A couple of years back, I noticed a lot of stories in the paper about a split in the Church of England.
Apparently, the C of E had run a campaign that had caused a controversy amongst bishops. I was quite surprised the C of E had such a high profile.
This story was at least half a page in all the national daily papers. Plus it made the TV news, and interviews on radio programmes.
It just shows you, Christianity is still a big topic in a lot of people’s lives. It must be to be capable of causing such controversy.
If it’s such a big deal in the papers. It’s obviously still relevant to the majority of people. At least that’s what I thought.
Then I met the PR guy who worked on it. He told me the C of E had come to him with a brief to get their profile up. And they had no money.
So his start point was, we need to start people talking about them. Create a controversy.
But if we have no money, we have no media. No, but we do have a lot of churches, 13,000 in fact.
And at least half of those churches have bulletin boards in front. And each bulletin board is a potential poster site. And a national campaign of 6,000 posters is a big campaign. So we do have media after all.
And so they briefed a campaign of posters that would fit this media (about 3 feet tall by 6 feet wide).
I saw one of these posters up. It said “Crucified. Made to wear a crown of thorns. Speared in the side. Now that’s what you call a bad-hair day.”
I didn’t like the poster. But what was brilliant was what the PR guy did with it.
He sent copies of it to all the bishops and asked them what they thought of it. Naturally, some of them liked it and some of them didn’t.
He then called up the papers and told them there was a split in the C of E over whether they should be advertising or not.
He said it was the old guard versus the modernisers.
He said it was a rift that went to the heart of how the C of E saw itself in the modern world.
He created the story and gave it to the papers.
The editors always need a story, they’ve got a paper to fill every day.
And one that comes to them is better than one they have to go looking for.
So they ran his story.
The Church of England got massive national coverage. Their profile went up, as briefed. They got millions of pounds of media for the cost of a few small posters.
That’s real creativity.
The same guy was telling me about the Sony ‘Balls’ commercial that was shot in San Francisco.
He said the PR company got involved before the commercial was shot.
They went to the local papers in San Francisco and told them about the shoot.
They said it was quite a feather in San Francisco’s cap.
Of all the places in the world they could have chosen to shoot, a UK company was coming all the way to their city to shoot a commercial that would run all over Europe.
For the local papers this was a big story.
So they ran lots of articles and pictures of the shoot.
The PR guy then took all these stories and sent them to all the English newspapers.
He said, “Look, this commercial isn’t even running in the USA, yet it’s so big even their newspapers are giving it all this coverage.”
The UK papers then ran stories about the Sony commercial before it had even run on our TVs. Including spot times when it was on, so you could look out for it.
The effect of this was to magnify the commercial into a big event, like a movie launch. Way beyond the media the client was paying for.
Now that’s real creativity.
Which is why Alex Bogusky says that, often when Crispin Porter Bogusky get a brief, they don’t start by thinking about advertising.
They start by thinking, “If we had a PR campaign running after the ads broke, what would that look like?”
Then they work backwards from there.
TV advertising is just the trigger for the PR.
Which is how they came up with their Burger King campaign.
They thought, “What would you be prepared to sacrifice for a Whopper?” would make an interesting story.
Then they thought, how do we make that happen?
So they did the promotion, “Sacrifice ten friends from your ‘Facebook Friends’ list and we’ll give you a free Whopper.”
And, to turn it into a controversial story for the media, it then became, “Which ten friends are you prepared to sacrifice?”
And of course, they got many times the media they were paying for.
Which is what advertising should be doing. Even if it isn’t always advertising.
If we don't think about this stuff, someone else will; and they will get paid for it not us. If we want to justify our fees when clients want to cut back we have to be providing this kind of input to demonstrate our true value.
Hi Rob,
I agree with you. Unfortunately it's not the first time it has happened. Remember when Typehouses moved in-house, and Heinz moved its TV budget to Outdoor?
It sent earthquakes through the business. Then we had Media Independents:
budgets sliced, and a three-way battle for the same pot of gold. The agencies had to just work harder but do it with less money.
Online was in its heyday a few years ago. Some clever cookies cashed-in their chips while the going was good because they knew they would not be able to survive the wrath of the big agencies eating into their budget again. Now, it's a different story, just as it was when dot coms ground to a halt and companies hit unbelievable highs and lows in their fortunes.
Every time there is a watershed of staff, becasue someone offers something for free. Free is not necessarily the best option. Free forces companies operational costs into a corner. It cuts budgets, it cuts corners, it cuts creativity, because it cuts the money behind the idea to make it work. How many times over the last few years have we seen great ads that nobody knows about because the media budget had been too small to make serious impact?
That's why the Brothers refused to handle any business under £1,000,000 when they started-up shop, because otherwise you end up becoming bank for your clients, and the danger is, if you don't they move to another clearing bank.
Maybe clients should have split budgets like us. A current account, for events that come and go, and a serious deposit account for the annual spend to help them produce great work that will be seen not just at the Cannes Festival.
It would be nice to hear what a few clients think about what should change.
Interesting question. What would a client say? It's my experience, that over a certain size, they will have appointed ATL, BTL, digital, PR and SP without too much (if any) consultation with any of the agencies appointed. For business reason that still prevail, a great idea that should be given the opportunity to grow organically under the loving care of its originators, ends up being dissected and genetically modified for the separate channels alloted to different suppliers. Seldom do the creative stakeholders and the channel managers get together and keep it completely focussed. That's why it's so important to have a great idea in the first place. Because it's going to run the gauntlet of roster of appointed specialist agencies. Often arriving at the other end unrecognisable or at best a shadow of its former shadow. Then every now and then, it all hooks up, and legends are born and never forgotten. Held aloft as examples of when things go right, not always as process and research would dictate, but none the less inarguably, damned right. Aye, there's the rub. There's the buzz.
That's why we risk it all when we get the chance. Which isn't always that often. But worth waiting for.
Interesting answer Bob.
I've just been reading about America mourning the loss of Cliff Freeman. There's the story of another corporate carve-up gone wrong over successive years when everything the agency essentially stood for was right.
Over the years I have heard stories of how brand managers at client end, or account directors at agency end have come in and tried to influence brands, change the brand essence, then run away after 2 years before they get found out that everything they did has ruined the brand. Nobody says anything because they want the business from the brand manager when he becomes marketing director at the next comany, and so the rot goes on.
I worked with one account director who changed everything in the agency. The business had been going great for 6 years, then she changed the media budgets, fired everyone, (myself included) heralding a new era, screwed the business, turned a great profit into a loss, and got fired herself after 3 months of ruining the business.
Kevin - There's nothing worse than a brand manager changing a brilliant idea just to look like they made an impact. Sadly, it happens all the time.
Makes you appreciate good management...
If that's the case, 'NOTHING' is the brightest thing a brand manager can to do.
But, how many brand managers are bright enough to step out of the way, and resist the urge to fix something that ain't broke. "Not a lot" as the little illusionist would say.
and that's tragic
I wonder what percentage of new brand managers call a pitch within their first few months? Would be an interesting stat.
Good post Dave. Thanks.
Mind if I develop the idea into an article for my magazine?
(www.articlemagazine.co.uk) It's a non-profit independent art & culture zine we run in the north.
'Media Miracles' - how one PR guy turned a small poster run into a million pound PR campaign - the advertising equivalent of turning water to wine!
As you know, it was the free media coverage that made 'the best job in the world' so great. Same goes for the deBeers' 'Diamonds are forever' ad. One ambient spot gets 2.5mil free media - blows my mind!
Talkability is crucial - thanks for the reminder.
Let's not get too 'clientist' in our remarks. Some brand managers I've worked with have been very brave and supportive in the face of some fiercely conservative CEOs.
However, I have noticed that anyone with an MBA gained in the States usually means you'll be on the receiving end of a seemingly never-ending succession of rhetorical debates noteable only by the absence of decisionmaking.
MBA = Must Be Avoided.
Hi Bob.
Some brand managers are cheer-leaders for Crowd Sourcing, the new kid on the block; a virtual Creative Dept. where winner takes all [usually a token fee] and the traditional agency creative is left to rue the day they laughed it off as a passing fad.
According to some brand managers, anyone can do your job, and Joseph R Public II is easily as creative as a person who's job it is [or was].
Some clients think so very little of creativity they'd prefer that their customers create it for them, rather than the creative department of an ad agency.
Some clients believe 'ad creatives' are of next-to-no value.
Some clients. Eh?
Grilla Login, You sound deeply scarred. There must be a victim support group for this? Ah yes, it's called The Pub. Alternatively, stay away from clients like those you describe. You'll end up twitter and bisted.
Bob Ashwood, my cellulose supply isn't dependent on the whims of others, fortunately, and I haven't frequented a bar since the bizarre incident with the barmaid and the banana.
Yes, my hairy hands are up, and I willingly admit it. I am deeply scarred.
I've just become acquainted with the term "HEAT DEATH".
A ways off, I know. But, for Grilla, it puts everything into perspective.
Bob - Of course there are plenty of good clients out there, the problem is the bad few that not only lose good agencies business through needless pitching; but devalue the whole idea of agency creativity by forcing change and free work.
Just look at the reputation Innocent has (fairly or unfairly I don't know) been suggested of having because of their frequent pitching.
I asked myself this question today;
If I were a marketing manager, brand manager, creative, account handler, digital studio, film co, what would my priorities be to forge a great relationship?
Here's the HIT LIST.
1. Place the consumer first.
2. Go beyond consumer satisfaction.
3. Change apples, not cores.
4. Destroy my own thinking.
5. Think consumer, not advertiser.
6. Continually engage the unknown.
7. Share learning with everyone.
8. Invite greater operational transparency.
9. Do something for nothing.
10. Always be honest.
11. Encourage continual development.
12. Have fun doing all the above.
I don't know about you guy's but I'd sure love to work for or with an agency or business that operated like this. Wouldn't you?
Rob, Every agency has a choice. To pitch or not. It's not about money. It's about how confident you are in the first place. Also, an agency that continually pitches and survives must be a really well run ship. Because they're not going make any money if they don't win. So, a frequent pitch-hungry outfit has its act together. Hard business reality I know. But, if want a piece of business enough, you'll go for it and not regret the decision. Personally, I love pitching. Remember, if you're going for a 'grown up' client, you can win without boards, powerpoint, mock ups, animatics, documents. IF, if you've done your homework, your idea is a cracker and the client believes every word you say or at least, is convinced you know what you're talking about and shares your passion for solving the problem rather than just answering the brief. There are plenty of examples of pitches that cost zip and blew the client away.
Kevin - Yes, though I wouldn't use the word consumer...!
What word would you use?
This post was mentioned on Twitter by jimbocoyle: Advertising doesn't work like we think it does - from @davetrott. Some interesting PR examples...http://bit.ly/1HooBy
Kevin - that's the dream, isn't it?
Sadly, few aspire to it, let alone achieve it.
Hi Thomas,
Please be my guest.
Hi Gotnoteef,
Sometimes dreams come true.
www.youtube.com/watch
Kevin - Depends on phrasing, but I prefer to say 'people'. Consumer has so many implications that I'm not fond of. If we are supposed to understand people then I think its flawed to call them consumers all the time.
Bob A - Of course a good pitch agency is about confidence and belief. My issue is when a paying client pitches a successful brand for no reason, forcing the agency to do free work for an account they are already getting good results on. It devalues their previous work and future work. There are also reports of some clients pitching purely to cut costs with their incumbent.
Again, there are mostly good clients out there; but the bad ones can cost agencies a fortune. Creativity and jobs get damaged when personal ego is put before the work (on both sides I might add!).
Let's imagine Kellogg's want to let customers know that the stuff in supermarket own-brand imitations, is not the same as what goes in their boxes.
They could create and ad telling them so.
They could create some kind of laser technology which burns the logo on to each flake in a darker shade.
Or they could speculate about such technology, pretend it's something they are 'considering', leak such a story to the press (http://tiny.cc/laserflakes) and have it function as an ad.
Anyone who reads the article would be pretty convinced that Kellogg's don't put their flakes in anyone else's boxes. And when lasers are involved, people might tell their friends!
(Of course if customers found out it was all spin, they'd be a bit peeved. And the paper's integrity is something to consider; we don't want our pages full of fictionalized, hyperreal events. But all in all this looks like a cost-free, effective solution.)
Judging by the comments above, though, 'free solutions', their benefits and the issue of whose place it is to think of such things seems to be a touchy topic.
PS. Not sure if the Kellogg's laser is for real. Seems unlikely, but we'll see. I only read the article, and inferred the rest!
I hear you Rob. To put it politely, some clients take the mick. I learnt my client relationship skills 20 odd years ago in Australia with three guys called Monahan Dayman & Adams. I was with them up to the time they became the first agency to float on the stockmarket in Oz. They started out as a 3 man band and grew to be a AU$500,000,000 business in the 80s. From day one they had a list of what they called 'the ten commandments' which made up the last page in all their pitch documents. This was a summary of their ethos. After some strong growth that got them a lot of attention, they took on a piece of business which was high profile but not too profitable and the client's ill-treatment of the agency and staff was ruining agency moral . The business constituted half the agencies billing but much less of the company's profits. In the end, the guys made the tough decision to fire the client without cutting staff. On the same day they added an 11th commandment to pitch docos - WE DON'T WORK FOR BASTARDS. Group morale soared, business grew like topsy. Commandment 11 stayed in documentation from that day on. If only, hey Rob...?
will have to look at that link at home Kev - the man won't let me go to most websites
Thomas - I'm all for agencies providing additional ideas alongside their paid for work. Indeed that's what we should be doing. The problem is when clients use a pitch as a cost cutting exercise or force an agency doing good work to scrap it and start from scratch for no apparent reason.
Bob - As someone (attributed to Bernbach somewhere or other) said, life's too short to spend it working with bastards.
Kevin, you've forgotten the flowers - They show you care.
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Hi Dave,
If you hadn't have kept blogging, I'd never have written the above, or been able to write the below. It's the culmination of everything I've learnt from having great discussions with everyone on this blog since April. I just want to say thanks to you and everyone for all their encouragement and brilliant input without which, nothing would have been written. It's great to see "Passionate People". Having said that,
I'm looking forward to you and everyone ripping the above to shreds.
People. That's such an empowering word. You're absolutely right. Consumers does group everyone together, whereas the web is truly about the celebration of people as individuals en masse who have independent thinking. Do you mind if I nick that?
Let's see your mag. send us a link, maybe we can spread the word for you.
Hi Bob,
The eleventh commandment. Wonderful. We've all worked for Hellraiser's I'm sure, and I sometimes think it's the only morbid pleasure some people get. A friend of mine was an account director for a big agency, and he had to "Check out" some girl at a bar once for a client. he found this repulsive, and told his boss so. They lost a great account man becasue of it. I had my own experience a few years ago when the competing agency pitched not only with creative work but working girls to try and get the business off us. Our team (no hookers) beat them three times. It probably had nothing to do with creativity at the end of the day, but I'm glad we won.
Restricted viewing. Hmmm. That's a painful one. Some agencies in the Middle-East have CCTV in the office. It's so oppressive. The websites keep scrolling up with Access denied courtesy of the religious police, and art books were scribbled over with black jumbo markers (That's a fact). All I can say is somewhere there's someone worse off than you if that's any consolation.
Hi Grilla,
Send me your e-mail address, and I'll send you the flowers when I get a job.
Hope you receive them soon.
Kevin, I'll do that. The flowers will be coming, and soon. Mind how you go!
Hey Kevin,
Thanks for the interest, you can flick through a virtual copy of our last issue here: http://tiny.cc/article323
We sell the ad space ourselves to local shops and things, and we print about 1000 copies. Bit of a small-time project, but I've got to do something while I'm unemployed.
I wrote an article on Twitter's chances of a Nobel prize in that issue. Oh and there's an ad in there i wrote with a little bearded man in the middle.
See if you can spot it!
Kevin: Go ahead, though its by no means something thats just mine!
Ha Ha!
As Dave says on his CST blogg:
"THE WORLD IS OUR PARTNER".
Pleased to meet you partner.
Thomas.
Congratulations. You've got something there. If you can make it work in a recession, you can make it work. I gess it's written for the local student population. Ever thought of distributing it at eh local Asda? The average Asda probably gets about 10,000 customers a day at weekends. Think distribution, think about running an Ad for the local Asda. Call them and tell them how much potential there is in student cash. They all have to eat. Get them to run a DPS with the mag, on a 10,000 run and see if it takes off. Offer them a student discount for stores in the area that are underperforming. You never know. Get one advertiser like that in, and the others will follow.
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very interesting post
Dave Trott
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