Once again I had to face the sad reality of our competitors giving away their work.
On this occasion, they offered editions of commercials free of charge. Being part of the largest group, they should know enough that giving away is not a good idea, that an art that is not charged for is never recovered and that if they now also put free editions, they will degrade its value and lower the level of our activity.
It seems that this has to do with the absence of new ideas to share. It could also be a reflection of a low level of entrepreneurial self-esteem. Perhaps it could be explained by a basic added value equal to others. In the absence of ideas, the only way they have found to compete is by lowering the price, raising their commission returns and giving away their work.
This group’s bet on volume, size and strength is a valid bet. However, it is unimaginative, uninspiring and effectively, given their customary practices, destructive of our business category. However, adding to the volume strategy, the poor tactic they used of “giving away” their issues, not only affects themselves, it affects all of us.
Point and aside, the customer stayed with us. The intelligent client knows that cheap is expensive, that what is given away at the top is charged at the bottom, that there is no such thing as a free lunch and that transparency, openness and good communication are better.
They bet on creativity, ideas and quality. They decided to abandon conventional lures and opted for one of the agencies that did offer real competitive advantages, tangible added value and commitment to deliver more and better.
They decided not only to make ads, but to take the sense of direction that Lovemarks offers and the great investment that we know means building a brand.