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Top Advertising And Design Awards

October 5, 2019 By Peter 1 Comment

A List Of The Top Advertising Awards & Why Winning Should Be Part Of Your Business Development Program

Note: This advertising awards list gets updated. Most recently on October 5, 2019. I updated The One Show listing and added the Ad Stars Awards. Let me know if I am missing an award.

Note, Note: The only way to add the right new accounts to your agency is to run a 24/7 business development program. Let’s get real and call it what it is…it is a sales program.

This sales program should be driven by a marketing plan, be supported by management and it should use the latest, smartest sales techniques – including winning awards so your future clients receive some third-party proof of your excellence.

Need the best plan? That’s where I can help. I am the most experienced ad agency business development consultant.

OK, the award list and a bit of advertising awards objectives and strategies

Why Enter Award Shows? Do You Have Business Objectives And A Strategy?

Winning the right advertising awards is good for business and agency and client morale. Just make sure you know why you are entering. Too many agencies don’t approach the award process with a plan or objectives beyond the search for ego fulfillment. This can make the whole effort a bit too C R A Z Y. But, you know that. Or, do you? Go here to hear an advertising award judge on his less than optimal experience reading agency entries.

I have a memory about the power of awards from my first day at Saatchi & Saatchi London way back in the 1990’s. I walked through the creative floor and noticed a tall glass case randomly stuffed with lots of creative trophies. This haphazard display delivered two messages: 1) Saatchi wins lots of awards and 2) they don’t take these too seriously. Of course, the second point was bull shit. Saatchi was always about looking like a winner and the award case proved that point in a cheeky manner. It worked better than the usual and obvious shelf of awards that sit behind the ad agency receptionist’s head.

I have always had mixed feelings about advertising awards. On one hand, they are, like winning an Academy Award, i.e. ridiculous. No one ad, digital program or actor is the “best.” On the other hand (the one with the wallet), they are way expensive. As an agency owner, I often cringed when a creative director came to me with his hand out asking us to spend hundreds on award entries.

However money aside, advertising awards have some very big advantages for agencies, clients, and creative-class workers:

The awards celebrate creativity itself. Creative strategies, art, copy and the media platforms that deliver the work.

They help our most talented people get noticed.

They help smart well-designed agencies get noticed by occasionally confused clients who need second party confirmation when selecting an agency. To me, this is a very important point and one that makes writing those increasingly expensive entry checks worth the cost. Awards should be a big part of an agency’s business development program – not just an ego stroker.

To put all of this go-for-it into context, I wrote about the Portland agency Pollinate a few years back that has done very well (!) by hammering Advertising Age’s Small Agency awards show. The blog post, “How To Win The Ad Age Small Agency Award? Twice?” is a demonstration of the value of entering and winning an award that has meaning for prospective clients because it is delivered via an industry-leading publication. Check it out.

Last point before the list. Award judges have told me that around 30% of agencies do not know how to create an entry that is designed to win. Poor copy, poor strategy, even typos. Many agencies rush through the process at the very last minute. Do you? Do you have an annual award plan? Who is in charge?

My 12 Favorite Advertising & Marketing Awards

[Read more…] about Top Advertising And Design Awards

Moving To Mexico

September 27, 2019 By Peter 24 Comments

Moving To Mexico – Perfecto

A 2019 Update: The Moving To Mexico post below was written when I achieved my 2016 goal of moving to Mexico. I’ll keep most of the detail intact to keep Google’s indexing happy.

This blog post has been read over 3,000 times. Guess I am not alone in thinking of moving to Mexico – or somewhere else. 

I am now 3 years in. Live here full-time. My wife and I built a house (that’s it in the picture).

I am maintaining my global advertising agency consultancy and am way into a major multi-year global photography project.

I am convinced that I made the right move. San Miguel de Allende is great (and has been named the best city in the world by Travel & Leisure).

By the way, check out my 210 San Miguel de Allende portraits photography series, La Gente. Please pass it on, especially to Americans.

Side note: Americans ask me all the time about the why and how I moved to Mexico. No, it is not just baby boomers. It seems that a lot of folks want to get to either a “NEXT” thing experience or just get the hell out of today’s USA – and figure out how to go digital across the globe. I did not move for political reasons. But, hey, living somewhere where lots of people smile every day and are not addicted to Google News is a ‘good thing’.

——————————————-

[The Original 2016 Blog Post]

Why Mexico? 

This post explains why I moved to Mexico, the where, the how and provides some details should you want to follow me. Yes, you can make a living in Mexico.

The move has been a two-year process for my wife and me to decide to make the move and then choose where to live. We selected San Miguel de Allende (for its culture and high-altitude weather) over Puerto Vallarta (too beachy); Baja (too close to California); the Yucatan (way too humid); Oaxaca (a close second); Mexico City (too crazy); or Lake Chapala (boring – though near Guadalajara).

I like moving to new places and do so about every 7 years. The upside is adventure and having to creatively deal with unknowns. The downside is leaving friends behind. But, some visit and Skype plus Facetime keeps everyone face-to-face.

In addition to pure wanderlust, there are other factors that seem to make me move. Here is a new one. I recently read the Wall Street Journal article, Nature or Nurture? What Makes You an Expat? Is a lust for travel, adventure and new surroundings built into your DNA? The article covers the idea that moving and living in a foreign country might be, partially, a function of your DNA. My kids are in their twenties and they now live in Buenos Aires and Budapest. Is the Levitan DNA responsible? Who knows. But, this is an interesting concept to digest.

By the way, that’s me up above C/O of an artist’s photo booth at a Mexico City art museum.

OK, so why am I moving to Mexico?

I grew up in New York City. Went to college in Boston and San Francisco. Then moved back to New York, to Minneapolis, to New Jersey when we had kids, to London and back. And, 15 years ago my family split from post 9/11 New York metro to go to Bend and then Portland, Oregon. Was it genes? Wanderlust? Career building? I think all of the above.

Why Mexico?

san-miguel-de-allende-mexico_87359_990x742We love Mexico and Mexicans. And, I can run my consultancy from anywhere, so why not head south.

We are not alone. Mexico has the highest number of American expats. The actual numbers are a bit flaky but the U.S. government estimates the number at over 1 million. These include people working in Mexico, folks just hanging out, Mexican Americans and a very large number of American retirees.

But, hey, this blog post is about me.

My reasons…

  • Numero uno: Adventure (life is short.) See David Bowie for inspiration. ‘”Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes (Turn and face the strange) Turn and face the strain. Ch-ch-Changes”
  • Our new home is San Miguel de Allende which is in the middle of the country. That’s one of its most famous scenes in the picture. SMA is one of the coolest towns in the world (yes, the world.) Here is what Huffington Post says.
  • If you don’t mind skipping heat and humidity, San Miguel de Allende’s weather is perfect (high desert at over 6,000 feet.) See the map at the bottom for its location.
  • The people in San Miguel are always smiling.
  • It’s safe. Please stop the silly ‘gringo’ question, “Is it safe?” Get this: most of Mexico is safer than New Orleans and Detroit. And, you know that if Americans stopped doing tons of coke, meth and heroin, we’d solve the cartels problem. The key is that you don’t go hang out where they do business.
  • The Mexican culture combines indigenous and Spanish cultural influences. There are endless street, art and music festivals and a very vibrant art scene.
  • The cost of living is about 60% of living in the USA. In our first ‘test’ year, we are renting a fully furnished 4 bedroom house with 3 days of housekeeper service and a gardener for $2,000 per month. At over 18 pesos per dollar, the dollar is as high as it has been in years.
  • San Miguel has the second best restaurant scene in the country. It has become a major weekend destination for people living in Mexico City.
  • Surrounding towns deliver sweet day trips to visit hot springs, local ice cream meccas and university towns. And… truly exciting things like a CostCo and the largest shopping mall in Latin America. I haven’t been there yet but will avoid a Chili’s if they have one.
  • I can easily fly nonstop to L.A., Dallas, and Houston out of two local airports and internationally from Mexico City.
  • Getting a long-term visa easy. Try living long-term in the U.K. or France or Thailand.
  • I’ll try to avoid CNN and FOX and MSNBC.
  • Oh, and I can work from anywhere I have a laptop and WIFI. Plus, my town is conveniently in the central time zone.

Have you considered living in Mexico?

googleA recent research study I did testing Google Consumer Research focused on where Americans want to retire. My findings show that 13% (13%!) of Americans between 45 and 65 “have considered retiring in Mexico”. By the way, you do use easy-to-use-super fast Google Research in your business development program, right?

Who will thrive in Mexico? [Read more…] about Moving To Mexico

B2B Ghosting Is Bullshit

June 4, 2019 By Peter Leave a Comment

B2B Ghosting Sucks.

Do you know what ghosting is? Here is a definition… From a Google search. I believe that the definition works for both interpersonal relationships, the current common usage, and B2B interactions.

The practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication.

Why mention ghosting in a B2B blog post about an advertising agency business relationship? Because B2B ghosting happens too often.

The B2B Black Hole Proposal AKA – You’ve Been Ghosted

You’ve probably been here. You send a prospect a proposal (they asked for it) or a recommendation to an advertising client (because you are smart and this is what they want from a good agency) and you do not hear back. No response. Nada. Like its starting to feel like never. And, sure you followed up. But, nada. Let’s call it ghosting.

And, worse, any way you think about it, it is simply rude.

This B2B ghosting definition occurred to me today for a couple of reasons.

  • First, I heard an episode about ghosting on This American Life. The episode is yet another good one from these stellar folks, listen to it.  Get A Spine.
  • Second, I have two proposals out to agencies without any feedback or response.
  • These proposals are sitting at two Brooklyn agencies and they have gone dark. Important: they asked for the proposals. I delivered. I have been doing this advertising agency proposal / big idea way too long to get upset. But, I do think that not responding is way too unprofessional.

This is a learning moment – a decent subject for a blog post.

Get Past Ghosting

Your mom did not bring you up to act like this. Rude is not cool.

So, y’all need to respond to proposals. Note, NOT doing so is bad Karma. You are, after all, an agency that wants your current and future clients to respond to YOU. Right?

Side note: I get a hundred plus visits to my website every day. Better yet, I get multiple quality leads from advertising agencies a month. These leads, after a conversation, often result in a proposal. Many of the proposals result in clients for my consultancy.

Hardly any end up as dark hole ghosts. Most agencies understand good Karma. And, they listened to their mom. Maybe they even listened to the Dali Lama. Apparently, this Karma stuff might not be an active ingredient at Brooklyn agencies.

OK, it’s a small sample.

LOL. I am over it. Writing is so cathartic.

 

 

 

 

Does Your Advertising Agency Do Content Marketing Right?

July 2, 2018 By Peter 1 Comment

Is Your Advertising Agency A Savvy Content Marketer?

I’ve read acres of advertising agency content (blogs, white papers, videos, on LinkedIn, etc.). Some rock and some suck. Many agencies, once they have stellar content, do not put in the effort to spread the wealth. As in, they do not amplify their brilliant thinking across a range of social media and traditional marketing platforms. This is a missed efficiency driver. Here’s a how to maximize your hard content building work.

To be clear, ‘content’ means the stuff that agency’s use to deliver their insightful thought leadership programs which are designed to sell the agency’s brains, expertise and to drive inbound visits and interest. Just for the hell of it, here is the definition of content from Google…

A type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (such as videos, blogs, and social media posts) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.

Here is another well-crafted definition from the Content Marketing Institute…

Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

Great Content: Part One

One of the best content marketing companies I’ve visited/read is TrinityP3 an Australian-based global marketing management consultancy with offices on four continents. TrinityP3 is a primary thought leader in the advertising client and agency space.

Darren Woolley, founder and Global CEO, along with Mike Morgan, are the driving force behind TrinityP3. To date, they have hundreds of blog posts covering a wide range of subjects including agency management, agency search, compensation, media buying, procurement, and scope of work and, even infographics. I’m talking lots of content.  [Read more…] about Does Your Advertising Agency Do Content Marketing Right?

What’s After Advertising?

June 19, 2018 By Peter Leave a Comment

After Advertising

I am often asked by advertising agency people… what do people do after they leave advertising (or at least, a stay-put advertising job)? Well, to be more specific, what have I done after advertising as in, since I sold my Portland agency six years ago?

I live in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (built a house/60% cost of living/travel all over/work from anywhere)

I work with advertising agencies around the world on helping them build lead generating business development programs

I am on a global quest to photograph the world’s people (starting here with this 210 portrait series)

Some days I just hang out and I constantly try to satisfy my curious mind.

One way I satisfy my curiosity is to stay in long-distance touch (usually by newsletter) with Faris Yakob…. brand strategist (I guess that is one description) who I interviewed for my book on pitching. Here is the interview. By the way, buy the book and win more business so you can get out of your office.

Genius Steals

Faris can show you a way out of the cube, open office or if you’ve been lucky, an office with a couch.

To get going, I suggest that you sign up for Faris and his wife Rosie’s newsletter and visit their website. Why?

They are very smart and you will learn stuff that should make you a better marketer. From the sign-up page… “Put together by husband and wife creative duo Faris and Rosie Yakob, this weekly email is a source of interesting and fun links from around the web on a variety of topics. The content is expertly curated, and if you can’t find something inspiring in each edition, it will at least make you a more interesting dinner date.”  

But, but, there’s more. Faris and Rosie live a nomadic lifestyle. As they say…

“We used to live and work in NYC where we had fancy titles and bars in our offices. It was rad. Mostly. Except there were so. many. meetings.  When Faris sold his share in a digital agency he started, he proposed that we quit our jobs and travel the world for 6 months, to take a break, to explore. We both really loved traveling, and the stars aligned, and so we’ve been traveling ever since.”

Read more about them here at Technomadix. Start to plan on how to… get out of advertising. The time will come.

 

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