The Agency

I recently watched a great ad that launched a well-known brand back into our consciousness. It was brilliant, capturing the brand and the verve of the previous campaigns. Then I realised that a few months previously I’d seen a whole series of films on YouTube that were pretty much identical.

Over the last few years I’ve seen more and more campaigns that take (diplomatically-speaking) reference from postings.

But is this wrong?

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I read with interest the figures from LinkShare suggesting that ad revenues and returns on social media sites were far lower than their experience had shown (NMA 8 July 2010), as well as the numerous defensive comments from media executives.

Presumably, LinkShare took a snapshot of the social media advertising landscape as a whole, probably including many companies swept up in the social media frenzy that perhaps lack the planning and buying experience required to make appropriate media judgements.

This being the case, these findings conclude that social media is only a relevant advertising platform for some products. Also that strategic direction and media planning is still required for the optimum media mix. And finally, this social media frenzy has driven significant revenues, but isn’t it likely to be a short-term fad?

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Competitive Salary + Benefits
Bath based

After a record-breaking year and numerous client wins TheAgency, the integrated brand response specialist, is looking for a dynamic PPC Search/Digital Media Planner to plan and manage search and media campaigns across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

Implementing a range of pioneering targeting techniques, you’ll manage banner campaigns and PPC/Search campaigns for a wide variety of clients operating in a range of sectors including retail, travel, recruitment and b2b.

It’s essential that you’re highly knowledgeable in Pay per Click – PPC Search. Media selection, advertising networks and ideally viral social media campaign tracking is a bonus.

You need to demonstrate the following:

Set a PPC strategy Set up campaigns from scratch which include;

1. Generating keyword lists
2. Writing the PPC ads
3. Identifying need for and writing landing page copy, with a writer to include keywords
4. Assigning Cost per Click Managing monthly budgets
5. PPC Reporting Advising on improvements and efficiencies

In addition, if possible, we’d like them to be able to…

6. Plan and manage PPC campaigns with SEO in mind (gap analysis)
7. Set up of filters, Google funnels and analytics
8. Be able to interperate Google analytics thoroughly

TheAgency is one of the fastest growing agencies in the UK, with a dynamic and supportive culture. You’ll be key to their ongoing growth, supporting directors where necessary in new business projects.

In return you can expect a competitive salary and benefits. To apply email your details to Sam Britton at

sbritton@theagencyonline.co.uk

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Not many marketing agencies are founded with a five-year plan in place that includes making acquisitions in that period, but Saman Mansourpour isn’t your typical creative who’s partly headed West from London for the lifestyle.

At the age of 23 Mansourpour was European marketing manager for a Fortune 500 company, before switching to the agency world where he worked for companies such as the well-regarded Rapier.

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Signing up for driving lessons can be as daunting for many people as it is exciting for others. The British School of Motoring (BSM) – to celebrate its 100th birthday – has given its site a refresh to ease people into learning to drive. It’s a vibrant site that reaches out to learners, potential instructors and franchisees.

As a sales-driven site it’s unsurprising you’re lured to sign up by a competition to win iPads on the home page. Other offers – such as 25% off when you book 10 lessons – and ads for an iPhone app are also prominent. It includes links to Twitter and Facebook, with recent Tweets on the home page.

Information for people looking to become instructors is comprehensive, but it only directs you to making phone enquiries – no email addresses are displayed. The site is content-rich, but it steers clear of the information-overload route. However, one thing that seems missing is theory test information – it would have been good to have a mock test on the site.

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BSM, the largest and most established driving school in the UK, has launched a new website as part of a wider realignment of its digital offering, following extensive usability testing.

Designed and built by integrated advertising agency, TheAgency, the website will provide BSM with a platform to continue recruiting learners nationally, as well as independent instructors, who make up more than 80 per cent of the national market. With additional focus on retail products, such as training aids and the newly launched iPhone app, BSM believes its new website strategy will also lead to an increase in sales conversions for driving lessons.

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I remember having a telephone interview with a journalist from The Times a few years back, where I naively and rather over excitedly ranted on about mobile marketing, and a day when all Outdoor, Mobile and In-Store channels would be intrinsically linked, both creatively and promotionally. The idea was that the data held on individuals would be so vast that advertising would literally be tailored to their specific needs.

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I was sat in a board meeting yesterday, where we were reviewing upcoming job roles within our business. And I found myself pondering the question, “just what is the best way to build our integrated team?”

When we launched a couple of years ago, we set out to build an integrated agency from the bottom up. Now lots of agencies claim they’re integrated. But the reality is that most of them have grown by department. Hiring or acquiring an individual with a new skillset, or a digital team and placing them next to the advertising team, for example, supposedly builds their ‘integrated offering’.

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