Advertising People: Pitch Us Feb 26
23 comments Latest by Tom Hespos
So… We’ve managed to build a really successful business through word of mouth. We’ve dabbled in text ads here, and a couple display ads there, but it’s our customers who are responsible for spreading our word far and wide. In four years we’ve probably spent less than $25,000 on advertising.
Let’s try something new
We love that we’re a word of mouth business. We plan on remaining a strong word of mouth business. Trusted recommendations are gold.
But we’d also like to begin experimenting with other forms of advertising. More “traditional” forms, but in a non-traditional way. If that makes sense we’ll probably get along great.
We’re interested in significantly broadening the awareness of the 37signals brand, our unique take on software, and our products. We have a story to tell and products to sell.
Get in touch
If you’re an ad agency that’s up to the challenge of working with us, we’d love to hear from you. Our standards are high. We want great work. Innovative work. Memorable work. But above all, effective work. We love great advertising and loathe bad advertising. We’re prepared to take this seriously.
Please shoot me an email if you think you could be the ones. Send to svn at 37signals dot com and include [ad pitch] in the subject line. Thanks.
Over 1 million people use 37signals' simple web-based software to collaborate on projects, track contacts, and organize their business with an intranet.
23 comments so far
Matt Carey 26 Feb 08
Are you asking for a free pitch? If you are, then shame on 37s…
JF 26 Feb 08
Matt we’re asking for interesting ad agencies to get in touch with us for a [potential] pitch. We’re not asking for free work, spec work or anything like that.
No one is going to send us an email with a pile of ideas. They are going to send us an email introducing themselves. If we think there’s a fit we’ll take it to the next step.
Chris Coyier 26 Feb 08
My spec-work radar just went off too. I understand that’s not what you are asking for, but “Pitch Us!” kinda sounds like it is…
Geof Harries 26 Feb 08
Calm down, people. Remember 37signals was a studio (agency, consultancy, etc.) before they got into product development. They know all about the dangers of spec-work, from both ends.
Tomas 27 Feb 08
You don’t need advertising agencies. Just make more stuff on your website flash. I’ve done it in word. It’s pretty easy.
Dan Diemer 27 Feb 08
Funny, spec work didn’t even cross my mind. I personally think its really interesting and with the kind of people that run 37signals I can’t imagine this not working out well.
steve 27 Feb 08
Coudal?
JF 27 Feb 08
Steve: We love Coudal, but we’re too close to work together.
Joga Luce 27 Feb 08
Might also want to have a public contest. Brings out the best in folks.
And I’d love to see the creative energy people bring to 37s as their best show off work.
Paul Thrasher 27 Feb 08
Awesome guys. Great to see you stepping out.
Geoff Graham 27 Feb 08
Sounds like y’all are well poised to cross the chasm.
Mike 27 Feb 08
It seems like more than a coincidence that a request for marketing assistance comes out immediately after the Wired magazine article that didn’t too much for 37s’s image:
Nicholas Carr, author of The Big Switch, says companies like 37signals won’t have the resources to fight should larger firms with huge economies of scale and backend infrastructure decide to take them on.
The Basecamp message boards are filled with complaints from unhappy users
Fried says he doesn’t worry about losing individual Basecamp customers
Call it arrogance or idealism, but they would rather fail than adapt
Scott King 27 Feb 08
It seems like more than a coincidence that a request for marketing assistance comes out immediately after the Wired magazine article that didn’t too much for 37s’s image
Seems more like a PR issue than an advertising one.
JF 27 Feb 08
Seems more like a PR issue than an advertising one.
It’s neither. As we said in the post, we’re pleased with the Wired piece and the overall response has been quite positive so far.
We’ve been talking about trying out some traditional advertising for quite some time. We’ve put out feelers before but figured posting on SvN would be a good experiment as well.
Read into the timing any way you’d like, but there’s no story there.
ceejayoz 27 Feb 08
“We’re looking for an ad agency. Tell us why we should pick you…” seems an entirely appropriate first step. They’re not asking for spec work, they’re asking interested agencies to get in touch.
Anonymous Coward 27 Feb 08
Oh I’d love to get some info from you guys on how to advertise web-apps (business to business).
Alfred Toh 27 Feb 08
It seem like the Wired piece was great advertising for you guys, No? It was free and it’s reader base should be well targeted.
Mike 27 Feb 08
I don’t see where readers are thinking this is a request for free work from an ad agency. They left out the budget amount in the post but that is pretty typical when rounding up proposals.
Don Schenck 27 Feb 08
I’ll put a 37Signals sticker on my car in exchange for free accounts on your products.
:-)
Mike R 27 Feb 08
Advertising, huh? I guess I need to know more about what you are trying to accomplish before I would even suggest that advertising or hiring an advertising agency is on the course to meeting your objectives. Advertising agencies come up with attention getting content and then place that content where it gets attention by those you are trying to target. I think there might be more targeted, economical, simpler, and more effective ways of spreading the good word about you and your products.
Being a long time, prolific user of your products personally and across many companies, I think I get your work and I would be happy to talk with you about your needs, wants, and business objectives. Drop me a note if you want.
Shawn Oster 28 Feb 08
Nothing beats the simplicity of a blog post vs. having to wade through a formal RFP . Make people work for your coin I say!
I have to call you on this line though, “More “traditional” forms, but in a non-traditional way”. You do know that’s fast approaching this generations version of “looking for a paradigm shift” and “thinking outside the box” of the prior generation? I laughed out loud when I read it because that phrase is getting so ubiquitous these days that it’s almost tradition. Hell, I even heard it at the tattoo studio the other day, “Like, I want this traditional Chinese dragon, but you know, in a totally non-traditional way”. Love it.
Anyway, good luck with your shout out for a proposal. The great thing about blogs is if you get enough readers you can just sit back and make people come to you. Sure, it’s egocentric but if you have the power use it.
Seth Surchin 02 Mar 08
How does The Deck fit in to this?
Understand the point on Coudal…but are you also in touch with agencies on Deck?
Just interested as our (startup) company is also interested in reaching really creative creatives and have dabbled / are dabbling with Deck…
Thanks
Tom Hespos 03 Mar 08
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