An interview with CGT Marketing: A Long Island, New York Ad Agency

1. How does a Long Island ad agency compete with a New York ad agency?
Long Island ad agencies have the same qualifications and knowledge base and draw from the same talent pools as New York advertising agencies. Typically large companies with many consumer products require huge ad agencies — which are located in Manhattan. For most small to medium size companies, Long Island ad agencies deliver the same caliber of work at more competitive rates with quicker, more personal response.

2. How is building a brand for a small company different from building a brand for a large company?
The difference is scale. For the most part, the same tactics and developmental work needs to be employed regardless of size. The critical piece is ‘who’ the brand is for. If the audience is a niche market, there is a more targeted approach — which costs less than building a brand in a larger market.

3. Why is brand identity important for small businesses?
Without brand identity, a product or service is just another ‘me-too’ in a field of similarities. A well-developed brand creates distinction and sets it apart from its competitors and will be noticed and desired.

4. What’s the difference between marketing and advertising?
Marketing is the practice of promoting and selling a product. Advertising is just one of the tools. A good marketing plan employs many tools to achieve success, advertising is one of them.

5. How long will it take before a company sees results?
Impossible to answer. Every product, every industry, every goal, is different. We’ve seen results for clients in as little as days, some took years.

6. How do you measure results?
You first need to establish your goals and define the tactics for achieving them. Results from each tactic are measured differently. For instance, response figures in web marketing are easily measured for set periods of time. Image building is harder to measure and takes longer.

7. What are common mistakes you see New York marketing agencies make?
Very often New York marketing agencies will try to convince small or medium sized companies that they need to use marketing tactics that are unnecessary. Not every company needs a full-scale research program or a costly, in-depth marketing plan. Some agencies may try to convince clients to use over-inflated social media tactics that are not appropriate for the product or target audience. Many of them have over-inflated prices, unnecessary services and additional hidden charges that the Long Island ad agency counterparts don’t have.