{"id":23733,"date":"2022-12-15T14:49:09","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T14:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/15\/why-agencies-are-developing-their-own-products\/"},"modified":"2022-12-15T14:49:09","modified_gmt":"2022-12-15T14:49:09","slug":"why-agencies-are-developing-their-own-products","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/15\/why-agencies-are-developing-their-own-products\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Agencies Are Developing Their Own Products"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Grant Plotkin\u2019s professional success began when he learned how to facilitate uncomfortable conversations.<\/p>\n

When Plotkin founded his own design studio in 2020, just a year after he graduated from Parsons, he wanted to give prospective clients a reason to trust him. He bought a domain name, solicited contentious questions from his circle of friends and launched his own card game. I Am On Edge, which defies all personal boundaries with questions like \u201cWhat did you not get from your dad that you\u2019d want to give to your kid?\u201d and \u201cWhich of your friends do you pretend to like?\u201d has become synonymous with the agency itself.\u00a0After discovering the agency through buzz around the card game, contractor payment platform Archie tapped Plotkin and his team to redesign its website.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe launched a product for supplemental revenue, but also to get our name out there in a different format,\u201d said Plotkin, whose agency Meet The Edge works with clients like Yves Saint Laurent, Cipriani and The Paley Center for Media. \u201cWe\u2019ve had so many new business conversations that I guarantee would not have happened if hadn\u2019t invested in producing an original product.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ultimate goal of an agency is to convince brands that paying a group of strangers to market their product or service is a worthwhile investment. To maintain client credibility, proactive shops make an engaged effort to internalize the brand side of the business, whether that means sampling one of everything on a fast food client\u2019s menu or taking up a welding course to better assist a manufacturing company. But beyond immersion stints, some agencies want to present potential clients with proof that they actually understand<\/a> what it\u2019s like to develop a brand from scratch. In-house brand building also allows agencies to explore the avant-garde concepts<\/a> that aren\u2019t welcomed by the average brief.<\/p>\n

While brands launched by agencies can simply act as additional revenue streams, they are also investments in heightened credibility. They allow shops to expand their business ventures and strengthen existing relationships while experimenting with the younger platforms and bolder messaging that more conservative clients fear. And when these brands or products get picked up by trade publications, agencies increase their odds of being noticed by pitch consultants.<\/p>\n

Making a case for yourself<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Agencies attract new business by brandishing the work they\u2019ve done for other clients, but the collaborative nature of the creative process with the brand and other agency partners can sometimes make it difficult to accurately pinpoint who did what work to develop the strategy and execute it. Contracts with brands also sometimes prevent agencies from talking about their work. When agencies work on launching their own brands, they are simultaneously crafting a more transparent case study by establishing that every detail of the business venture, from the color scheme to the product offerings, was formulated in-house.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Schwartz, CCO and founder of creative agency Truth Collective, said that launching a brand out of the agency<\/a> was an opportunity to \u201ctake [his] own medicine\u201d by putting abstract advertising concepts into practice.<\/p>\n

Truth Collective works to demystify the creative process with Schwartz\u2019 seven criteria for a creative idea, which remind art directors and copywriters that the best concepts are simple, versatile and make the consumer feel like they are part of a movement or experience that spans beyond a single purchase. To prove to clients that this framework is effective, he has applied it to his punk rock-themed puzzle brand Punkzels<\/a>, which launched earlier this year and is expected to hit big box retailers in 2023. While testing out his creative strategy on an internal brand, Schwartz has also naturally developed a newfound appreciation for the client side of the business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have one foot straddled in the agency side and the other in the brand side, which allows me to bring more experience and understanding to my conversations with clients,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Not every puzzle or card game consumer will be in the market for an ad agency, but successful branding undeniably strengthens shop visibility<\/a>. Last October, 700 people entered an Instagram raffle to attend an I Am On Edge promotional event at a New York bar, which was an opportunity for Plotkin to delve into experiential marketing while also generating buzz around both the agency and the product.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaunching I Am On Edge has really been an opportunity to build community,\u201d he said. \u201cAs a design studio, we recognize that every single person that engages with us is not going to need us for design.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaning into experimentation\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Making significant business decisions based on social media sentiment<\/a> is an uncomfortable concept for traditional marketers, but George Ellis isn\u2019t afraid to admit that the consumer sometimes has better ideas than he does. Ellis, the owner and creative director of Austin-based agency Bandolier Media, claims to have created \u201cthe world\u2019s spiciest coffee\u201d and is getting ready to release new flavors that came directly from the TikTok comment section. Roasty Buds, which has garnered more than 17,000 followers on TikTok, has allowed the agency to expand its skillset while proving to old-school clients that investing in both organic and paid social\u2014and using Bandolier to do so\u2014is worthwhile.<\/p>\n

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Building a fanbase on TikTok has taught Bandolier Media concrete lessons, like how to reach beyond brand recognition to drive sales and the power of educational content on the platform. Working under an in-house brand means there is less at stake when taking risks, which also makes everything more enjoyable, said Ellis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re working with a brand, there are going to be some limitations,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing able to figure out what works on our own accounts gives us a little more credibility with our clients. The lack of rules also just makes it fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n