Advertising and Marketing 101 (Phase two)

How to choose an advertising & Marketing Company:

Once you have made the decisions regarding 1) yes you need to advertise 2) WHAT you need to advertise 3) who you need to be targeting and 4) What medium you should use, next up in the marketing Process is finding an advertising company that can effectively help you with developing an advertising plan or campaign. This company should be able also to assist you in deciding on what advertising medium might best work for your company if you are unsure. So here we go:

1) Do your research: Ask persons who have impressive television , print , signage etc who did their work for them, how long they took, how much they charged. Ask questions regarding support and customer service. Call several advertising companies and observe how they a) answer the phone b) respond to your questions (if and how long they have you on hold), those types of things.

2)Request a meeting: at the meeting observe the types of questions being asked....you should only have to tell them what you want accomplished e.g I want more people to buy my bread or I want more people to stay at my hotel....and they should ask things like 1) what's your brand colors, logo, slogan. Do you have a website? do you want consistency in your ads: should it match your website look. Things of that Nature. After all they are suppose to be the advertising Guru.

3) Ask for a full portfolio: Ensure you check out their client list to see previous work done including testamonials and references. Things to look for: Quality, consistency, regular work (no large breaks in work flow), creativity, varied artwork and designs (if too many designs look the same, go elsewhere...you don't want you and a competitor to have the same looking ads).

4) Observe the packages they offer: They should be able to work along with you not only to realise your concept but to advise on how you can get the results you desire. They ought to make suggestions E.g "perhaps you should consider placing your ad after CBS sunday morning if it's to increase business lunch sales (as lots of business people like to watch that program", or "perhaps you should consider a Banner ad on a popular travel booking site if you are a hotel".....Advertising and marketing companies are not only there to do an ad or audio piece or flyer and give you on a CD. They should be able to offer solid advice as part of their packages. Email us for more: create@conceptsadvertising.biz. Look out for Phase three in the series: best practices in developing business plans (the SMART PLAN).