Evolution 1: "What we're not."
As I've written here several times lately, BURRIS is attempting to move up the branding chain, from the creator of communications to a contributor to the idea itself.
What's the idea that motivates your brand communications?
So often, marketers can't answer even that basic question. It's clear to me that they need help earlier and earlier in their own processes, and I believe we're actually very good there.
We try to challenge customers to think fresh, think big, think about the problem before suggesting a solution.
It's fun. It's rewarding. It's why I still enjoy what I do. But describing it, getting prospects and customers to understand what they need and what we can do to help ... that's not so easy.
And it's proved to be not so easy for members of our own organization to grasp either. Why? Two reasons, I think:
1. As a company, we're still learning to survive. The loss of several major clients in 2003 forced us to work very hard on both ends of the business, costs and revenue. Simultaneously, we've significantly reduced overhead and kicked up new business opportunities. In the process - and in an attempt to keep cash flowing and debt outside the door - we've done a lot of things that resemble communications and advertising more than early-stage ideation.
2. It's not where we've been. For twenty years (come June) ours has been a company we most often described as an "advertising agency." But we're not an advertising agency, not by any true definition. We don't place media. We don't have account executives. We don't even have a lord-over-the-creative director. Our customers, our vendors, friends, even we sometimes resort to the default term, probably because we haven't come up with a better one.
What we are not is an "advertising agency." That's clear. But what we are is not so clear.
Some attempts at a description:
- We're brand consultants.
- We work in marketing and communications.
- We're a "laboratory for marketing inspiration."
- Ours is an "idea house," a "creative, collaborative sanctuary," a "refuge for lost brands."
See what I mean? It's tough, isn't it?
What's the idea that motivates your brand communications?
So often, marketers can't answer even that basic question. It's clear to me that they need help earlier and earlier in their own processes, and I believe we're actually very good there.
We try to challenge customers to think fresh, think big, think about the problem before suggesting a solution.
It's fun. It's rewarding. It's why I still enjoy what I do. But describing it, getting prospects and customers to understand what they need and what we can do to help ... that's not so easy.
And it's proved to be not so easy for members of our own organization to grasp either. Why? Two reasons, I think:
1. As a company, we're still learning to survive. The loss of several major clients in 2003 forced us to work very hard on both ends of the business, costs and revenue. Simultaneously, we've significantly reduced overhead and kicked up new business opportunities. In the process - and in an attempt to keep cash flowing and debt outside the door - we've done a lot of things that resemble communications and advertising more than early-stage ideation.
2. It's not where we've been. For twenty years (come June) ours has been a company we most often described as an "advertising agency." But we're not an advertising agency, not by any true definition. We don't place media. We don't have account executives. We don't even have a lord-over-the-creative director. Our customers, our vendors, friends, even we sometimes resort to the default term, probably because we haven't come up with a better one.
What we are not is an "advertising agency." That's clear. But what we are is not so clear.
Some attempts at a description:
- We're brand consultants.
- We work in marketing and communications.
- We're a "laboratory for marketing inspiration."
- Ours is an "idea house," a "creative, collaborative sanctuary," a "refuge for lost brands."
See what I mean? It's tough, isn't it?
posted by Mark Burris - BURRIS at 3/13/2005 10:36:00 AM
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