Ad Agency? The Times, They Are A-Changin’

World of marketing is changing

Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the world we live in.

Change. It happens every day, every moment, everywhere. Marketing firms, at the intersection of consumers and brands, must learn to embrace change.

Your Client Is Changing: Change How You Manage The Client

Clients today are looking for business-building ideas, speed, and firms that understand how to stay within budget.

Now is the time to think more strategically to determine exactly what your clients want – and deliver it better than anyone else! It’s time to rethink your account service team, move faster than ever, while boosting profits and lowering costs.

But first, you need to change.

The Consumer Is Changing: Change How You Sell To The Consumer

The consumer today is exposed to more messages than ever before from all types of media. Great creative can make a brand standout and generate that all important conversation. Now is the time to rethink the business and generate new ideas targeted to this new consumer – to make your agency more successful. Win awards. Attract new clients. Boost staff morale.

Time for more creativity from all members of your team… and to have a creative process that is faster, better, and more profitable… clients will be more satisfied and loyal.

But first, you need to change.

Marketing Is Changing: Change How You Market

Social media, conversations, listening to the consumer and more are changing the way agencies do business. Clients are demanding more. Consumers are becoming smarter. Now is the time to change how you view marketing – to improve your agency’s social skills and get an unfair advantage over your competition.

It’s a time when technology can bring you inside information, to make your creative more focused and insightful…. speed up your operations, to make you more efficient and cost-effective, to make your agency more profitable and even grow your business.

But first, you need to change…

You Need To Change: Change Your Agency… To Do It Better!

This is a fantastic time to be in advertising, full of incredible opportunity for growth and success – if you’re open to change. To change successfully, you must question everything you do. And discover new ways to do it better! It means asking tough questions, like:

  • What do we do better than anyone else?
  • What is our vision for the future?
  • How can we serve clients better?
  • How will we handle the impact of this digital world?

When you answer these questions, you’ve found your vision. But putting that vision into action can be challenging.

You Need to Change

To turn your vision into action, you’ll need to change the way you work and develop effective solutions to the barriers that stand in your way. You need to build on the unique capabilities of your agency – to take advantage of today’s market and become the agency of the future!

How long has it been since you took a long hard look at your firm? Your brand? Your new business efforts? Maybe you have been operating under the same brand for years without giving it much consideration. Or using the same processes and structure without reviewing all the changes in technology.

The bottom-line is the world is changing, and we all need to change with it.

Photo by ~gffrycole

Agency Growth the Old Fashion Way: Buy It!

Sometimes the secret of growth is hidden right across the street.

Want to grow fast? Do a cross-town merger. This way you add important services you don’t have or bulk up fast and perhaps more inexpensively than you thought. And with a cross-town merger you can bring in experienced personnel to add to your management team. That’s all possible if you grow by acquiring.

Why Cross-town Merger vs. Out-of-town Acquisition? Cross-town mergers are often quicker, easier and more profitable immediately. Back office, administrative, production and more can be streamlined with little problem. This simplifies management issues and produces fewer hassles. In addition, a cross-town merger is usually less expensive and is a good place to start. Few executives know the full extent of the many attractive opportunities within their own city.

So how does one go about a cross-town merger? First you have to decide to seek a merger partner. It’s important not to tell any outsiders about your decision. The search needs to be done in isolation. Second, do a strategy session to look at all the options. What type of firm should we be looking for? Any specialties we are missing? Or what market do you want to get into? Third, organize a proper search to see where the best fit is. Keep your name out of the initial conversation with any prospects. And lastly, use an experienced, outside point of view that will keep the process on track.

Typical Cross-Town Merger Situations We Find:

1. The Cherry

A perfect fit where everything goes right from the beginning and continues on through the deal. If everyone is reasonable, Cherry deals can be found and made. Cross-town mergers make these even sweeter.

2. The Slot

This is another perfect fit where you can slot the acquired operation into your firm without missing a beat. It’s usually in a service area where you have little experience but solid potential. The acquired firm gains from your resources, your new business opportunities, and the organic business you can place from your existing accounts.

3. The Escape

The search phase has located a firm in trouble and the owners want to crash the company, not pay the creditors and move themselves and several key accounts to your operation. You buy nothing. You take on some staff. You pay for what sticks.

4. The Exit

The search phase has located an owner who wants out, will stay for a year or two to work the accounts and help maintain AGI. But the owner is phasing out but willing to stay around to help the transition. And is willing to work hard to make the deal happen.

5. The Key Guy

One firm is not very good at new business, for example. The other firm is bad at operations but great at growth. The buying firm brings the other firm on board mainly to get the key person and the expertise to help them grow. The other guy wants to sell because he or she is having troubling managing the business already on hand and can’t wait to dump the operational side of things so he or she can go chase new business.

How To Get Started:

Not sure a cross-town merger is right for you? We suggest a “Power Hour.” This is a one-hour, no-cost discussion by phone on the best way forward. It’s a chance to check chemistry, analyze costs and investments needed, and discuss possible options and strategies for moving ahead. Contact us a call at info@sandersconsulting.com or just call 800/899.1538 for more information on how to get started and how to set up a Power Hour on mergers and acquisitions.

Photo by ~MaroziDawn