Cut to the Chase with Bill Milkereit of Poke The Bear | Ep.1 (pt.2)-Starting a New Ad Agency
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Cut to the Chase with Bill Milkereit of Poke The Bear | Ep.1 (pt.2)-Starting a New Ad Agency

Starting A New Ad Agency

Cut to the Chase is an RSW/US interview series that delivers brief, but impactful views from ad agency principals and business development leaders on growth strategies and the challenges that come with it in today’s weird, evolving landscape.

(Part 1 of Lee McKnight’s interview with Bill Milkereit can be found here.)

Brief background: In the Fall of 2020, Bill Milkereit and Todd Tucker never thought they would be starting a new ad agency.

They were group head/creative director and creative group head, respectively, at the Richards Group in Dallas, the largest independently-owned agency in the country at the time.

They created some of the county’s most well-known ad campaigns-the cows for Chick-fil-A, the resurrection of the Fruit Guys at Fruit of the Loom, “Let’s Do This” for Home Depot, and “It Just Means More” for the SEC (Southeastern Conference).

And then it happened-The Richards Group was thrown into turmoil in front of the ad world, making national news.

While Bill and Todd were not involved in that event, like so many other Richards Group employees at the time, they had a decision to make.

After decades of memorable work and honing their craft, the last thing they were thinking about was starting a new agency.

This is the topic of episode 1 of our new RSW interview series, Cut To The Chase.

Lee and Bill cover the path that lead to Poke The Bear, a bizarre client story, the challenges of pitching in today’s world, what lies ahead for their new agency, and a few pieces of key advice on starting a new agency and pitching in today’s world.

Bill’s an intelligent and funny interview, but above all he is deeply passionate about his creative work-we hope you enjoy the interview.

In this episode, Bill talks:

-Something he never expected: starting over

-What agency life was initially like post-Richards group

-Why they decided to start the agency now

-One piece of advice for anyone thinking of starting an agency

-His take on WFH from an agency perspective

-What does growth look like for PTB-how big do they want to be?

-How agency pitching has changed in the past 3-5 years

-One thing to never say in a pitch

-One piece of advice on pitching today

-And one piece of advice for marketers to make agency relationships better

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Marketer’s Edge Interview With Jessica Normington: Not-For-Profit Organizations
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Marketer’s Edge Interview With Jessica Normington: Not-For-Profit Organizations

In this episode of Marketer’s Edge we’re talking not-for-profit organizations with Jessica Normington, Director of Development and Communications for Blind Industries & Services of Maryland..

If your ad agency works with and pursues not-for-profit organizations, watch this episode.

Blind Industries & Services of Maryland (BISM) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing career and training resources to blind residents of Maryland.

Why Advertising Agencies Should Watch This Episode-Jessica talks:

  • The various services and training offered through BISM.
  • How the marketing for an organization like BISM is similar and different from other marketing jobs.
  • How she’s using social media to drive donations for BISM.
  • With this being her first job focused on working with people with disabilities, what attracted Jessica to this industry, and more specifically, this organization.
  • What is most fulfilling personally working with BISM.
  • Some of the more significant challenges facing BISM and how she anticipates addressing those challenges.
  • How her experience working at the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce helped prepare for the work she’s currently doing at BISM.
  • Advice she would give to marketers thinking about bringing a new agency on board.
  • And lastly, if an agency was trying to knock down Jessica’s door and attempting to win business from her, the advice she would give them.

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If your agency or PR firm is struggling with new business, contact Lee McKnight Jr. at lee@rswus.com for a conversation. That’s our sole focus at RSW/US.

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Cut to the Chase with Bill Milkereit of Poke The Bear | Ep.1 (pt.1)
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Cut to the Chase with Bill Milkereit of Poke The Bear | Ep.1 (pt.1)

Cut to the Chase is an RSW/US interview series that delivers brief, but impactful views from ad agency principals and business development leaders on growth strategies and the challenges that come with it in today’s weird, evolving landscape.

In the Fall of 2020, Bill Milkereit and Todd Tucker were group head/creative director and creative group head, respectively, at the Richards Group in Dallas, the largest independently-owned agency in the country at the time.

They created some of the county’s most well-known ad campaigns-the cows for Chick-fil-A, the resurrection of the Fruit Guys at Fruit of the Loom, “Let’s Do This” for Home Depot, and “It Just Means More” for the SEC (Southeastern Conference).

And then it happened-The Richards Group was thrown into turmoil in front of the ad world, making national news.

While Bill and Todd were not involved in that event, like so many other Richards Group employees at the time, they had a decision to make.

After decades of memorable work and honing their craft, the last thing they were thinking about was starting a new agency.

This is the topic of episode 1 of our new RSW interview series, Cut To The Chase.

As were looking for a new idea after our 100-episode run of ad agency business development series, 3 Takeaways, we wanted to bring you something different.

Every agency owner has experienced the process of starting a new agency (or taking over one) and everything that goes with it.

But many (most?) didn’t go though it in quite the same way Bill and his co-founder Todd did.

In this episode, Bill talks:
-The storied campaigns he worked on
-Working with a nudist client (yikes)
-Poke The Bear-how did they come up with the name? (It took a year)
-Poke the Bear’s ideal client
-Why they excel in fan culture
-The tough question: What is PTB’s point of difference?
-Pushing back on clients for the right reasons

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Marketer’s Edge Interview With Aaron Ahedo: Beauty and Personal Care

Marketer’s Edge Interview With Aaron Ahedo: Beauty and Personal Care

In this episode of Marketer’s Edge we’re talking beauty and personal care with Aaron Ahedo, the Director of International Marketing for Deborah Lippmann.

If your ad agency pursues clients in the beauty, personal care, or fashion space, you’ll want to watch this episode.

Deborah Lippmann is the go-to manicurist for the most fashionable magazines and renowned fashion houses from Vogue, InStyle, W, Vanity Fair and Elle to Donna Karan, Rodarte, Narciso Rodriguez, Marchesa and Versace to name a few. After years of experience in the industry, her eponymous line of lacquers and treatments for nails, hands and feet is as coveted as her incredible talent.

Why Advertising Agencies Should Watch This Episode-Aaron talks:

  • Ultra-competitive markets and how he works to differentiate the company-both in terms of the messaging/positioning and how he engages with the end consumer.
  • What he learned from his global marketing experience prior to Deborah Lippmann, specifically at eShave New York, and how he applies that experience today.
  • The biggest changes in the beauty/personal care space since he first started working it in 2006 and how Deborah Lippmann adjusted to address these changes.
  • How an independent firm like Deborah Lippmann stays on trend/on top of what consumer needs and wants are.
  • Advice he would give to marketers thinking about bringing a new agency on board.
  • And lastly, if an agency is attempting to win business from him, the advice he would give.

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If your agency or PR firm is struggling with new business, contact Lee McKnight Jr. at lee@rswus.com for a conversation. That’s our sole focus at RSW/US.

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Marketer’s Edge Interview With Timothy Brown Academic Medical Health Systems

Marketer’s Edge Interview With Timothy Brown: Academic Medical Health Systems

In this episode of Marketer’s Edge we’re talking academic medical health systems with Timothy Brown, the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications for the University of Chicago Medicine.

If your agency pursues clients in the academic medical health systems space, you’ll want to watch this episode.

The University of Chicago Medicine is a not-for-profit, academic medical health system that provides world-renowned patient care, while advancing medical science through groundbreaking research.

Why Advertising Agencies Should Watch This Episode-Timothy talks:

  • The biggest changes Timothy has seen happen in the marketing of healthcare brands and what he expects to see change in the years to come.
  • How he uses the fact that University of Chicago Medicine is one of the leading academic medical institutions to differentiate what they do from other systems in the market like Rush and Northwestern.
  • How Timothy was instrumental in re-structuring the communications, marketing, and digital services supporting University of Chicago Medicine to create an internal agency structure.How
  • Timothy’s experience as a news anchor and reporter for stations in Iowa and Kansas influenced his work as a marketing and communications professional – and how he looks at the world differently because of it.
  • How his 10 year stint at the Salvation Army also influenced him in his professional career.
  • Advice he would give to marketers thinking about bringing a new agency onboard.
  • And lastly, if an agency was trying to knock down Timothy’s door and attempting to win business from him, the advice he would give them.

More on how we drive new business for ad agencies of all types here.

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Prospect Ghosting You? Use this ghosting schedule to follow up.

Ghosting is cutting off communication for no apparent reason, and is one of the most frustrating aspects of ad agency lead generation. 

I recently included a past blog post in our weekly newsletter and on LinkedIn and it struck a chord, although not the chord I was expecting with some agencies. 

In brief, my post (The Frustrating Reason Companies Want To Change Their Ad Agency But Don’t) talked about marketers who want to change agencies, and are even vocal about it, but just aren’t feeling enough pain to make the change. (And on top of that, change is just hard.) 

It wasn’t about getting ghosted really, but close enough that a fair amount of agencies who responded focused on their own struggles with prospects ghosting them, especially after a productive and solid first meeting. 

A prospect ghosting you certainly isn’t new, but it does seem to be happening more lately. 

I don’t need to tell you how insane it can make you feel, especially where you felt you connected with them in a meaningful way. 

So in this post, I’m laying out a schedule and messaging to help you get unghosted. (Probably not a word). 

Step One-Slow Your Roll 

So you waited a week or so, and nothing. 

You probably dropped an email or two, a text, maybe a call. 

As hard as it is, that’s almost/probably too much. 

Before you ever go down that road, here’s one thing you need to do before you end that awesome meeting with them: 

Set the follow up date/time 

I’m not going to pretend this is always easy, but you have to try. 

And it’s a great time to do it, when everyone has the feels and optimism is high at the end of this great meeting. 

If you’ve talked any potential next steps, but no follow-up dates, say something along these lines  

Really appreciate all your time today and feel like we have a good understanding of how we can help. Noted on timing, we’ll sit tight, but would love to set a date to touch base so we stay on track.

There are an infinite number of ways to phrase it, but the point is to ask. 

Step Two: There is typically a reason (or reasons) they’re not getting back to you 

It will drive you a little crazy, but you have to be patient, and not come off as desperate, because more often than not, there’s something going on within the company or in their personal lives. 

Yes, the prospect is ghosting you, but not intentionally (mostly).

Unfortunately for you, your agency is not priority number one at this point. 

Case in point-I had a situation with a deadline and only heard crickets from an agency principal-I wasn’t sure what was going on, but was certainly starting to feel ghosted, and then she calls me from the hospital! (Thankfully all was ultimately OK.) 

Just as a matter of course, your prospects are busy.

It is inconsiderate when they don’t get back, even with a brief update, but it is what it is. 

But just because they’re not getting back doesn’t mean they’re not interested.

Having said that, you need a yes or no, right? (And ideally a yes.) 

Step Three: Your Prospect Ghosting Schedule and Templates 

Here’s a proposed “ghosting schedule” for you to follow. 

I’m advocating 3 business weeks, and if you still haven’t heard anything, you move on. 

In this scenario, no firm follow up date was established, and the discussed project/work, according to your prospect, is imminent. (If that’s not the case, obviously you’ll have to alter as needed) 

-5 business days post-meeting:  

Send an email:  

  • The ideal is opening with something you talked about with your prospect in the last meeting. Could be personal: a hobby, a favorite sports team or college, a trip-something you both connected with and since your meeting, something new has happened in that space/world you can share, or,  
  • Something that’s come up with their company in terms of news, announcements, or something on LinkedIn, 
  • Or, something worth sharing regarding your agency: news, new work, or content you’ve created to show how you think. 

In this email, you’re not asking specifically about timing or next steps. The language is: 

Hi X, I saw UK has won the last 3, there’s still hope. 😊 

Looking forward to potential next steps-if it makes sense, I’ll plan on following up middle of next week, but if there’s a better day/time, let me know. 

Have a great weekend, 

X 

This is a soft drop-in to keep you in front of them. 

And ideally they respond here. 

 -8-9 business days post meeting 

No response-so, rather than another email, I would go with a phone call next.  

And you have a reason-you said you’d be following up in your email.  

Ideally they answer, but if it goes to VM, the goal is to find or come up with something specific to mention from your last meeting:  

Hey X, Lee McKnight at MPQ, I know you were hoping to get X project off the ground in the next several weeks. I’ll stay tuned, but if that’s changed, totally understand, we know timelines can be fluid. Look forward to talking again. Thanks, Lee

With this VM, you’re making sure you continue to be on the radar, and rather than asking about next steps and timing, you show some empathy, and indirectly ask about timing.  

Rather than, “Why the hell haven’t you gotten back to me”.  

Which is actually what you would like to say. 

13-14 business days post meeting 

Time to get direct. Even if they’re busy, now it’s just rude.  

But again, probably a lot going on, and they may be waiting on someone else to get it rolling.  

It’s not over yet.  

I would go in with an email next: 

Hi X, I want to make sure I stick with you-but I also don’t want to be a pest. 

If the project is on hold, or pushed back, we totally understand, but would appreciate any update when you get a chance. 

Thanks, Lee 

 Still showing some empathy, but now employing a more direct approach, and ideally getting a response finally.

19-20 business days post meeting 

Damn.  No response.

Time for the nuclear option 

You can go with email, phone or text-depending on what this prospect tends to favor (if you have a feel for this) and what you’re most comfortable with. 

It’s time for you to move on to other prospects.

With this email, which you very well may have a version of already, you’re closing the door now (although not permanently) and ideally making them feel a little bad they haven’t gotten back to you. 

Hi X, 

I’m guessing at this point you’ve changed course or moved in a different direction. 

It was a real pleasure getting to know you and X company.  

We would love to stay in touch, especially if this project resurfaces. 

Thanks for your consideration, 

Lee 

You will typically get some kind of response after this. 

The key is to take the high road, unless you just really don’t care about burning that bridge. 

Because odds are the project is still alive in some form, but you need to focus your new business efforts elsewhere and stop spinning your wheels.

Any further contact and you will look desperate. 

If you still get nothing back, they are either legit ghosting you, or that person has been fired. (I’m sure you’ve seen this)

(Which is why ideally you have more than one point of contact in that meeting.) 

If they are legitimately ghosting you, it hurts, but you probably don’t want to work with them anyway. 

Ideally this post is helpful-there will be many different factors in play that could change the cadence and copy in these steps, but ideally these are templates you can take and change as-needed. 

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Why Do Marketers Review New Ad Agencies

Why Do Marketers Review New Ad Agencies?

Why do marketers review new ad agencies?

Marketers review new ad agencies because they feel a change is needed, for a variety of reasons, but primarily because:

  • They aren’t happy with strategy or thinking
  • They aren’t happy with the creative
  • Lack of proactivity
  • Agency’s inability to manage or control costs

Featuring stats from our 2023 New Year Outlook Report, we asked marketers, “Thinking about the last time you reviewed new agencies to work with, why did you decide to review? Select all that apply. “

Tied for first at 39%, the top two answers were “Not happy with strategy or thinking” and “Not happy with creative”.

And rounding out the next two were “Lack of proactivity” (30%) and “Agency’s inability to manage or control costs” (20%).

Many factors within these four total responses are not always in your agency’s control of course.

A myriad of things can go wrong personally and professionally, on both the agency and marketer side.

What we want agencies to focus on here is proactivity and strategy, those that are more within your control.

You must bring both to the table ongoing, and if you are, and your client is still not satisfied, it may be time to take a step back and reconsider that client relationship.

You need to be realistic — maybe there is an employee that is simply not getting it done, but it very well could be a client that just isn’t worth everything they’re putting you and the team through.

Both are tough situations, but you must nip them in the bud as soon as you can.

And speaking of reviews, another stat from our report:

82% of Marketers still find the RFP/RFI process effective

The process is evidently not going away.

Which makes it even more groan-inducing with headlines like this:

Keurig Dr Pepper Demands 360-Day Payment Terms in PR Agency RFP

We’ve talked to agency principals that still, selectively, find the right RFP’s to be worth it, and
more power to them.

And there are those verticals where it’s a mandatory stipulation to engage in the RFP process.

But by all accounts, chasing RFPs should not be your business development strategy.

Three reasons why from this piece to sum it up, Why It’s High Time for RFPs to Die:

1. RFPs Establish Tasks, Not Goals
2. RFPs Are Inherently Non-Collaborative
3. RFPs Are Reactive, Not Proactive

Preach it.

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How Do Prospects Find Your Agency
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How Do Prospects Find Your Ad Agency?

Prospects find your ad agency a number of ways, but primarily through:

  • Networking
  • Past agency relationships
  • Friends/co-workers
  • Direct ad agency outreach

How Do Prospects Find Your Ad Agency?

In our 2023 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report, we asked marketers, “how do you most often learn about new agencies?”

Unsurprisingly, networking (73%), past agency relationships (67%), and friends/co-workers (60%) constituted the top 3.

How Do Prospects Find Your Agency?

Direct Outreach Making A Comeback?

OK, maybe not the best heading, because direct outreach (outbound) never went away, but small and mid-sized agencies have always struggled with it,

In answer to the above question we asked marketers, a significant number (44%) stated that they learn about agencies via direct agency outreach.

When we asked this question many years ago, the percent of marketers stating that they learned about agencies this way was in the low teens (13%).

How Do Prospects Find Your Agency

A few takeaways for agencies here.

If you aren’t organizing outreach to marketers, you need to do it now.

There once was a day when “web searches” was among the top ways in which marketers found out about agencies. This year, it rates near the bottom, at 16%.

And while you can’t necessarily influence a marketer’s personal network, unless you literally know someone in that network, these results are a reminder to focus on your own network. As always, it’s important to your new business strategy, whether through other firms, associates, or friends.

You must cultivate your personal network, and not be afraid or nervous about doing so.

Marketers named “past agency relationships” as the second most-often way they discover agencies.

Often, when marketers move to another company, they reach out to you, which is fantastic.

But it doesn’t always happen that way.

Take the time in the beginning of 2023 to look through your past clients.

Odds are, there are individuals who have moved on to new companies, which is an opportunity for you to reconnect.

How do prospects find your agency? To reiterate: Do not ignore number four on this list (Direct Agency Outreach) just because it’s number four!

Of the top three on the list above, only number two is the one you have any control over.

So that leaves you with the most important, and one you can most directly influence: direct agency outreach.

Make it a priority in 2023, and if you need help, that’s what we do.  Contact us here.

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Why Should Ad Agencies Specialize?

Ad agencies specialize because it establishes the agency as an expert in a given vertical, or verticals.  92% of marketers say expertise will be very/moderately important when considering new agencies. Specialization also helps establish a strong agency brand, and aids business development efforts by making it easier to find new, desirable clients.

Stats below are taken from our 2023 RSW New Year Outlook Report (download here at no cost).

Why Should Ad Agencies Specialize: Specialization Myths

(I don’t know that “myths” succinctly applies here, “misconceptions” is probably the better word, but myths fits into a subject line better than misconceptions.)

It’s often groan-inducing when an agency hears “you need to specialize in order to get the clients you really want”.

We’ve certainly talked about it before (right here actually: Don’t Be Scared Of Specialization.)

But any groaning aside it is important:

92% of marketers say expertise will be very/moderately important when considering new agencies in 2023.

Let's Talk About Ad Agency Specialization Myths

Horizontal and Vertical Positioning Definitions

Before we get to the myth, if you will, it’s important to establish the forms that specialization, and your resulting positioning, can take.

And to do that, I’ll refer to David C. Baker, who wrote an insightful post on the subject for us a few years back and still holds up quite well.

From David’s Pros And Cons Of Positioning Your Firm Vertically Or Horizontally:

A vertical positioning is centered around an industry category, such as NAICS 541430–Graphic Design Services.

Or it could be very broad, like marketing for manufacturing, but it’s usually narrower than that.

So it might be credit unions, specialty physicians, non-profits, or high-growth tech.

A horizontal positioning defines your target in another way by spanning most of the verticals.

You could define your horizontal by a demographic segment, like millennials, Hispanics, women, or even around employee alignment.

It could be as specific as helping B2B leaders at disruptive transitions. You could also define it by a practice area, like investor relations.

The Ad Agency Specialization Myth

So let’s get to the main myth, if you will, about specialization: specialization doesn’t mean you have to focus on just one vertical.

David’s initial definition begins that explanation.

Agencies, understandably, don’t always take the time to think through the nuances of positioning, and what specialization could look like in reality for their agency.

If you’re struggling with this, I suggest reading David’s entire post, but here’s further, helpful explanation from it:

The most powerful positioning combines both, in something like a crosshairs, but you always lead with a horizontal or a vertical focus.

So you might target credit unions but with a particular focus on social media.

That would be a vertical positioning, primarily, but with a bold narrowing on top of it.

Or you might be a public relations firm specializing in investor relations with a particular strength in tech.

That would be a horizontal positioning, primarily.

Ultimately, it’s important for you to remember, your prospects are looking for expertise, and a certain level of specialization, but it doesn’t mean you have to paint your agency into a rigid corner.

Another related stat from our report:

72% of marketers say an agency’s site is important/very important in helping determine whether they’ll entertain an initial meeting.

Let's Talk About Ad Agency Specialization Myths

Ad Agency Specialization-Make It Clear On Your Site

A final note on specialization: if you do the work to craft your positioning and specialization, it can’t end there.

And that may sound glaringly obvious, but too often agencies nail the positioning down, but leave out an important step-updating their site to reflect it.

In one of our new questions in our new year outlook survey, we asked marketers, “How important is an agency’s website in helping you determine whether you’ll entertain a conversation with an agency?”

The agency site is typically the first thing a prospect sees, right?

But how important to your prospects is it really?

As our stat above points out, it’s important.

This is probably not a great shock to agencies, but it should be something of a wake-up call, or at the very least a reminder.

Your agency’s site is a visual elevator pitch, yet many agencies don’t consider this when creating or updating their sites.

Your site is typically the last thing you get to because it takes time to update it, but here’s further proof you must attend to it.

Even if that means an initial copy update to reflect your updated positioning, and/or updates over time.

To help drive more new business for your firm, look at it as soon as you can and make a plan for those updates.

And if you need help, that’s what we do.  Contact us here.

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In-House Agencies in Flux Maybe not Always
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In-House Agencies in Flux? Maybe Not? Always?

Oh in-house agencies, we’re forever riding your carousel , and by “we”, I mean all the agencies out there.

From our 2023 New Year Outlook survey, unsurprisingly, agencies and marketers are not aligned.

We like the way this in-house trend is going!

In-House Agencies in Flux? Maybe not? Always?

Similar to last year’s report findings, overall, signs point towards marketers’ reliance on in-house teams waning — at least, according to agencies.

We initially asked agencies:

What percent of YOUR current clients have in-house agencies/do agency-like work in-house?

To provide some perspective, in 2021, 14% of agencies indicated that 51%+ of their clients brought agency work in-house, which rose slightly to 17% last year, and now in ‘23 drops to 13%.

But otherwise, agencies overall report less reliance by clients on in-house teams in 2022.

However, in a corresponding question, we asked marketers,

What percentage of your marketing/advertising activity is managed by an in-house marketing/advertising team?

Last year, 39% of marketers indicated that 51%+ of their marketing/advertising activity occurs in-house.

In 2022, it rose to 47%.

In-House Agencies in Flux? Maybe not? Always?

Here we go again

So we see agencies and marketers at odds here, with 13% of agencies reporting clients doing work in-house, but 47% of marketers reporting the same thing in 2022.

And when we asked agencies, “Looking ahead to 2023, do you see your clients moving more or less marketing agency-like work in-house?”,  66% of agencies expect either no change or a reduction in the amount of work being managed by their clients in-house.

Last year’s report saw that number at 77%.

Be prepared

The need to co-exist and work with in-house groups continues to be important, but more than ever in 2023, being proactive with your clients, having an organic growth plan, and making them aware of all the things you can do for them are key.

And from a Mediapost article that mentioned our report (Bringing Agency Work In-House: Best Practices For Tough Times):

The swings between acceleration and slowdown of in-housing leaves the function with an unsettled role. We know that industry sentiment will ebb and flow. We know that getting an in-house agency off the ground is a complex process that takes time, thought and planning — whether the strategy is motivated by cost-savings or broader marketing transformation. We know that there are no one-size-fits all solutions.

Your agency mindset in 2023 should be to treat your clients like ongoing prospects, in terms of the value and thinking you can bring, along with your work.

The in-house carousel will continue, but you can at least control the way you structure your new business strategy to bring in more new clients.

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