There’s no recession in Hooterville. Today has been a blur. We’ve got one client with the Swine Flu, and one who thinks he’s going to get a full blow presentation of spec work by Thursday. THINK AGAIN. So I got out my Etch-A-Sketch (had one as a kid, and have one at work) to pass some time in thought…then I found this. Whoever did this has nothing to do…or was on a conference call with that ONE client…yawn. (via GadgetHIM)
It’s really a wonder we have any clients left. The guys I work with just shake their heads. The older I get, the more impatient I become with clients. When I decide to waitress, I hope I can keep my mouth shut.
Our in-house designer? Oh, she can do that.
If she could, then you wouldn’t be here…give it up.
We don’t know who the customer is, we’re hoping you can tell us.
If you don’t know, then I KNOW I don’t.
My wife is really artistic…these are some of her logo ideas.
Then you should hire her.
We did these ads.
Your children are ugly, oops, I mean these ads suck.
And I really have said this: ”With all due respect, what you are currently doing obviously isn’t working, or you wouldn’t be in my office.”
Welcome to small town advertising.
Another great example of just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
You get to deal with him personally. ”We are able to get your add brought up when your customers are looking for your competitors site.”
Please… someone buy this fellow a dictionary.
Tricky, but very legal.
I. LOVE. IT.
Hiring an agency….no matter if it’s on Michigan Avenue or Main Street Hooterville, clients have their reasons. The Ad Contrarian has another excellent message inspired evidently by Seth Godin. Both are very good. And it got me to thinking about business on our level here in Teeny Town.
I don’t belong to a country club. We have TWO of them here in our 45,000 population town. Lot’s of OLD money here. LOTS of Good Old Boy stuff going on. We have several kitchen table ad shops. One describes herself as “The Walmart of Advertising”. (You can imagine the stuff they put out.) Then there’s the guy who used to run an Auto Glass business who decided to be an Ad Agency. He has a fair bit of clientele because he’s learned to “talk the talk and walk the walk” of the system. He sells below average work to his country club pals. It isn’t about strategy, quality, message or execution … it’s about who won at cards Tuesday night at the club. And that’s ok.
I have a wall in our reception area that “showcases” some of the work done by Auto Glass Guy and Walmart Girl. Prospective clients can look at our competitors work without ever having to step foot in their offices. I want them to see the difference.
I know I’m not a very good networker. I hate schmoozing with people I don’t respect or care for. Business After Hours…YUK. Chamber events? No thanks. I’ve really tried to be better at this game, but I just don’t have it in me. And, word travels fast in a small town: That “over-the-top” adchick….man, she’s tough…and bossy. Right. I am NO order taker. I ask them respectfully, if you know how to do this, then why are you here? Clients who work with us do so because we help ‘em sell their stuff and do it better than the Auto Glass Guy and the Walmart girl. We want to get the business because we are clearly the best in town. (That’s what a new client said.) Not because we pretended to be someone we’re not.
I don’t play that game. What else ya got?
It must be nice at those big agencies, I think. To have teams of writers, planners, executives, designers, divisions, groups, juniors, seniors, vice-presidents, CFO’s, CEO’s, COO’s, principals and the like. But I think smaller shops have become increasingly popular in the era of the Big Dumb Agencies, as dear George Parker describes them. I have a few suspicions why:
1. Nimble. Because we don’t have a lot of people to get in the way of progress, we can turn on a dime for a client. They like that.
2. Loyal. Genuinely and to a fault. We need our precious clients to be successful, or else we’ll cease to exist. So we tend to act like we’re their partner. And really, we are.
3. Honest. Maybe too much at times. The rest of my team jokes about how “blunt” I can be with a client. Hey, if their hours suck, their staff is surly, the inventory dated, or the prices too high, someone needs to tell them…might as well be a “partner”. I care. (See Number 2.)
4. Efficient. Time is money. We’re small and don’t have the luxury of waxing poetic about a piece of creative for months. We study the issues and then work hard to sell something. Isn’t that what advertising is supposed to do, after all?
5. Hungry. We don’t eat till someone sells something. And we all know it, so we take nothing for granted.
6. Cost-conscious. Small agencies “feel the pain” of our small clients. We have to make money, but we don’t nickle and dime a client for every breath we take on their behalf.
7. Ego-less. Well, somewhat. If you think you’re the smartest one in the group, then you can’t work in a small shop. Arrogance just doesn’t work. Collaboration does.
There is no corner on creativity and problem solving. The layoffs are many in big agencies, and sadly, some iconic firms are closing their doors. All the while, here in Hooterville, we are busy, enjoying the creative process, raising our families in a sweet small town, designing, writing, producing and living. Sure, we endure the same client crap, just on a smaller scale. And true, we’re not creating the image for a big national brand where there is so much at stake, but I do believe we could have developed a better Pepsi Logo…and for a lot less money.
The Red House ad was better…or worse. It’s amazing that big agencies spend all that money when evidently this is all it takes.
NO…we did not produce this, but damn, I wish I had. What a great addition to anyone’s demo reel. (And from High Point, North Carolina, too…the Furniture Mecca….what were they thinking?)
(Thanks to my friend Kathy (the best chick announcer ever) for bringing this to our attention)
Two brothers run a successful homebuilding business that Dad started. They are linear thinkers. They want a new logo. We go through the dance of getting to know one another… the size-up…”do-we-feel-comfortable-with-this-bossy-woman-but-we-better-hire-her-or-someone-else-will”….and the “they-seem-cool-enough-to-get-it-but-will-it-be-too-much-of-a-pain-in-the-ass”. We show the first round. Green? Hmmm…we think you need to show us more color options. We come back, armed with Pantone books. They deliberate deeply, trying hard to articulate what they think because, they really don’t know and need to appear smart and capable of reasoned, solid decision making and then the wife comes in, surveys the work and with little pause, points to the very concept we had encouraged them on in the first place. Where was Peter Arnell when I needed him? This job would be a lot easier if people would just do what we tell ‘em.
Our methods of video production are far and away quite different from those of the great big production houses in great big cities. We have no sound guy, no best boy, no craft service (unless there’s a vending machine nearby). Just my amazing camera guy, me and sometimes we drag an intern along. And lemme tell you, we do a LOT with VERY little.
So earlier this week, we were shooting in a grocery store with mom’s and kids. It’s the very last shot. Camera Guy is getting a microphone on little Abbie. I’m checking my notes…or something. Three year old Max sees the knob on the tri-pod and can’t resist the urge to twist it. $23,000 worth of camera slaps to the floor. Camera Guy turns white. My adreaneline surge is so strong I think I might pass out.
I tell you this story because I want you to understand how deeply the entreprenuerial spirit runs in a shop like ours. I own the place, but Camera Guy knows his craft, his industry and the technology so well its like HE owns the place. He reads every trade journal, listens to blogs, attends webinars, emails and communicates with other videographers…and so, he knew exactly what to do when the camera went crashing. Within minutes, he had a loaner. Within 12 hours, he had a variety of options for us. He kept the business rolling.
Same holds true with our Designer Guy. By necessity, he has turned into our IT department. He doesn’t really like it, but he does it, saving us precious time and money. Oh yeah, he’s a great designer with strong mechanical skills, is kind and patient with clients (I’m not usually) who appreciate his sincere and pragmatic approach. He owns the place, too.
The beauty of working in Hooterville is I don’t have to work with egotistical schmucks. Rather, talented, creative, hardworking people who enjoy small town living and never, ever say “That’s not my job.” How cool is that?