The third-richest man in the world (as of this writing) lives in RCG’s hometown, Omaha. He doesn’t have to. He chooses to. He leaves town when he needs to. (Who’s going to stop him?) Nevertheless, he finds most of what he needs to conduct business right here. It’s smart. A number of Fortune 500 companies are located here. They think it’s smart, too. A lot of excellent advertising agencies also call the heartland home. But sometimes you wonder whether this is really where they want to be, because whenever they get the chance, they leave town.
Recently, a local agency produced a TV commercial that featured large, redwood-like trees, so they went to the coast where the redwoods are. Later, that same agency had to produce a commercial in a living room setting, so they went to the coast where … the living rooms are?
In contrast, a Midlands-based appliance manufacturer commonly bankrolls commercials costing hundreds of thousands of dollars each through their legendary Chicago advertising agency. On a recent occasion, an Omaha-based production company earned the chance to produce a new commercial at a cost of less than half of the advertiser’s last project. Put that commercial side by side with the more expensive ones and you can’t tell any difference in quality. National commercials. National quality. Omaha resources.
The bottom line (and that’s important to most marketers) is that the Midwest has a vast pool of talented, professional, and cost-effective advertising resources. You don’t have to leave town to get technology. That’s here. Talent? That’s here, too.
Should an agency leave town just because their client can afford to? Is that good stewardship of a hard-won marketing budget? Wouldn’t it be smarter to choose an agency who knows that when you need redwoods, you go where the redwoods are… and when you need quality and professionalism, we’re rich in tall timber right here.
