before you go make the phone call to your production company or agency wondering why the spot you paid hundreds of dollars for looks horrible, or before you call your cable company wondering why certain programming comes through looking fuzzy, remember this fact: Unless otherwise noted, spots are more than likely being sent out in SD.  


Society has been programmed to believe that HD is not a bonus, but the norm.  It causes confusion.  It makes us think that everything we view is in HD (the same is to be said of the following thought process:  just because you buy an HDTV doesn't mean you'll have HD programming, as we all know, you have to subscribe and pay more for HD service).  Same goes for TV commercials or TV shows.  When a TV spot is produced, there is an option for SD or HD.  So, what happens when an SD commercial is aired in between a block of HD ones? There will be a huge difference in quality.  When you watch an SD commercial (or TV show) on an HDTV, you WILL notice the lower resolution, and in many circumstances, the content does not fill the 16:9 HDTV screen (versus 4:3 for SD).  This will result in the video looking stretched, or the appearance of side pillars (black) on the edges because the SD video cannot formatted to HD sizing (you all know what I'm talking about)...

Examples of how SD video (4:3) may look on an HDTV (16:9). Note the side pillars. SD video is not formatted to fit the size of an HD screen, and either needs to be stretched or cropped to fit..

SO, WHY ISN'T EVERYONE GOING HD?

Some things are too good to be true.  As always, the biggest hurdle in a seemingly perfect HD world is cost.  While it does take more time, and in many instances, more money to edit commercials in HD, the biggest setback is distribution.  Improvements in technology have made editing the HD format easier.  In fact, a report by Extreme Reach Research Group showed that 41% of people surveyed agreed with the following statement "We produce everything in HD.  I think the biggest challenges are that it costs more to deliver HD and not all stations will air it in HD."

Intrigued by these results, I contacted the electronic distribution company I use (who will remain unnamed) and requested a quote.  I was amazed (and extremely disappointed) at how much higher the cost is to deliver spots in HD.  It was at that moment I realized I was just like everybody else.  I assumed that in our day and age, the rates would be comparable.  The rates were almost 10 times higher to deliver a spot in HD, as opposed to sending it in SD.

A NEW HOPE...

While outside vendors for content distribution are still highly recommended, (they do monitor quality control, send you delivery confirmations, etc etc), there are other options for getting your TV spots to the stations.  I believe that they are great workarounds for HD spot delivery, and will eventually force third party distribution companies to lower their prices.  These options include posting TV commercials directly to the station's ftp sites, or utilizing any third party spot delivery services the stations supply.  For instance, Comcast offers a web delivery portal that is free to clients needing to get their ads to the station.

            Consider the facts:

            1.         Over 74.5 million US households have an HDTV ~forbes.com

           

            2.         Viewer tune away from commercials is 50% less on HD channels

                        compared to the SD feed for the same network ~Kantar Media Set-                          top Box Analysis

            3.         Post campaign brand recall increases were 3X higher in HD ads

                        than SD ~Starcom and Discovery Networks Study

           

Why the increase in recall?  In order to understand this idea you need to think about the way you feel when watching a higher quality picture.  When viewing content in a clearer, crisper, more realistic format, there is a higher likelihood of evoking feeling.   As we all know - feeling allows you to remember things you normally wouldn't (like when a song comes on your iPod and it instantly transports you back to a pivotal moment that you felt was special).  You are a part of the content, not just an outsider looking in.  It's why people still enjoy going to movie theaters. For the two hours or so you are in front of the big screen, you are lost in another world.  Avatar 3D was so powerful that some people became depressed after watching it.  They so desperately wanted to live in that magical world of blue people (okay, this may be taking it a bit far, but you get the...well...picture). 

TOMA ADVERTISING AND HD...

HD is something that TOMA Advertising truly believes in.  Although not everyone is on board (yet), HD should be looked at as the rule, not the exception.  While many companies will charge you more for HD, we will find the most cost effective solution for you.   Since all of our TV spots are created in HD, we would simply need to find the best way to distribute.  If your stations can accept HD files directly, the cost of running your TV commercial in a beautiful, clear, HD format would be the same as the cost for SD!  It definitely doesn't hurt to ask.  You deserve to be watching your commercials the way that your HDTV intended you to!

THE FUTURE IS CLEAR...

In the world of HD technology, we are just seeing the beginning of what the format can truly do. 3D aside (the jury is still out on how far it will go) HD is only improving.  For a sneak peek into the future of HDTV's, click the link below and discover some of the amazing technology featured at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas this past January.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/16/ces-2012-hdtv-and-connected-devices-round-up/

The Dangers of "Urgency"

by David Croomes

In a creative working process, it's not always easy to remain objective. Being able to take a step back and look at your work, whether it's a TV spot or masterpiece painting, and imagine how the average audience member will react can go a long way towards making your work achieve maximum effectiveness.

People on the working end have a tremendous fear of their audience becoming bored. No one likes to sit through a TV spot without being stimulated, challenged, or intrigued. However, often times this fear propels many advertisers into a problem just as dangerous as boring their audience.

Advertisers get so worried about losing an audience's interest that they resort to bombarding them with as much information as possible. Cramming too much text onto the screen, unnecessary repetitiveness, overbearingly loud voiceovers… all common mistakes that are made out of the fear of the ad becoming boring. The typical excuse (pitfall) is that the ad, for whatever reason, needs to feel "urgent".

Try to remain objective. When you've written your script, take a step back and envision your finished ad: the tone, pacing, volume, and feel that it will have. Do you think that the average housewife or soccer mom that your ad is supposed to be targeting will respond positively to it? If this is your target audience, odds are that they are watching channels like Food Network, HGTV, E!, Style, Bravo -- and if your ad sounds like it might as well be trying to sell monster truck tickets, odds are that they're going to tune you out.

Urgency is necessary, especially for seasonal sales, but don't use it as a crutch. Take a step back and look at the big picture. With a little more balance and understanding, you'll be seeing dollar signs in no time.