Competitive Intelligence Marketplace

The Future for Ad Agencies?

An interesting post at MediaPost's OnlineSpin looks at what the future may hold for ad agencies and holding companies. 

Are ad agencies and agency holding companies destined for some significant changes in 2008? I was part of panel discussion earlier this week at the Gridley Conference in New York that addressed that issue, among others facing the media and marketing services industries. The consensus of the panel was yes; structural changes are coming to the industry, and we may very well see some of them start playing out in 2008.

The crux of the discussion was that the holding companies have not been able to change as fast as the landscape has changed around them. I, particularly, called out the challenges that agencies and holding companies face in responding to fast-paced change and the digital demands of their clients, and the inflexibility of their current capital structures and business models. In my view, we are at the dawn of a new era of agencies and agency business models, and the faster they get here, the better it will be for all of us involved in the industry. Here is some of what I think will change:

He goes on to describe the agencies' issues related to new competencies, supply chain, talent, business models, capital structures and mindset.  It's a good read.

Got White Papers?

MarketingSherpa just ran a great article about the dos and don'ts of getting your white paper syndicated.  Actually it's a great primer for white papers in general, but the part about syndication is a definite bonus.  Until you can read the full article for free http://www.marketingsherpa.com/sample.cfm?ident=29791 and after that it will cost you around $5 to read the full article.  Here's a quick overview:

White papers are hot. Our research shows that 69% of prospects who download and like your white paper will actively pass it along to their colleagues. 36% of total downloads will be passed on to a supervisor.

The more people who read your white paper, the better your chance of closing a deal. One 2004 study showed that 57% of IT purchase decision makers said a white paper influenced at least one buying decision in the past 12 months.

But, with more than 48,000 white papers being promoted online by business-to-business marketers, you had better make sure your white paper isn’t a dud. To help you get the most bang for your buck, we bring you the soup-to-nuts dos and don’ts that can make or break a white paper campaign.

And here's an outline of the dos and don'ts, but you'll need to read the article to get the meat of the information:

12 Steps to Develop a Successful White Paper
Step #1. Ask lots of questions BEFORE you start writing...
Step # 2. Solve a tactical problem or offer fascinating data...
Step #3. Shorter is better...
Step #4. Get a marketing expert to write a compelling title...
Step #5. Format your paper for online scanning *and* offline reading,,,
Step #6. Write the summary/abstract for search engines and prospects...
Step #7. Keep registration form questions to a minimum...
Step #8. Place your paper with syndication sites...
Step #9. Orchestrate your listing dates...
Step #10. Turn white papers into podcasts...
Step #11. Promote your white paper...
Step #12. Lead Follow-Up...

Eight Additional Tips Regarding PDF Files and Download Pages
#1. Always include a live contact for people to contact if the PDF "isn't working.”...
#2. Make the file as small as possible...
#3. Put your company contact information on every page as part of the standard header or footer...
#4. Make sure hotlinks are easy to hand-type in...
#5. Consider including your complete library on your PDF download page after prospects have registered to access one white paper...
#6. To take advantage of the viral aspect, add a "tell a colleague about this free resource library" form on the top or far right of the download page...
#7. Don't assume that just because a registrant gave you their email address to see a white paper, it means you can add them to your list and send them broadcasts...
#7. Don't assume that just because a registrant gave you their email address to see a white paper, it means you can add them to your list and send them broadcasts...

Eight Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
Mistake #1. Bait/promotion disconnect...
Mistake #2. Registration question/demo target disconnect...
Mistake #3. Asking two questions instead of one...
Mistake #4. Asking for a sales call...
Mistake #5. Asking questions that have obvious answers...
Mistake #6. Asking questions the syndication vendor has already asked...
Mistake #7. Using brand names in titles...
Mistake #8. Not keeping your white paper “evergreen”...

More white paper samples from KnowledgeStorm:
http://www.knowledgestorm.com/main/MarketingSherpa/index.jsp

Bank Info Security:
http://www.bankinfosecurity.com

CNET Networks Business:
http://www.cnet.com

CMP Technology:
http://www.cmp.com

Find White Papers:
http://www.findwhitepapers.com

IndustryWeek:
http://www.industryweek.com

IT Business Edge:
http://www.itbe.com

IT Toolbox:
http://www.ittoolbox.com

KnowledgeStorm:
http://www.knowledgestorm.com

Michael A. Brown:
http://www.michaelabrown.net/

Netline Corp.:
http://www.netline.com

RetailWire:
http://www.retailwire.com

TechTarget:
http://www.techtarget.com

Web Buyers Guide:
http://www.webbuyersguide.com

WhitePaperSource:
http://www.whitepapersource.com/

firstRain to Integrate Nicholas Hall Information into Product

firstRain announced that it is integrating Nicholas Hall & Company's periodicals and news bulletins into its on-demand intelligence products related to the pharmaceutical industry.

Press release.

New RNA Competitive Intelligence Publication Available

A new monthly competitive intelligence publication covering the RNA industry is available from publisher HiTIS. A complimentary copy of RNAi Competitive Intelligence Monthly is available here.

Press release.

Powerful Powerpoint on Media 2.0 Strategies

For anyone in the media business the current atmosphere is one of fear (of the unknown) and excitement (over the rampant opportunities in today's market).  This Powerpoint by Umair Haque (www.bubblegeneration.com) is an excellent cut at the possible future of media, or as he calls it Media 2.0.

Be forewarned that you need to seriously have your thinking cap on tight when you review this 107 slide presentation, but it's well worth it.