Small Agency Diary

Marketers Beware: You May Be Sitting in Plato's Cave

When Choosing an Agency, Look at the People Behind the Shadows

Posted by Jennifer Modarelli on 09.10.09 @ 01:53 PM

Jennifer Modarelli

Recently our agency was invited to propose on an RFP with a rapid turnaround, industry-leading business goals, and a strong alignment with our best practices for persona-led web design. Of the three agencies being reviewed, we were the "small agency" option. It is not unfamiliar territory for us, but it is hard to get that sling to hit two giants at the same time.

Even a Child Can Understand the Value of Integrated Marketing

Don't Let Fear, Organizational Restraints or Budgets Hamper Your Approach

Posted by Jennifer Modarelli on 07.21.09 @ 12:02 PM

Jennifer Modarelli

Is truly integrated marketing achievable? I'm happy to report that it is.

I was recently the target of a sophisticated, fully integrated one-to-one marketing campaign that lasted over five months and resulted in a successful sale. The marketer made full use of available channels to build a detailed case in a logical sequence. The benefits-driven messaging appeared in print (targeted mailers), digital (e-mail, text messaging) and community (which connected me to other potential buyers in the same consideration cycle and facilitated dialogue).

Cattle Fetch Higher Prices and Suffer Less Humiliation

A Story About My 'Favorite' RFP

Posted by Jennifer Modarelli on 07.08.09 @ 12:35 PM

Jennifer Modarelli

We recently were invited to participate in an online RFP issued by one of our longest-standing clients. The RFP was for "strategic Web consulting and design services," and there was an exhaustive set of requirements to essentially prove our existence and our financial stability. They also collected a substantial amount of information about our processes, our disaster-recovery plan and even got a little into employee drug testing.

Indie Shops Give Clients One Less Earnings Report to Worry About

Being Single in Today's Economy Is a Good Thing

Posted by Jennifer Modarelli on 05.13.09 @ 11:55 AM

Jennifer Modarelli

In my last post I wrote about an emotional breakup with a client, but this week I want to tell you about my past. I wasn't always single; I shacked up with a big publicly traded guy for about three years prior to the first market downturn. But since then my agency has remained "single" -- independent and focused on defining our industry on our own terms.

It's Not You, It's Me: The Proper Way to End a Client-Agency Relationship

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, but Sometimes It's the Right Choice

Posted by Jennifer Modarelli on 04.23.09 @ 12:09 PM

Jennifer Modarelli

When we in the agency world talk about client relationships, we tend to cast them in romantic terms: the starry-eyed courtship, the thrilling early days, the comfy phase where you finish each other's sentences and, eventually but inevitably, the break-up and the need to get their stuff out of your apartment as quickly as possible.