Technology allows virtually anyone to reach the right people in the right places at the right time. Big Data promises to reveal everything you ever wanted to know about your customers. What technology can’t do is craft messaging that earns your customers’ attention. Much less inspire the media and masses to share it. And Big Data is useless unless you know how to find and recognize insights that can really improve your business.
As a result, our devices, publications and channels are littered with small and feeble, short-term, short-sighted tactical ideas people ignore with impunity. The narrative du jour to rationalize this irrationality is that the Big Idea is dead and that what brands really need are a lot of small ideas delivered across many channels. Hogwash.
“Fragmented ideas plus fragmented media equals fragmented brand. Period.”
Even though many claim otherwise, most agencies simply don’t possess the strategic, writing, design and production skills to develop big brand building strategies and integrated campaigns. Note, big does not necessarily mean expensive but it’s also not inexpensive. Then again, nothing worthwhile is.
Fragmented ideas plus fragmented media equals fragmented brand. Period. Now that’s expensive.
Millward Brown, one of the most respected advertising research firms, concurs:
"The medium in which your ad will run does not matter - the power
of your creative is more important than how well the ad is delivered."
Fact is big ideas executed and integrated across paid, owned and earned media are one of the most powerful competitive advantages your company can possess. Research on the effectiveness of creativity in advertising has unequivocally concluded the following:
1. Creative Quality Is Four Times More Important Than Your Media Plan Quality In Driving Sales*
comScore ARS Study
2. Creative Quality Is Five Times More Important Than Targeting In Driving Ad Awareness
High-quality creative increases ad viewing time six times (5.8x) and nearly doubles purchase intent (+93%) . What’s more, up to half of the probability that an ad will be looked at depends on the creative itself (47.3%). OVK Study, “The Power Of Creation”
3. Better Creative Yields Greater Engagement & Brand Lift*
MOAT/IAB, "Rising Star Stud"
“Getting the creative right is absolutely essential, and yet its importance so often gets minimized in the process of developing an ad campaign. Now is the time for advertisers using digital, as well as more traditional media, to get serious about optimizing their creative on the front end so they don’t get a rude awakening when the ads don’t work and they are left wondering what went wrong.” -comSCORE ARS
To get results like the above requires hard work, takes time, is not cheap and demands companies actually stand for something. However, the results - by far - make it the most efficient and effective way to grow any business. How do you know if your agency is giving you legendary work? Here’s what you should be experiencing:
- Less spending on media to get better reach and frequency than your competitors
- More loyal customers and employees
- Less promotions and discounting
- The ability to weather economic downturns better than most in your industry
- Random compliments on your advertising
- Increased market share
- Dramatically longer lasting campaigns
- More free press
- Higher awareness
- Advertising that makes your competitors nervous and envious
Only experienced a few of these? Then your company deserves better. Give us 90 minutes and we’ll show you how we can help transform your company into a legendary company. No excuses. Promise.