Agency Uses Social Media Flash Mob To Secure New Assignment
There are many tactics that can be used to get your foot in the door with a potential new client. Today, social media sites make access easier than ever. With access however, comes responsibility. Knowing that canned messages would be instantly discarded, one agency recently came up with a more personal way to court a potential client.
Cornett Integrated Marketing Solutions of Lexington, Kentucky today announced that it has been appointed creative agency of record for A&W Restaurants, the oldest fast-food company in the world with 1,100 franchise restaurants in 10 countries and territories. But how the agency got on A&W's radar is a story in and of itself. According to Mashable, when A&W moved its headquarters to Lexington, everyone in the agency simultaneously sent LinkedIn requests to A&W Restaurants President Kevin Bazner and Director of Marketing Sarah Blasi detailing their personal experiences with A&W.
Sarah Blasi, A&W Director of Marketing explained:
“We were not actively ‘looking’ for a new agency partner. We were introduced to Cornett when A&W first relocated to Lexington via a blitz they did on our social media accounts that included personal stories about their employees’ relationships with our brand. Reading these stories and seeing the innovative marketing they were doing for other clients, we knew we needed to meet with them and understand their capabilities. We were blown away by their intense need to understand every detail of the brands they work on, in addition to their scrappy and resourceful nature, which is very similar to our own organization.”
In December, 2011, A&W was acquired from YUM! Brands by a partnership of domestic and international A&W Restaurant franchisees, thus precipitating the corporate move to Lexington, where Cornett IMS resides.
“We are excited by the potential we see in the A&W brand, which is the latest in a growing list of national and international brands we represent," Kip Cornett, CEO and founder of Cornett IMS, said. "Knowing a client’s industry and business goals inside out allows us to anticipate trends and recognize which ones can be used to keep a brand fresh with core customers."
While sellers may want to tread carefully with this specific tactic, the A&W example illustrates that getting through the clutter of pitches almost always requires a carefully honed, well researched and personal message. While cookie-cutter ideas are as good as spam, original ideas are more often than not appreciated by smart marketers.
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