9 Months Later...

Author:Texas Creative
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“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”  C.S.Lewis

Fate whispers to the warrior.  “You cannot withstand the storm” and the warrior whispers back “I am the Storm”

I AM THE STORM – I found strength in this quote during the past year.  Having cancer and working full time has many times been an uphill battle; however, with a strong support system, you can, as I did, Withstand This STORM and come out the other side to the magic word “Remission”.

Despite my personal stormy health issues, this team making up Texas Creative’s Media Department managed to maintain our high-quality media strategies and secure the best annually negotiated media plans for all of our clients.  These plans have delivered well below the market average, thus saving our client’s hard-earned cash. I am part of a wonderful group of women. We secured added value in both traditional and out of the box items for our media clients.  My Media Director, Krystal Vela, is strategic planner extraordinaire, that I have had the great pleasure to learn from. Brittany Ruiz is our Digital Strategy Manager, and no one is better in that space than Brittany. Texas Creative is extremely lucky to have both Krystal and Brittany on board.  The newest member of our department is Kim Worden. She joined us as a Media Buyer, fitting right in, joined us as if she has always been here.

A Changing Media Department’s Position in the Today’s Agency

In my years of experience, there has always been a major disconnect between the Media Department and all other departments in the agency, working as a silo of sorts.  In my past agency experience, the media department didn’t work with Creative or Account Service departments. I found that this method does not allow either the media plan or the creative to work as well as they can – for example, the radio or TV spots may not be addressing the audience that the media plan was built on.  Or the creative is coming out of a different agency altogether, creating an even bigger disconnect. The media strategy should work hand-in-hand with the messaging. Working in silos; even if your media plan is brilliant, if your creative doesn’t work in the planned media vehicles, your campaign will fail.

Here at Texas Creative’s Media Department, we work in conjunction with all members of the agency team to build a strategy that will deliver on our original promise to the client, improving the client’s ROI.  Using the knowledge of current marketing/media trends, we work together to develop truly comprehensive campaigns. Recommending the media strategy that will have a strong mass reach (traditional media vehicles; i.e.:  Broadcast TV, Cable TV or traditional radio) that would accompany a digital plan is the best way to utilize any media budget. Knowing that digital alone cannot drive new traffic to your website or store; because the consumer does not know to search for your company.

Being known as a traditional buyer, I still strongly believe that Broadcast and Cable TV and Local Spot Radio has their place in a media plan.  However, I also believe that there are ways that our media strategy has changed for the better. Some of these relatively newer way to purchase TV, Over the Top (or OTT) has greatly improved the reach to audiences that have migrated away from the traditional dinner time TV.  This allows the media plan to reach consumers where, when and how they are watching TV in real time. OTT is purchased on a Cost Per Thousand (CPM) basis, instead of spot rates; thus ensuring the advertising will be seen by the consumer in a non-skippable format, and the advertiser will only pay when the impression has been completed.  Adding in this layer to your media strategy provides a much more effective way of getting the client’s message seen thus strengthening the client’s ROI.

Teamwork really makes the Dream work

I have read this quote often throughout my time in the advertising industry.  I realize that this statement is more accurate than some others in a professional life.  No one can survive life or an agency by alienated themselves. We need to work with the account team (including Account Service, Creative, Web team, and Accounting) in order for an agency’s to fulfill the client’s needs.  This is where Texas Creative Shines! Let Us Shine for You!

To reiterate what my Media Director stated in an earlier blog:  This is a time for opportunity, not panic. Please visit the Contact Us page to get in touch with our media team for any questions or interest in marketing opportunities or thoughts related to this blog.