Dr Mumbo

How to make your agency rivals hate you

In the desperate world of agency new business, anything goes.

But even so, Dr Mumbo suspects that Indago Digital will not be making many friends with its current paid search marketing campaign.

The company has been bidding for paid search ads on Google based on competitor agencies’ names.   

Search for full service agency Atomic 212, for instance, and you’ll see an ad asking: “Unhappy with Atomic 212? Talk to the digital experts”.

The ad then links to a page on Indago’s website that asks: “Are Atomic212 failing to turn your results nuclear? Are you tired of ads that aren’t generating returns? Unsatisfied by low sales and leads numbers thanks to poor website optimization? Is your online presence simply going unnoticed by the most valuable potential customers? Then it’s time for you to have your digital campaigns reviewed by Indago Digital.”

It then goes on to promote the expertise of agency boss Gary Nissim.

Nissim: Spruiking his IAB, ADMA and Google Squared credentials

Dr Mumbo suspects that the implication in the first line alone will be enough to earn Indago a legal letter from Atomic 212.

And Atomic 212 isn’t the only agency being targeted. Switched On Media also gets the Indago treatment, with an ad asking: “Need switched on marketers? Speak to the digital experts.”

The landing page again goes in hard, asking: “Are Switched On Media failing to deliver?”

Dr Mumbo suspects other agencies are also being targeted. And he’s curious how the likes of IAB, ADMA and Google (who currently have a bit of a PR problem of their own) will feel about their names being brought into it.

In a discussion over on LinkedIn, the tactic has been earning itself plenty of opprobrium, with Switched On’s media director Mike Hagley labelling it “pathetic”, Amercian Express bigwig Ciaran Norris suggesting “How to cheapen your brand”, and former We Are Social boss Julian Ward suggesting he plans to create a script to endlessly click on the ad to drain Indago’s budget.

Dr Mumbo suspects that we’ll be hearing about this one again.

2pm update: It would seem that Atomic 212 is taking it on the chin. Boss Jason Dooris tells Dr Mumbo: “”I love it and wish I’d have thought of it. The media industry has become so serious and while I’m not sure how effective the ad will be, it did make me chuckle. It cuts right through the poppies and we like that.”

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