Clients look to HIP to research, write, and distribute white papers seamlessly and timely, reaching the target audience while a window of opportunity is open. HIP also keeps clients abreast of trends through white papers about marketing.

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Let’s talk trade shows. I know, I know. I can hear the groaning already.

• People just come for the free handouts.
• Trade shows suck money out of the budget.
• They don’t provide any returns on my investment.
• We only exhibit at trade shows because our competitors do.
• They hurt my feet!

All of the above and then some are true most of the time – especially the feet part. If your dogs aren’t barking at the end of a trade show then you’re not working hard enough.

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You look at some of your competitors and other businesses and think, “They must be doing better than I suspected. Their commercials are always on TV and the radio.” Or, “They have billboards all over the place — how do they do it? They must have a huge ad budget.” You’ve even heard that they work with an ad agency … how can anybody afford that?

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Tactics, shmactics. Before advertising tactics can be effective, you as a client must allow an environment for them to flourish. Otherwise, a bunch of good ideas and a whole bank account will swirl down the drain. Whether your advertising is done internally or you work with an outside firm, how do you become a memorable Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is … or a Just do it client?

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Okay, if I had $100 bucks for every time a client asked me, “How did you come up with that idea?” well, let’s just say I’d be retired by now. You see, when you’re in the ad biz “creative” is your product. It’s what sets you apart from the competition and most importantly, it’s what sets your clients apart from their competition. Good creative is what ad people live for, sort of our holy grail, if you will. Creative excellence is very important, even in this age of strategic market planning. Research and analysis mean little if no one remembers the campaign because it was deadly dull, bland or not original. So, how do we get to the good stuff? How do we day-in-and-day-out deliver the big ideas? Calm down Francis, I’ll tell you…but then I gotta kill you.

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