Subtle Sex Sells Too

We’ve seen splashier advertising, but once in a while something comes along with just the right blend of humor, sophistication, sex appeal and simplicity that it deserves its 15 seconds of fame. And, thanks to www.adweek.com/adfreak, we think this billboard advertising Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is one.

This brand of tasty creativity is akin to a Bill Cosby standup routine versus an Eddy Murphy gig. During their prime, each would leave you with a little pee pee in your shorts. But while Murphy’s brand of comedy involved language that would have death row inmates turning their heads like dogs deciphering Latin, Cosby could get across risqué concepts without using words any darker than … well … “pee pee.”

Is one a higher art form and the other lower? That’s a discussion for a different day. But in today’s world of advertising, there’s room for both kinds as well as for every shade in between, depending on your product and market. Sometimes, however, with all the obvious wordplays and creative advertising brainstorms that are generated today, we can forget how powerful a tool subtlety can be. Thanks for the reminder, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. We’ll keep that concept on the back burner.

How much should you spend on advertising?

Ahhh, the age-old question, and when the answer is being provided by an ad agency, you might feel a bit suspect. Wary or not, however, there are guidelines to advertising expenditures; the numbers are tangible and the concepts behind them more black and white than you might realize.

While there are, of course, many variables—including industry, business size, growth rate desired, etc.—both the Counselors to America’s Small Business (SCORE) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) define an adequate small-business advertising and marketing budget to be between 2% and 10% of sales.

Sound like a lot? It is. And frankly, most companies under-spend, believing that not to spend is to save. Unfortunately, this strategy can backfire. You’ve heard the old adage “you have to spend money to make money” right? Well, when it comes to your advertising and marketing efforts, the money you spend does directly affect your revenue. It’s a tough concept to swallow, but during lean periods like the recent economic downtown is not the time to cut back.

Too often businesses estimate their annual sales, subtract overhead and inventory, etc.
and then allocate anything left over to pay for advertising. When you consider that you must advertise to generate those sales to begin with, you can begin to see why this strategy may not be such a good plan after all. A better strategy is to consider your advertising or marketing a fixed budget item on the front end of your accounting, not a number that waxes and wanes depending on how business is going.

The key is to spend your money wisely and carefully tailor your campaign to fit your market and fulfill your goals, and that’s where your ad agency comes in. We can’t determine your budget. But we can, based on your budget, your market and your goals, determine the best way to allocate your marketing dollars to keep those sales high to pay for all that great advertising!

5 tips for picking a West Palm Beach advertising agency

Years ago the top minds here at RWA decided to take a page out of our own book and formulate a marketing plan for ourselves. Part of that plan required analyzing our competition. Sure we knew the handful of West Palm Beach advertising agencies we bumped into on a regular basis (some harder than others). So we expected to see them on the list of advertising agencies registered in Palm Beach County. What we didn’t expect to see was a list of 331 registered advertising agencies in the County.

331? Geez. How’s a business supposed to decide who to pick from that many choices?

If you’re considering hiring an advertising agency to help your South Florida business, here are five handy tips for picking the right agency.

1) Question the retainer. Most agencies charge a monthly retainer as part of your contract. While this is standard in the industry, the services covered by a retainer are not. Ask your potential agency what services are included in your monthly retainer fee. If the answer is not clear, look for another agency.

2) Don’t choose solely based on industry. Clients often look for advertising agencies that have experience in their specific industry. While experience can be very helpful, it can come with a downside. Agencies who handle a lot of clients in one specific industry can often provide a cookie-cutter approach, recycling ideas from one client to the next. An agency that has less experience in your industry can often offer a fresh approach that will differentiate you from your competition.

3) Look at impressive results not impressive credentials. A lot of South Florida agencies boast resumes packed with high powered positions in larger advertising markets. Let’s face it, Madison Avenue gets less enticing in the winter so a fair number of ad professionals head south to join the ad game in Florida. Just because the ad guy you’re interviewing produced a spot for a multi-million dollar client doesn’t mean he can get you the results you need on a less-than-million-dollar budget. Ask for examples of clients the agency has handled that are similar in size and budget. What results was the agency able to produce for them?

4) Take a tour of the agency. Different agencies have different personalities. Make sure your agency’s personality fits with your business’ personality. Choosing an agency is sort of like choosing a spouse. You will have to spend a fair amount of time together. You better like each other or you'll be headed for divorce.

5) Remember that size doesn’t matter. Good ideas can come from anyone. A big staff does not always mean big ideas, nor does it mean a better level of service. Take the time to interview smaller and larger agencies. Then make the decision as to which one works best for your company’s needs.

You have a lot of advertising agencies to choose from in West Palm Beach. Take your time and find the right fit for you. Happy hunting!