Why Are Ad Agencies So Cautious To Say What They Are?

Ad agencies are cautious because they don’t want to be pigeonholed as too broad (full service) or too specific (digital) and so instead use fluffy words that don’t convey what they functionally do.

Take agency sites (or collateral) for example, here are some random blurbs taken from real agency sites:

-Deep strategic insights

-Focusing on the power of. . .

– Insightful strategies

-Creates results-driven marketing experiences

-Our three step approach to better sales and profit

-Stand for something

-Be relentless

Ad Agency Positioning-Get To The Point

When agencies use any of the above examples, with no context as to how they might actually help a prospect or client- they’re all just words.

Whether you’re discussing who you are in a conversation or writing copy for your home page or collateral, the first few things you need to do are:

1)      Tell them functionally what kind of agency you are

2)      What kind of clients you do it for

3)      List your core services

An example: We are X agency, we’re a digital communications firm for technology companies and our core services include interactive design, social media and PR.

I realize the above is black and white and perhaps you don’t have as defined a niche as “technology companies” for example.

So list more than one niche.

It doesn’t mean you can’t talk about the kind of insight, results or experiences you create for clients as well, but if I hear you describe your agency or read about your agency on your site and I really have no idea what you actually do for clients, that’s a problem.

Because your prospects, i.e. future clients, won’t know either.

Related to Why Are Ad Agencies So Cautious To Say What They Are?

Three key questions that define agency positioning