“Why keep a dog and bark yourself?”
That’s how David Ogilvy, founder of one of the world’s most respected advertising agencies, pointed to the value of having a skilled team of advertising professionals as advisors, counselors and partners for your business.
If you just want ‘artistic’ people to turn your idea of good advertising into stylish, colorful, pretty pictures – hire a graphic arts student, not an advertising agency. You’ll save a lot of money and you’ll get exactly what you want.
If you want somebody to turn your marketing ideas into web banners, magazine ads, billboards, TV spots and point-of-purchase displays, hire a production company, not an advertising agency. You’ll save a lot of money and you’ll get exactly what you want.
If you want someone to write advertising copy and then make every change you, your spouse, your neighbors and your old friends from college thinks cute, clever or crafty, hire a ghost writer, not an ad agency. You’ll save a lot of money and you’ll get exactly what you want.
If you want to dictate every aspect of your advertising – every word, every image, every medium – don’t hire an ad agency; create an in-house advertising department and appoint yourself director. You’ll work twice as many hours as you already do and have advertising that’s half as good as it could be.
Seriously, if all you want are hands to put your ideas on line, on the air, or on paper – if you just want a factory to manufacture the campaigns you devise – stay away from advertising agencies.
On the other hand, if you want loyal allies who are as motivated as you are to make your business thrive over the long haul – and who are as good at what they do as you are at what you do – then by all means, hire an ad agency.
Choose one with a track record of success. Choose one that insists on getting to know you, your product, and your goals. Choose an agency that will constantly surprise you with imagery and words, strategy and tactics, big ideas and thought-provoking what-ifs…
Choose an agency with people who understand that their success is wholly contingent on yours, and who will fearlessly challenge your ideas about what your advertising can be.
Then take their advice.
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At CLM, we believe there is wisdom in the old saying “you get what you pay for.”
Choose an agency based on low prices and you get an agency built on low quality.
Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. Go agency shopping with “value” as your goal.
Give us a call. Let’s see how our values line up.