Creative Partners Group MarCom Minute

Do you really need an ad agency?
A necessity? ...luxury? ...or just a pain in the pocketbook?

Are you a multi-million dollar national coproration with hundreds of thousands allotted to your annual marketing budget? No? Maybe you don’t even have a marketing budget. You might not even need a stunning media campaign like those concocted by Bewitched’s Darrin Stephens And perhaps you really don’t want to be wined and dined by a big creative firm in plush offices, fork out big retainers, and pay invoices that are financing inflated expense allowances and ad exec’s commissions.

All you want is to increase your sales. You’re thinking along the lines of a product catalog or direct mail flyer—maybe even a small magazine ad or a company overview brochure. That’s it. Nothing fancy—especially price-wise. An advertising agency is a luxury you just can’t afford…right? Furthermore, do you really need an agency for such a limited effort?

To help you decide, read through the following survey and answer True or False to each statement. Then check your score to see whether or not an agency is for you

Take this short survey to find out if you really need an ad agency…		Select one for each statement
1.	My company is satisfied with its image and visibility in the industry.	True	False
2.	No one in my company has ever expressed the need for better, more productive company literature.	True	False
3.	My company knows how much it will spend on advertising this year and is well-aware of the most effective, efficient ways to spend that money.	True	False
4.	My company has a clear idea of what marketing strategies will work for us and how to “get there from here.”	True	False
5.	My company has never wasted money on an unsuccessful marketing idea.	True	False
6.	All of the promotional literature my company has produced by ourselves has been wildly successful.	True	False
7.	Everyone at our company has been very happy with the quality, look and results of the ads and brochures we’ve produced ourselves.	True	False
8.	I’m confident in my company’s ability to write strong ad copy that is both grammatically correct and concisely persuasive.	True	False
9.	I’m confident in my company’s ability to produce effective graphic layouts that are pleasing in design, innovative and attention-getting.	True	False
10.	My company doesn’t need increased sales now or in the future, or doesn’t wish to expand into new markets.	True	False

What exactly does an ad agency do anyway?

Click here to get an overview of an ad agency’s role in your overall marketing plan.

Direct mail after the anthrax scare

The latest on what you should do about your next mail campaign. Click here…

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…a recent ad campaign by Creative Partners Group. To see other work samples, click here.