Ask Us!

Part 1
1. What can an agency do for me?
2. What are the benefits of working with an agency?
3. Can’t I do all this myself?

Part 2
4. How do you go about an agency search?
5. What can I do to get the best advertising from my agency?
6. How do I evaluate results?
7. How do I determine a budget?

Part 3
8. Who is Fred Riger?
9. Who is Riger Advertising these days?
10. What is Riger’s definition of "Effective?"
11. What makes Riger tick?
12. How is my account team structured?
13. How do you charge for your services?
14. Where do I start?

1. What can an agency do for me?

Your ad agency will provide all the services necessary to manage your total advertising and marketing program. Depending on your business's goals, present needs and capabilities, this can include:
  - Analyzing your problems and opportunities
  - Recommending effective marketing directions
    and solutions
  - Preparing an appropriate and creative message
  - Ensuring maximum efficiency in the planning and
    buying of the right media in which to spread your message

2. What are the benefits of working with an agency?

To get the most value out of your agency, make it a partner in every aspect of your business—from what you name it to how you sell it. That said, a truly flexible agency can be an "as-needed" resource you "turn on" when you need it and "turn off" when you don’t. For many advertisers, the agency works as an extension of their own marketing department. For some, it effectively becomes the marketing department. Every situation is unique, but an agency typically brings to the table the following attributes and aptitudes:

  - Smart, innovative people
  - The ability to turn strategic, creative ideas into
    persuasive marketing communications
  - An objective, third-party perspective free of
    internal politics and bias
  - Insights gained from experience with the way
    people research and buy products
  - "Cross-pollenation" of ideas—Advertiser A can
    benefit from the agency’s experience with Advertiser B.
    Even if Advertiser B is in a different business category,
    good business solutions often work in more than one
    market.
  - Knowledge of the different media outlets and how to
    get the best return-on-investment (ROI) for your
    advertising dollar
  - An integrated, 360-degree ("holistic") approach to
    marketing you might not get from a firm specializing
    in a niche area (e.g., a direct-mail house alone, a radio
    station alone, Web development firm alone)
  - Accountability—Agencies know they are hired for
    good work and fired for bad work. That keeps them
    on their toes and ensures you get their very best.

3. Can’t I do all this myself?
It's really a question of evaluating what you do best and what an agency does best. After looking at core competencies, many businesses decide that it's wisest and most cost effective to form a relationship with a good ad agency. The reasons are cited in #2 (above). The American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) has published a booklet on this very question. It's called "A Client's Guide to Ad Agency Service: In-House or Independent?" For a free copy of the booklet, call Riger at 607-723-7441.

Continue to Part 2

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