I probably know what you are thinking, why am I reading a blog about creative, from a media planning and buying agency. What would they know about creative? Actually, more than most clients and creative agencies think!
One reason, combined, the people at A3 Media, have purchased hundreds of millions of dollars in goods and services over our careers. Because we are in media, we look at things with a different eye. We have developed a sense that makes us understand what can motivate to purchase. Long story short, it’s in our DNA.
Creative agencies work hard creating campaigns that will get them hired and they should. But what is missing quite often is an objective view in the board rooms that they are presenting in. The agencies themselves of course love their ideas and quite often the company execs don’t feel qualified to object or question the agencies direction or they lack the nerve to challenge the agency and tell them that they have missed the bullseye.
Secondly, because we work closely with our clients and buy traditional media, digital and video on many platforms, audio, display, etc.… we understand the type of messaging that works with different media. Because often a concept works well in one ad format and miserably in another. (This is a blog onto itself)
Not to change gears, but when I was 17 and a senior in high school, I took a course to challenge myself and was way over my head, World Literature. I was in a participation class with the brightest kids in my senior class, oh boy. Well, I enjoyed it and enjoyed reading and participating in discussion.
I wrote my first assignment; handed it in and the teacher wrote on it, “I would like to discuss your paper”. I thought cool, maybe it will be published. Wrong! We met, he said “I can tell you love this class and are grasping the concepts, but please remember when you write something, if you can’t dazzle me with brilliance than don’t baffle me with bull sh*t.” Holy Sh*t!
We try to explain this to our clients every day. Unfortunately, most companies don’t find the need to have both agencies in the same meetings, but to create a truly cohesive and effective campaign both agencies should be in every meeting, because their work is intertwined. If one creates a square peg, while the other is drilling a round hole…you know what happens, and this is exactly what happens all too often.
We see too much media that confuses, and we see a great deal of media that is to the point. I would like to discuss one that you most likely saw and talked about on Super Bowl weekend; a :60 moving QR code. You might be saying “I don’t know what it was for?” But to the company that created it, they had a SIMPLE GOAL, engage with it, scan it, and sign up for the promotion. That was the goal. In the end, it received so much activity, the app crashed. That ad worked, whether you appreciate it or not and that truly is the goal of advertising.
As a consumer and a media buyer, my ask, keep your message simple and effective. Make sure it is reaching the right folks and you’ll get the desired result.
If you can’t dazzle the audience with brilliance, don’t baffle them with bull sh*t!