How Dilbert Can Help Your Indie Agency
Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of Dilbert (the comic strip). But I do stop by cartoonist's Scott Adams blog once in awhile. Today I learned that Adams owns two restaurants in California. And he's having trouble remaining competitive now that chain giants like PF Chang and Cheesecake Factory moved in next door.
I found Adams' challenges not unlike those of an independent agent or small agency. Especially when it comes to advertising and marketing:
Advertising has no impact on restaurant business. We’ve tried newspapers, radio, direct mail, and magazine ads. They don’t even cause a blip in the baseline. Other restaurants have apparently discovered the same thing.
So Adams decided to solicit ideas from his blog readers. And while some of you may argue that we're comparing apples to oranges here, there are some great ideas nestled in the handfuls of comments this post has garnered.
The gems focused on:
- Boasting about quality and service (a common downfall of bigger operations)
- Providing different and/or niche offerings
- Taking advantage of networking events—or better yet, hosting them
- Adjusting pricing to stay competitive with the neighborhood giants
- Targeting special interest groups (churches, social organizations and nearby employers)
- Checking out local web 'meet-up' groups, visiting those that fit your niche (link: MeetUp.com)
- Working with local high schools and colleges to promote your products to young people
- Having a free beer night
Okay. So that last one might not work. But a lot of these are great, simple ideas that we sometimes forget about in lieu of big advertising and marketing plans.
Check out the full post to mine the comments for ideas. And don't forget to leave your own thoughts here.
