Currently, I’m working with several potential vendors who are looking to partner with my agency.

I work for an ad agency, and while we are as full-service an agency as I’ve ever seen, we don’t do EVERYTHING.  As such, we rely on strategic partners, especially in niche areas, to help out.

In my mind, partner companies make us stronger, since we can then become a true one-stop resource.  And I like to keep working with companies that do good work with us.

Getting that first project can be tricky.

So if you are trying to pitch any business to any agency, don’t make this mistake.

The #1 mistake made in pitching new business is NOT solving your potential client’s problems.

Our “problem” is that we need expertise and service in Industry X. So if you are in Industry X and can help, HELP!

I’ve dealt with many companies that ask ME what they can do for us.

Do you see the issue here?

I don’t know you or your company very well.  I have no idea how you can help.  I don’t know your world, although I may know enough keywords and concepts to ask general questions.

If you want me to hire your company, here is what I’m looking for:

1. Sales Process. Educate us about your company, but more than 50% of the process needs to be you figuring out what our needs are.

2. Written Proposal. Tell me how you think your services can be combined to solve whatever problems we have or needs we are facing. Put it in writing. My memory isn’t that good and I want something pretty to show my team.

3. Short and Long. Let’s start small. Modest budget, defined scope of work, reasonable length of time. And then reevaluate. If your company makes a true difference, then maybe we can talk about a higher-tier of service.  Solve Problem #1 before trying to sell me on Solution #10

The bottom line is that companies need each other to thrive, but the pitching process is what makes long-term relationships. Solve my problems, make my work better, allow my clients to be happier…and you’ve got my business for a long, long time.

“Field of Dreams” is one of my all-time favorite movies.

It’s also provides a dangerous guide to marketers.

The following is the most iconic scene in the film:

While walking through a cornfield in Iowa, Ray Kinsella hears a mysterious whisper:

“If you build it, he will come…”

The line, as fans will remember, leads to Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) building a baseball field that attracts ghosts of deceased baseball stars – and then the spirit of Kinsella’s father.  The two play catch, and men around the world remained in the theaters through the credits, so they could compose themselves.  (Guilty as charged)

Businessfolks have co-opted the signature line and transformed it into: “build it and they will come.”

Basically, provide the best product, service or experience and people will swarm to it.

I had a debate in college once with a friend.  What was more important to a TV show: quality or ratings?

She strongly pushed that quality is what mattered, while I took the side of viewership.

A bad TV show that lots of people watch will be more successful than a well-produced program with low ratings.

Exhibit A: How many of your favorite “great” TV shows have been cancelled for low ratings?  Lots!

Because mass viewership is what counts.

This translates outside the TV world, obviously.

You can’t build something and expect people to just come, no matter how good it is.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t build something awesome.  But quality and marketing need to line up in order to attract a sustainable audience.

Give them a reason to come, tell them about it and then they’ll come.  Give them a reason to come back…and that’s a home run.

Sometimes, success in marketing can be boiled down to key elements.

One of them: Say what everyone else is thinking.

A few days ago, I saw a product with a name that brilliantly captures that sentiment:

If that didn’t make you laugh, there is definitely something wrong with you that you should go get checked out.

What other brands are doing a good job of saying the things you are thinking?

There comes a time in every organization where they MUST evolve to survive.

Behold...Kegasus!

Horse racing is at that junction right now.

Truth be told, it’s needed to evolve for several generations now.

As someone who enjoys watching the Triple Crown races, I can say that the industry has felt…old and stodgy for quite some time.  Maybe it always has.

But the Preakness Stakes in my hometown of Baltimore has found a way to evolve their brand and attract a larger audience.

I’ve never attended the Preakness infield party, but I know many, many, many people who have lived the party for a long time there.  It’s a beer-soaked fiesta, where the scene is AS IMPORTANT as the scene in the sky boxes.  Just on a much different level.

The Maryland Jockey Club appears to have embraced the duality of the event, being so prim and proper, while also allowing a forum for hedonism and liver-killing.

On Tuesday, they announced their advertising campaign for the InfieldFest, entitled “Be Legendary” and featuring Kegasus, a half-man, half-racehorse who loves to party.

Oh, and he Tweets.

To me, the Preaskness campaign combines elements of Barney Stinson (my PR role model), the Old Spice commercials and most comedy beer ads.

I mean that with love – those are three fantastic sources of inspiration to attract an audience of folks that will enjoy letting loose while horses are running around them in circles.

The social media aspect is a gamble.  They are building a character who exists to promote one day a year.  Will people invest in this character’s sure-to-be low-brow humor?  And if they do, will they get tired of it quickly?

The key here is making sure that this character is multi-dimensional.  Kegasus must be MORE than just the embodiment of one party for it to succeed in the social media space.  He must exist in the real world to give them the benefit I think they are looking for – create buzz around a younger, more plugged-in audience ready to have a good time that may come to the track outside of just the Preakness.  Those spectator dollars are sorely lacking in horse racing – the sport NEEDS a thunderburst of excitement.  Can a sorta mythical character provide it?

You’ve got my attention, Kegasus…show me what you’ve got.  Your sport is depending on you.

Fifteen hours after it began, I’m sitting here reflecting on an incredible first day at SXSW.

There were great highs (like the AMAZING panel on how HBO marketed True Blood on and offline) and horrible lows (like missing out on what was a great metrics panel because it was on the other side of town).

However, one of the most memorable parts of the day was when my friends Jeff Esposito, Teresa Cantwell and I made our way over to the Pepsi Max Lot, co-sponsored by Foursquare.

Here are five reasons why it rocked:

1 – It was FUN!  Between a photo booth, free bottles of Pepsi Max and lout music, it was visually and aurally

Me, Teresa and Jeff (L-R) enjoying Pepsi Max marketing efforts

stimulating.  The weather was perfect, so an outdoor event marketing platform was in prime position today.  Winning extra bonus points was the photo booth, which emailed you your photos and allowed you to share them on Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.

2 – FourSquare plays Foursquare – FourSquare, the leader in location-based social networking, ran a non-stop game of, you guessed it, Foursquare!  Grown-ups playing a kids’ game is always a hit, and this was no exception.  If you made it through the “rigorous” game, you won a free FourSquare shirt (the platform, not the ball game).  This generated a ton of buzz around the conference.

3 – All Branding, All The Time – From the obviously hand-painted cocktail tables to the color scheme of every piece of real estate inside their walls to the way the marketing folks promoted the products, the lot SCREAMED “Pepsi Max.”  When you have a captive, entertained, happy audience, hammering them (gently) with the branding is critical.  Well done, Pepsi!

4 – Take-Aways – I mentioned some of them above, but between bottles of Pepsi Max, FourSquare t-shirts and buttons, the digital photos, stickers, hats and more, it’s virtually impossible to leave it empty-handed.  Even if you just shove the stuff into a bag, you’ll take a look at it when you get home at night and think fondly of your time there.

5 – Necessities – This is no small line-item.  With power strips and clean bathrooms, the amenities are as much a draw as the games.  Pepsi did a fantastic job of providing the specific items festival-goers are looking for.  The Convention Center may be packed, but this provided a good overflow area with a chance to connect with other people in a low-intensity environment, charge your phone, hit the restroom and enjoy a beautiful day.

What feature of SXSW did you enjoy most on the first day?

We’ve been having a national conversation for about a week about commercials.  Were the Super Bowl commercials creative enough?  Was the e*Trade talking baby funny enough?  Was Pepsi Max offensive?  What was Groupon thinking?  How much did Kia spend to send their car to another planet, then to ancient times?  Eminem did TWO spots???

In general, Super Bowl ads aren’t a good example of the best of advertising, since there is so much pressure to stand out from the rest of the pack.

So it can be refreshing to see a sports-themed TV spot that is simple, creative and effective, especially during Super Bowl season.

ESPN‘s brilliant “This Is Sportscenter” campaign continued again recently with this winner featuring Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin: