Mark Figliulo on Storytellers for the Information Age
Mark Figliulo is not only one of the world’s most decorated and accomplished creatives, he’s as thoughtful and nice as they come. His FIG Agency has been growing rapidly since its inception and is routinely an AdAge A List firm. We were lucky to pry a few minutes of his time to hear him talk about positioning his agency for success.
Before You Pitch, Pick the Right Team
Prospects hate bait and switch, where an agency sends a pitch team full of senior, experienced and talented presenters who, after winning a piece of business, are never seen again. Several years ago we saw “the largest media agency in the country” send the same pitch team to three different clients in six months. The […]
Bringing Your Case Studies to Life: The 5 Sections
Written by Barry O’Neil and Lindsay O’Neil Case studies can be among the most important pieces of any written submission to an RFI/RFP. At MIG, we always ask for case studies in written RFI responses, and collectively they carry the highest point total in our grading. We’ve seen our fair share of case studies over […]
10 Agency Biz Dev Tips
For several years the team at Mercer Island Group has been contributing to an annual “One Piece of Advice” publication on the topic of business development. Here are 10 of our best tips collected in one place: Don’t Be Generic “Teaching new business development folks in agencies to sound just like everyone else in the […]
How to Position Your Agency for New Business Success
Written by Steve Boehler & Barry O’Neil Today we’ll be looking at creating an effective positioning statement for your agency. Three Critical Aspects of Effective Differentiation While it’s impossible to create a completely original positioning statement (that is still clear and effective), the differentiators your agency already has can be combined to create a powerful […]
5 Tips for Presenting Your Solutions in a Pitch
Written by Steve Boehler & Barry O’Neil So you fought your way through the RFP process and finally have a chance to show off your solution in front of the prospect. In the lead-up, you hopefully did the hard work of analyzing their business challenges, finding rich insights to leverage, and developing a winning strategy. […]
A Conversation with Robin DiAngelo, Author of White Fragility
Written by Robin Boehler Whether we look back 100 years at the creation of the Aunt Jemima Mammy logo, or just back to 2012 to the posting of a PopChips video with Ashton Kutcher in brown makeup playing an Indian character, we come face to face with the reality that brands have not moved on […]
The Right Case Study Style for Every Situation
We are often asked, “How long should a case study be?” Our answer: it depends. The important thing is that you tell the right story for the situation. (Speaking of which, are you looking for guidance on how to write effective case studies? We wrote about that in our 5 elements of great case studies post.) Four […]
The Five Slides Every Agency Needs
Written by Robin Boehler & Lindsay O’Neil Yes, you need to sell your agency, but not nearly as much as you are probably doing. You also shouldn’t talk about yourself first. It’s important to engage the potential client by showcasing how much you understand about their company and their objectives. There’s a time to remind […]
Elements of a Great Case Study
Written by Stephen Boehler & Lindsay O’Neil Putting together an effective case study can seem like a daunting task. Instead of seeing it as a spotlight on your agency’s success, imagine it as template in which potential clients can start to see you as a possible partner to address their business issues. Imagine all the […]