Winning New Business Isn't for Geeks - Necessarily

During our recent new business presentations to potential marketing, brand, design and Web clients, we found something interesting. While HRB is strong on experience and expertise in the traditional agency sense, we've found that our ability to discuss and explain new Web technologies and social media strategies have been a big plus. That has made a positive impression on prospects and clients alike. We'd become a little geeky.

Until very recently HRB had been a very traditional ad agency and marketing firm, dating back to its founding in 1973. Then, about six months ago, we purchased the Internet Marketing Group, a Web design, development and optimization company. That action gave HRB instant expertise and credibility in an area that we had just dabbled in in the past, and not in a fully successfully way.

As we started interjecting this new marketing capability into our presentations, we found that the true technology expertise and how it supported the client's marketing efforts, were taken very seriously. We had added a powerful new tool into the marketing mix for our clients.

I understand this is nothing new in the agency world and has been going on for the past several years. But for a small 16 person agency that struggled to find its footing in recent years, the introduction of true Web, Interactive and social media expertise into the marketing mix for our clients has been a wonderful thing.

The morale of my story: Geeks Matter in marketing our company and helping our clients. And I say that with all due respect to my friends who understand, explain and implement technologies for marketing purposes for our clients. You know who you are.

Jim Thebeau
CEO, Henry Russell Bruce
800-728-2656
jthebeau@hrb-ideas.com