A coworker here at Henry Russell Bruce likes Mountain Dew. In fact, his desk is rarely complete without a green bottle sitting between the pens and pencils. Shortly after joining HRB, however, I noticed the bottles being replaced with Diet Mountain Dew. The stacks of empty bottles in the kitchen recycling were being replaced with nearly identical ones bearing the ‘Diet’ label.
The bottle for Diet Mountain Dew looks like the regular Mountain Dew bottle. It also smells like regular Mountain Dew, and for the few (me included) who lack the sufficient taste buds to tell the difference, the two versions probably taste the same. But the appeal of the diet version isn’t about the look or the taste; it’s about those extra 200 calories that aren’t included in the nutritional content. It’s about the end result.
HRB is teaching me about the value of the ‘end result’ in business via the proposals we pitch to clients.
How often do companies rely on that one ingenious idea, beautiful graphic or cool new Internet application to persuade a potential business client to sign on the dotted line? All too often, in my opinion. One’s presentation may look amazing at first glance, but while pitching to clients you want to build long term relationships them. Loyalty is earned, not bought. Your business attire, the look of your presentation and that one brilliant creative idea can’t (or shouldn’t) sell your services—your end product does.
In other words, creative campaigns are not effective unless the campaign is well-run and organized. Long term relationships are established and sustained if you can deliver the brilliant ideas and show your clients how you took their business to the next level. People don’t buy Diet Mountain Dew just because the label is flashy—they buy it because the label promises a reduced amount of caloric intake and because the company that markets it showed the target audience how it’s healthier than regular Mountain Dew. In the advertising industry, potential clients aren’t likely to believe an agency’s ideas if they don’t trust that the “unique ingredients” being offered will change their target audience’s behavior.
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I believe HRB is well-rounded. Every day I’m surrounded by ingenious ideas, beautiful graphics and new Internet tools. But I also see people merging their cleverly worded press releases and inventive search engine optimization algorithms into substantial marketing campaigns. Our ads are well-placed for maximum viewing efficiency, and our clients’ new Websites actually show up on search engines. There are strategies behind every decision because every decision is meant to effectively serve each of our clients’ needs.
I recently discovered the new Ultra Violet flavor of Mountain Dew. What’s more, it’s offered in Diet form. This proves my point that aesthetically appealing ideas (purple coloring) and marketable ingredients (diet cola) can co-exist. Metaphorically speaking, which version of Mountain Dew would your ad agency offer—regular, diet or flavored diet?
New Look! 