Positioning for growth: how to identify, articulate and market what makes you different and better.

Why marketing is now more effective than selling

The old ways to get in the door of prospective clients don’t work as well as they used to.

“I get approached constantly. It’s even got to the stage now where I answer my phone and I am concerned -

will this be another cold call?”

Client quote

“In my role of chair as ISBA, I have seen inside a number of agencies and witnessed first hand the lack of strategy

applied to the process of identifying and acquiring new customers”

Client quote

The agency market is oversaturated.

As a result, clients have all the power.

“Over the last decade agency identities have become less distinguished and unfortunately more

like commoditises than brands. And every day we come dangerously closer to confusing our clients about

who we are, what we are and why we are valuable to their business”

Allen Rosenshine, Former CEO of BBDO

1/2 million agencies worldwide

agencyspotter.com

A marketing-led approach to business development

The agencies that behave like brands outperform the market when it comes to the winning of new business.

AIM

“We want to be the agency that convincescompanies to see brands as valuable

assets (rather than just logos)”

Is your agency a market leader or a challenger brand? The answer should be defining your marketing strategy.

Market leader approach to marketing:

Saatchi & Saatchi

Market challenger approach to marketing: The Social Chain

www.karlamoraleslee.com

Agencies often only play lip-service to the positioning process (resulting in years of ineffective business development tactics).

Point of parity Industry table stakes like great customer

service, creativity and being results driven

Relevance Narrowing your target by asking who

what you do is most relevant to? A list of specific benefits aligned to specific customer needs

Differentiation Requires an in-depth agency, competition and market

audit. Few properly invest which is what differentiation is rate among agencies

Positioning is a revolutionary idea because it informs and gives consistency to the 4Ps.

Product Price Promotion Place

We can do whatever you want us to do

We are clear on: - what we do, how we do it

and why we do it - how we are different and

better to the competitors in our space

- the challenges we are best suited to address (and the ones we are not)

- the real value we offer clients

Weak position Strong position

Having an organising brand idea helps the agency to stop selling and start focusing on owning a unique space in the prospective customer’s mind.

A client that approaches your agency is far more likely to convert.

“Agencies that are producing content that I find truly fascinating

and engaging, content that positions them as thought leaders in a particular

discipline - they are the ones I will contact to come in to have a conversation around how they can bring their expertise

to my brand”

Client quote

Push (selling) THE AGENCY

‘We want to work with you”

Pull (marketing) THE CLIENT

‘We want to work with you”

Ten key lessons in agency positioning

“Most companies want to create the holy grail of products that appeal to every demographic, socioeconomic background and

geographic location.

Doing so creates mediocrity.

Instead, create segments of products that make some people very happy.

Fear not if these products make other segments unhappy.

The worst scenario is to incite no passionate reactions at all”

Guy Kawasaki

Thank you!

@karlahuntfarm

www.karlamoraleslee.com www.theartofnewbusiness.com

www.ukagencyawards.com