McQ Media….The Anti-Agency

When I left the management side of broadcasting to start McQ Media, I knew I wanted offer clients a different type of advertising and marketing firm. Through my 20+ years in radio and television sales and management, I was fortunate to have a front-row seat working with a wide variety of agencies and promotional firms. In some cases, the agency helped their clients achieve growth and results in a way that could be clearly traced to the agency’s strategy and tactics. In other cases, I’ve seen the agency stifle creativity, act dishonestly and act in ways that were not in the best interest of the advertiser.

This is our Client Pledge at McQ Media:

Total Transparency in Pricing: I was once in a meeting with an advertising agency that specialized in creating 1/2 hour television infomercials for direct-response clients. One of the principals was bragging about financing a recent car purchase with the profits from the creative budget. When you work with McQ Media you will know exactly how much we make. If we’re adding costs to a project for any reason you will see it in 15 point font.

Fee Versus Commission: For years, agencies have been granted a 15% discount by media. So, if the media charges the the client are $1,000, the agency pays the media $850 and $150 becomes their payment. In this scenario, the agency is actually incentivized to spend more and more on behalf of the client. Through the years I’ve seen this have disastrous results. At McQ Media, we don’t think the goal should be to spend more. Rather, the goal is to increase profits and efficiency. Because of this, we prefer to work for a flat fee that is determined by the work we do and the results we achieve.

Watching The Details: Unlike many agencies, we scrub every one of our client invoices for issues and discrepancies. As a result, we regularly find opportunities to get additional media as a result of a discrepancy.

Collaboration: The number one goal of most agencies is not to achieve client objectives, rather it’s to keep the account. I’ve seen some agencies get so paranoid about keeping their jobs, that they totally lose focus of the big picture which is working for the client. When a defensive agency is consumed with self-preservation, they often attempt to isolate the client from any sources of fresh ideas because it might result in a loss of the account. At McQ Media, our goal is to achieve objectives of the client. We also believe if we stay focused on that fact, that the day-to-day competition from the marketplace is what makes us better. Most agencies shy away from working, collaboratively, with other advertising firms. At McQ, we embrace anyone who can help us achieve client goals. Put another way, our work speaks for itself.

Never Stop Learning: The day we stop learning is the day we’re no longer relevant. At McQ Media, we’re constantly looking for ways that we can sharpen our sword and also improve upon the intellectual capital of our clients.

If these attributes appeal to you, please call us and let’s discuss how McQ Media can help you achieve your marketing and media goals.

At McQ Media, we work for the client.

Pete Thomson –
President/CEO –
McQ Media

http://www.mcqmedia.us