Have Great Creative, Will Travel

Work is often perceived as a necessary evil. "I have to go to work to get paid." It's true, some days it is just true in all companies. But, if you have been following Plaid Swan, you know we are an agency of a different feather. --Pun intened.:O

At Plaid Swan, we made the decision to raise "free range designers."  Yep, just like free range chickens, they are free to run, work, concept, brainstorm anywhere in the world. We don't care if they work in a suit or a Speedo. They are on their own.

Operating under the philosphy that great design comes from inspired designers, we have located what we feel are the best of the best in the country and tied them together only by Skype. And these meetings are only on key perspective client teams when needed. Otherwise, we have no idea where they are.

To date it has worked great. They are 100% accountable for producing heart-stopping design and MUST be on deadline, no exceptions, to remain with PS. In exchange, they roam free. Free to ski (Peter); go back to school (Adam) raise kids; (Craig); own a gallery in Boston (Bonnie) and on down the line.

No cages. No time cards, no desk that you have to sit at, no office politics, and no 8A-5P. Do your best work at 3:00A? Great! Have at it.

The challenge with the traditional ad agency model is that all work looks similar. When designers sit in a group, the work all starts to look the same. One idea inspires another, and eventually, an entire community or industry is blanketed in one font and one color scheme. It's no-one's fault, but if the same people do the work, the work starts to look the same.

The same goes for copywriters. We retain the best non-profit writer in the country and the best tourism writer on the face of the planet. They could NOT, however, write for each other. A truly great writer has a style and that style can rarely cross drastic lines say, from extreme sport copy to banking. One is going to sound odd. Most traditional firms employ a group of copywriters who just try to write everything. The grammer may be correct, but they can rarely speak to an audience in all segments.

People often come in and say, "where is everyone?!" Well, Peter is in Colorado....we think.  After a little explanation, and review of the bios we have hand selected for their team, 100% of new clients say, "Wow, that's cool."

 We think so.

Your Brand is Your Best Sales Tool 24/7. Is It Doing A Good Job For You?

Is it time for a brand assessment? Your brand is your #1 sales tool 24/7. Is it working for you?

Does your annual ad spend keep increasing? If your brand is working properly your advertising budget should only increase year over year if you are launching a new product or service, if you are targeting a new demographic/market or you need to respond to new /changing competition. If it's increasing just to keep the bottom line where it has been, then it is time to re-evaluate your media mix. BUT don't stop there. Audit your brand. It may be time for a refresh.

Brand Audits

Ideally, a brand audit will be scheduled annually and receive as much attention as the marketing plan. But if not, it should be reviewed when any of the following situations occur:

• When contemplating a decision to enter a new market or product category in which you have not as yet established a position.
• When assessing the pros and cons of extending a brand into a new product category or developing a new brand for that category.
• When determining whether to sub-brand or utilize a corporate brand – and to assess the balance between the two.
• When a brand's market share is slipping or is not meeting realistic expectations because of competitive activity.
• When considering the establishment of a new product category in which your brand will be the first participant.
• When you are not certain of your brands position, strength or effectiveness in relation to competitive offerings.