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Aug
13
ATTN: Digital Signage Networks - Help “Their” Agency Help You
Filed Under Advertising, Digital Signage
Many, many Digital Signage pioneers have run into the “glass ceiling” of the media agency world over the last few years in their search for marketing/advertising dollars to help expand their Networks and build their critical mass to become a very relevant tool in the toolbox-o-trix of selected media.
Unfortunately, to date, Digital Signage as an industry has not been able to support some tenants of media agency requirements, including:
- Effectiveness
- Efficiency
- Reach
In borrowing from an article I just wrote for someone:
“Effectiveness” is a medium decision. It relies on research in knowing that, if the medium exists, the content is relevant and the creative/advertising is well done, it will impact those that consume it and help to support the campaign objectives.
“Efficient” is a value decision. It is an understanding that I’m going to get bang for my buck by placing my advertising in this medium over another medium.
“Reach” is an effort decision. It’s an evaluation of how much effort do I have to put into this medium to get enough advertising market penetration that it will actually support my objectives and also, will I really be speaking to the people I want to be speaking to through these venues.
In order to be able to work closely with media to support their efforts, you need to have the answer to the questions above well defined. Media Buyers/Planners exist to not only understand their clients but also to protect them. Every once in a while, however, the protectionist attitudes backfire a little and everyone is left scrambling. As evidence to this, think back over the last 15 years to the various growth patterns of Online Advertising, Mobile Advertising, MySpace/Facebook Advertising and so on.
In a more recent example, from the 4As conference back in Jan/Feb in Italy, the CEO of Aegis (Now the world’s largest digital media company if I recall correctly) commented on how media agencies were “tentative” on where and how to turn next with new media opportunities and threats appearing in front of them and it was leaving agencies frozen (not willing to make changes to buying habits for fear of Brand reprisal - a.k.a Agency Review). At the same conference, the head of creative of Coca-Cola at the time commented on how the agency creative process had become “lazy”. Strong words for big names in public.
What I’m getting at is that most agencies know the position that they’re in, in an uncertain media market and ARE looking for NEW, relevant solutions that fit the above basic “pillars” of their decision making processes. While Digital Signage is currently the low man on the totem pole in this arena, everyone is definitely aware it exists and they’re grappling with how to address it properly.
So I was, once again, impressed with an article by Bill Colbourne that got published on Ad Age
as a call to arms for Agencies AND CMOs to not rely on the “Agency Review” process so much and to embrace innovative pitches (again, that fit into some basic criteria as per above) to let some new ideas and blood in the door. An interesting set of survey responses followed the article:
So, based on the above, your best, most profitable and long-term approach to getting into a Brand through your neighbourhood media agency might be:
- Here’s some great info about your client and a business problem that they’re having (that I know you already know about, of course) including third party research to boot and support my position
- I’ve got a new idea in an emerging space that I’d like to introduce to you that, if you feel is relevant to your Brand, I can help prepare you for you to pitch it to them and, oh, by the way, here’s how we all make money
- This solidifies you as an innovative agency and will help lock out other agencies and potentially expand your service offerings and therefore revenues with your Brand
- Here’s how it ultimately solves the problems your Brand is having
…it’s not a perfect pitch but it may make them look at your Digital Signage Network twice…
The article does NOT say “Go Brand Direct” because you won’t get far working outside the system and, quite frankly, if you bypass the machine, you may get 1 or 2 silo campaigns or more but what you really want is to be a consideration as a supporting medium to every campaign that that media agency may want to run. This doesn’t preclude that your Network still has to perform to the Effective, Efficient, Reach philosophy I mentioned above…at least it becomes a little more like clear Jello
Just my 10 calories…rrr…2 cents
digital-signage
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