Archives for September 2021

Wellness Wednesday – Launch SP

On September 22nd, we kicked off the 2nd season of our Wellness Wednesday Series. Sponsored by Life Energy Foundation this series will be presented by a different provider in our community each. For one thing, you will learn to check in with yourself and keep a finger on the pulse of your well-being. As a result, you will want to attend on a regular basis.

Our sponsor, Life Energy Foundation, provide the evidence-based tools and resources to help you live a better and more fulfilling life. In fact, the Life Energy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that specializes in supporting those with chronic conditions. Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Chronic Pain, RA, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Fibromyalgia, to name a few. Condition-specific programs are available using research, resources and evidence-based tools designed to improve the health of the nation—starting from our headquarters in the DC area.

This week’s Wellness Wednesday presenter Dr. Aaron Rilling of Launch SP, takes us on a journey of the Seven Aspects of Well Being. Dr. Rilling is a physical therapist at Launch SP. Their mission is to facilitate wellness, optimize performance, and develop generations of healthy, active people in sport and in life. If you are looking for Physical Therapy or Fitness Coaching, Launch SP has what you need.

Join us for Wellness Wednesday every Wednesday at 8:00 am for a short 15 minute check-in. Each week you will hear from a different provider in our community. So that you receive your personalize Zoom link, please register to attend. You can find each week on our calendar of events.

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5 Strategies to Upgrade and Re-energize Your Company’s Brand and Image

Brand marketing, or branding, and product marketing, or advertising, go hand in hand. You need advertising to create a brand, and you cannot have a brand without advertising. At the brand level, it’s about the big picture for the company, the end goal should drive all activity.

Nike didn’t start by saying, “We’re going to be just a great shoe company.” They had the goal of being the most influential and dominant brand in all of sports. The marketing built the personality of the brand — the attitude. All great brands have that in common. A true brand personality that aligns with their products.

I always tell my customers that if their business was a person, describe who you want them to be, to look like, to speak like, etc. Humanizing brands is how we connect with people; how we attract brand loyalists. Apple used to mean something profound with Steve Jobs leading it. In my opinion, the true innovation has stopped for them. Point being, they’re a perfect case study for how to change the persona of a brand, and not for the better.

Here are my 5 Strategies a company can do to upgrade and re-energize their brand & image:

1. Start with a candid assessment of where your business is. Not just the brand, your products or services, your customers, your growth. Where are you?

2. Now, where do you want to be? Is that important to others? I cannot stress enough that having a thought-through strategy with key points you can attain means everything.

3. Are you better or different than others in your category? Why? What leverage can we create to set you apart? It doesn’t need to be much, it just needs to be focused and valuable to people. Many brands were built on a single advantage or benefit. The more you have to talk, the less people hear. Say one thing, say it well, and say it with passion and often. Too often, companies jump immediately to tactics, like a new logo, website, advertising and give little consideration of the final destination.

4. From there, the tactics naturally fall out. Excellence in thinking is just as important as excellence in execution. What if an army general said “Guys, we’re going to go over there tomorrow and beat the hell out of the enemy! Let’s go!” Versus, “Guys, we each have critical roles in defeating the enemy. Here’s my plan and how we’ll execute the mission to take them off guard and win.” I’ll go with general number 2.

5. Spend your money wisely. Comes down to the tactics — excellence and execution. This is where many fall short. Pick one thing and do it right.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Farmer is the CEO of Ad Giants. He can be reached at (616) 834-4562.

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2021 State of the City

On September 17th, Mayor Bridget Newton and City Manager Rob DiSpirito conducted a State of the City Address in conjunction with the Rockville Chamber of Commerce.

This year’s State of the City was a fireside chat and was moderated by Brian Barkley. The topics discussed included the effects of the pandemic and the Review and Permitting Process: FAST and the Rock East District.

The partnership between the City of Rockville and the Rockville Chamber of Commerce is a cherished one, and we look forward to continuing to work towards the greater good of our community.

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Meet David Farmer of AD GIANTS

David Farmer is one of our RCC’s newest members. Below is his background, based on an interview with a publication that he shared with us. Return here for a future blog in which David shares “5 Things You Should Do To Upgrade and Re-Energize Your Brand and Image.”

My path to becoming an advertising executive on the creative side of the business came by accident. Growing up, I always enjoyed art, but I didn’t know how to make a career out of it. My father was a business executive in the oil and gas industry, so I had no idea about the advertising world. In my junior year at college, I decided I didn’t like studying law and switched my major to art.

My dad thought I had lost my mind. Then I read a book about how to build a great art portfolio. I built my portfolio and went to Madison Avenue in New York to meet with advertising agencies. I landed a job in the art department on my sixth interview. This was before the days of creating graphic art on the computer.

We used to hand-draw mechanical art. I had never done this before, but I did have an aptitude for learning. A seasoned artist took pity on my and took me under his wing the first week. He really showed me the ropes and mentored me.

During my first couple of years in the creative department, I was a typical “temperamental creative artist” and focused on developing award-winning campaigns. One thing I learned early on was to see things through the eyes of your potential customer first, and then your client. After that, the value of how to sell an idea. How did I learn this? I was at McCann Erickson and worked under Jesse Ceasar, the guy who came up with the iconic ad campaign and slogan “Put a Tiger in Your Tank” for ExxonMobil. I watched his process; how he led the creative teams and the clients. He was an absolute master of developing and selling ideas that worked. He really understood what the customer was looking for, then he sold it well.

From then on, my goal was to prove you could do both, be creative and create ads that work. When I got to the position of leading creative departments, I tried to teach them to look at art to get interest rather than being an art form and teach them not to make the same mistakes I had when coming up in the business. Too many young advertising creatives do work that makes them laugh, but it ends there. I always focused on effectiveness. Most creative folks hated that because it’s too hard. A fart joke is easy, making people want to smell it is the hard part.

My skills aren’t just about creative art but building trust and winning new business. Once you can figure out how to make rain, your value becomes exponential.

After years of seeing ad agencies just trying to make a buck without focusing on client success is what led me in large part to leave that world and create Ad Giants. We’re a subscription-based, full-service agency experience at prices small businesses can afford.

We simplify the marketing process by connecting small business owners and/or entrepreneurs with a proven advertising executive who then uses their decades of experience to create a customized marketing strategy with vetted resource partners and tools. All the work is managed on a simple technology platform so owners can keep apprised of the work being done on behalf of their businesses.

I didn’t build Ad Giants just for the money. It’s about helping the millions of small businesses that are targeted daily by a slew of “make a buck” marketing people out there. Any business, no matter how big or small needs a solid marketing strategy.

What advice David offers to other marketers to thrive and avoid burnout?

“Really get involved with your clients. Understand their pain points. Be a true partner to them versus just some person that produces cute work. Think strategically and use your business knowledge. Think about clients’ business models and how you can help them realize actual growth. Creativity happens in every aspect of business.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Farmer is the CEO of Ad Giants. He can be reached at (616) 834-4562.

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DIY Video Editing Tools

As a follow up to our Marketing Series Roundtable, our panel discusses the DIY Videos Editing Tools in this short video. Tim Fahey of Dirigo Agency is our Moderator. Margaret Doan of GKA Advertising and Eric Peguero of ENS Media Pros are our panelist. Tim, Margaret and Eric talk about Adobe Premier Pro, iMovie and other video editing tools. No matter if you are a novice or a pro, you will find this video informative. Watch the video here.

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Producing DIY Video Round-table Event

September 10, 2021

At this Marketing Series Roundtable, our panel discussed what you need to know about preparing for DIY videos. Tim Fahey of Dirigo Agency was the Moderator and Margaret Doan of GKA Advertising and Eric Peguero of ENS Media Pros were our panelist, together they discussed using a storyboard/script, knowing and using your equipment, tips to use during your videos, and editing. Watch the event recording.

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