Advertising agencies, like advertisers, come in all sizes. There are more than 13,000 agencies in the United States, ranging from the gigantic multinational corporations to the small shops that spring up every year, hoping their talents and enterprise will bring them both clients and an opportunity to grow.

Some 600 of the 13,000 are members of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. They employ 60,000 people, almost half of all advertising agency employees. These 600 agencies create and place more than 75 percent of all the national advertising seen in this country and a large portion of the regional and local work as well.

It would seem that most national, regional, and local advertisers prefer doing business with AAAA member ad agencies like Estey-Hoover. There must be a reason. In fact, there are many reasons. Here are 16 of the most compelling.

 

1. They Are Financially Sound

Prospective members must submit satisfactory operating statements with their membership applications. Once elected to membership, they have access to proprietary and confidential AAAA financial studies, and to the advice and counsel of the AAAA Management Services staff to help them run their agencies in a fiscally sound manner.

2. They Are Established in Business

All members must have been in business for at least two years; most have been in business well over 20 years and a few for more than 100 years.

3. They Are Respected and Elected by Their Peers

Election to membership includes evaluation of the prospective member's reputation by all member agencies in the applicant's state and neighboring states.

4. They Are Ethical

All members subscribe and must adhere to the AAAA Standards of Practice, including its Creative Code.

5. They Are Knowledgeable

Only member agencies are permitted to use the resources of our Member Information Service. And they do. MIS answers more than 22,000 requests for information every year, based on its extensive files on products, industries, markets, and all aspects of the advertising and marketing business. Through MIS, members have access to more than 500 online databases. If the information is out there, MIS can get it. And members can put it to work for their clients.

6. They Are Able To Do Business Internationally

Member agencies can get the information they need in planning and placing international media buys through AAAA's International Services Division. They can get help in forming affiliations with appropriate foreign agencies to enable their clients to establish a presence overseas. And they can get advice on trade practices and on the economic and political climate of countries where their clients do business.

7. They Are Professionally Trained

AAAA's Professional Development Division provides extensive training programs for members, ranging from basics for beginners to middle management development to advanced leadership programs for top-level executives. Our Membership Division works with local AAAA councils in providing Institutes of Advanced Advertising Studies for junior-level executives, and in arranging seminars on various agency-related topics. AAAA also stages intense and informative conferences for Media Directors, Financial Officers, and Creative Directors.

8. They Are Media-wise

In recent years, the media have been undergoing enormous change. From interactively to the proliferation of cable channels to specialized magazines, member agencies keep abreast of change through AAAA's media guides, an annual Media Conference and Trade Show, and various seminars and media directors' meetings around the country. The Media Services group, through its committees, works with other industry groups on projects of mutual interest and concern. Staff and committee members are active in CASIE, the Coalition for Advertising Supported Information and Entertainment, which has issued guidelines for measurement and goals for privacy in interactive media and continues to do research in the field.

The new interactive media warrant close attention. In order to help identify opportunities for members and their clients to create one-to-one, accountable communication programs, AAAA conducts surveys, publishes an interactive newsletter and booklets, and offers discounted seminar attendance for members.

Media Services also keeps an eye on television clutter through the annual TV Commercial Monitoring Report, published in conjunction with the Association of National Advertisers, Inc.

9. They Are Production-wise

Television, radio, and print production issues raise many questions, even for the most experienced agencies. Our Production Services group has the answers and supplies them to members. Topics run the gamut from production procedures to talent payment and union relations to advertising legal affairs. Production for interactive media is the latest addition to this service.

In 1987, this group began the annual Television Commercial Production Cost Survey, which has helped clients and agencies become more aware of ways to achieve production cost efficiencies. A similar survey of print production costs was begun in 1989. This group participates with the ANA every three years in the SAG/AFTRA talent union contract negotiations.

10. They Are Committed To Diversity

By the year 2005, at least 40 percent of the American population will be non-white. AAAA member agencies are committed to increasing diversity among professional employees by recruiting people who understand the needs of a diverse America and who can create advertising and other communications programs that meet those needs.

To aid this effort, AAAA offers members the multicultural Advertising Intern Program, through which agencies may provide summer internships to qualified college or graduate school students. Resumes of MAIP graduates are available to members in booklet form and on the AAAA Web site. We are also working with the Association of National Advertisers, Inc., the American Advertising Federation, and the Advertising Educational Foundation to seek out qualified job candidates. And we are developing a program to offer diversity scholarships in advertising or communications.

11. They Are Making The Case For The Value Of Advertising

AAAA member agencies are committed to promoting the valuable role that advertising plays in creating brand loyalty, reducing consumer churn, and improving the advertisers' return on investment represented by advertising spending. AAAA runs "value of advertising" ad campaigns, publishes booklets, and creates presentations for members to share with clients or use before audiences in their own communities.

12. They Are Fighting Government Attempts To Ban, Tax, And Over-regulate Advertising

Our Washington Office works on both Federal and State levels to educate legislators and regulators on advertising's role in the economy, monitoring advertising legislation, and mobilizing members to fight proposed threats.

13. They Are Everywhere And In Every Size Large And Small

All of the giant multinational agencies are members of the AAAA. Yet more than 60 percent of our member agencies bill less than $10 million. While our members tend to be concentrated in the larger cities, there are member agencies in 47 of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. There's a member agency of the right size, in the right location to suit any advertiser in the United States.

14. They Are Working In Every Form Of Marketing Communications

AAAA member agencies can provide advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, and public relations services for consumer goods clients and for clients in the business-to-business, medical, industrial, agricultural, recruitment, and yellow pages fields.

15. They Are Producing The Advertising That America Knows And Responds To

Consider the following campaign slogans.
All were produced by AAAA member agencies.

YOUR TRUE CHOICE -- AT&T
501 BLUES -- Levi's
THERE'S ONLY ONE JEEP -- Jeep
PIZZA! PIZZA! -- Little Caesar's
THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE -- BMW
WE BRING GOOD THINGS TO LIFE -- General Electric
WHEN YOU CARE ENOUGH TO SEND THE VERY BEST -- Hallmark
NOTHING ELSE IS A PEPSI -- Pepsi
GOOD TO THE LAST DROP -- Maxwell House
WE DELIVER FOR YOU -- U.S. Postal Service

16. They Are Moving Goods And Services For Advertisers Large And Small, In Every Conceivable Product Category

From apple juice (Veryfine) to zoos (San Diego Zoo) and everything in between, advertisers come to AAAA agencies for the best service, the best strategic thinking, the best advertising for their brands.

So there you have it. Sixteen very good reasons why you, the advertiser, should look to Estey-Hoover Inc., a AAAA agency, for your communications needs.

If you have any questions or comments, contact Dan Hoover at hoover@estey-hoover.com or use our handy fill-out form to send in a request for a free evaluation of your advertising needs.