Influencer Marketing | UPA – Utenti Pubblicità Associati
On Tuesday, September 14th, Stefano Arbitrio (VA General Manager) and Silvia Lanzarini (Alfasigma Brand Manager) are talking about how to optimize the influencer fee investments thanks to System-SICS KOL Tool. This Tool enables brands to understand the right influencer fee.
#InfluencerMarketing #MarketingConsultancy
The Production Advisory & Cost Control company confirms also in 2021 investments in the expansion of the Enterprise System Sics suite
VA Consulting announces an expansion of its Enterprise System Sics suite
VA Consulting, a Production Advisory & Cost Control company operating in all areas of advertising ATL (creative agencies, productions, post-production, etc.), BTL (Pos, events, etc.), TTL (Social media and Digital) and (DX) Digital transformation, enriches its Enterprise System-Sics suite with a CSS component (Creativity Company Search & Selection).
In April VA Consulting released a new module developed to expand and complement the services offered for research and selection not only of communication agencies, but also of operators in the creative field such as companies of production, postproduction, music production, 3D, Sustainability, Brand naming, events, Posm, Digital and Social campaigns, (DX) digital transformation, etc.
It is well known that the first step in choosing a creative agency is the research according to the campaign or activities that you intend to carry out.
The CSS module has been developed exactly to make this research quick and effective both at a national and international level and for campaigns on a full scale. To the present day, there are over 300 suppliers surveyed by VA Consulting.
The System-Sics | CSS also allows VA to effectively and quickly assist its own customers in the competitions of creative agencies, in the optimization of the whole suppliers and their price lists, in the search for new operators, always with the aim of improving their own advertising campaigns with the best companies in the sector.
It is with these tools that the company led by Alessandro Arbitrio strengthens its role, combining deep knowledge in the productive field with extremely innovative analysis tools.
The various tools have never ceased to be refined and evolved, since 2009 when the first modules of the Enterprise System-Sics were created – JOB (for real-time monitoring and reporting of marketing campaigns) and AWF (workflow tool with which VA approves and classifies about 7000 estimates per year), to which later were added Kolb (Influencer benchmarking tool) and FRC (FTE Ratecard Calculator).
So, even in 2021, VA Consulting confirms its commitment to understand and anticipate trends, to allow its own customers to control and improve processes in order to maximize the available marketing budgets. Always be one step ahead with and for its own customers.
Since the spread of Covid-19, in fact, leaving home for work, need or leisure, has become more risky, sometimes even reason for assessment and reflection: thus, the mask, the continuous sanitization of the hands and the social distancing have become the new normality.
As we know, one of the worst consequences of the pandemic – excluding, of course, health problems – is the enormous damage caused by the lockdown to many sectors of the market, from catering to local shops, from gyms to cinemas, and so on to events.
How to move in the events sector at the time of Covid-19
Events are, by definition, a way of attracting people and creating aggregation (today we would say gathering…). If we look at them from this point of view, the only appropriate solution seems to be to avoid them, to postpone them to a later date or to cancel them.
Instead, the recent Venice Festival and the fashion shows in Milan, have shown us that the event market does not stop, if carried forward with intelligence and attention.
But not only that: if we want to look on the positive side, we can even go so far as to say that the modes of development have expanded, because in addition to those in the presence it has become almost “natural” to propose online events. And both these modes require an organizational effort both from the point of view of management, both from the point of view of cost controlling.
Before organizing an event in the presence, it is necessary to verify the contagion situation in the area of interest. There are less affected areas and high risk areas and this must always be taken into account during the first steps in the choice of the location.
Establishing a standard security protocol to be followed, so as to have clear lines both from the point of view of the organization, and from that of immediate resolution of any problems – which is another fundamental point. Also for this reason, Event Managers have to collaborate with an Event Covid Manager, a figure usually borrowed from the health environment and specialized in risk assessment and problem solving.
For the success of an event it is also necessary to take care of participants not only within the dedicated space, but also in the surrounding areas, to facilitate the flow of entry and exit and to avoid that social distancing occurs only during the event.
Today, however, there is a comfortable and cost-effective alternative to this type of event, which is – as we said before – virtual realization. In this case, good management and optimization of the online platform and production team through which the event will take shape is important, allowing thousands of users to connect simultaneously. At home, at work, while you are out: an online event can be followed wherever a connection arrives and often also allows real-time communication, via messages or microphone, between participants and spectators.
Let’s not forget, then, the not negligible advantage of being able to enjoy it in deferred, almost impossible eventuality (unless a live recording) for the classic ones.
The value of the production advisor in the evaluation of online and offline events
In the event industry, carefully evaluating costs is always important, but it becomes even more so now, where the elements to be kept under control are many more.
VA Consulting – Advertising Production Advisory with offices in Milan and Rome led by Alessandro Arbitrio – follows its Italian and international clients in this respect, helping them also through risk production assessment, that is the study of contractual clauses to protect the customer, in case of, for instance, cancellation or postponement.
Nowadays, choosing the right agency to entrust with the creation of its own e-commerce is more important than ever for any company: these are the suggestions of VA Consulting in order to do it at best.
The lockdown period linked to Covid-19 has led to reconsider many aspects of people’s life and of business; and changes have not always been negative.
For instance, in contrast with the general trend, some market sectors have experienced a real growth boom: just think about the food and pharmaceutical ones.
In this regard, the changed users’ habits, including smart working and the greater amount of time spent consulting online contents, have recorded an increase of 20% in sales through website, leading many companies – the ones that had still not developed it – to consider adding an e-commerce platform to their website.
HOW TO DEAL WITH AN AGENCY PITCH WITH THE HELP OF PITCH CONSULTANT
In a world affected by a crisis such as the ongoing one, arbitrarily trimming some sectors’ budget – without reconsidering how to relocate it – could turn out to be counterproductive, trying to get the best out of a situation like the contemporary one.
Actually, there are many companies that have cut their ATL/BTL communication (for instance for the participation to exhibitions and events, now cancelled) and that have decided to move a part of the budget intended for marketing in favour of the development of an e-commerce platform, bearing in mind that online sales are not only grown, but have involved cross-cutting sectors: from workout accessories to beauty, from food and drink to electronics, up to courses of all kinds.
To the present day, web agencies are perfectly able to develop an e-commerce platform in smart working and even an agency competition can be handled remotely, without postponement. In this case, it is fundamental to turn to a company specialized in production advisory & cost control that has the skills to support the client’s marketing department in the capacity of agency search and selection, taking care of the competition governance, to manage the relationships between client and web agency, to look at the offered service architecture, to evaluate the estimates and optimize costs.
THE BENEFIT OF FOSTERING ITS OWN ONLINE SALES
So, why waste time? With a benchmark of reference, the Finance/Purchase department of a company will find easier to know how much money they have to earmark for the e-commerce development and how to best manage the cost. This result will be achieved also thanks to the supervision of a client-agency relationship manager, who knows how to evaluate the proposals of the participants in the competition.
Communication and sales through digital channels got a boost that will not stop at the end of the pandemic, but will become the most popular way to talk to its own target and to advertise and sell its own product.
VA Consulting, Advertising Production Advisory, with branches in Milan and Rome and customers all over the world, assist the companies in the good choice of the agency that will develop their e-commerce, in compliance with the timing, following the competition, evaluating participants and estimates, supervising the development of the platform, in such a manner that time, ways and budgets allocated are respected.
Thanks to owner tools such as System-SICS, VA Consulting always ensures a personalised approach, based on detailed analysis of the real needs and size of the client.
In the definition of an advertising or communication project, it is crucial for the marketing to have a benchmark of reference.
In fact, the initial definition of the project costs is one of the pivotal points that are impossible to disregard in order to have a global vision and an optimization of the total expenses. Just to mention a few examples, we can think about starting a competition among agencies, shooting a commercial, a radio spot or a digital campaign, an e-commerce system, a website, a social campaign or a post-production adaptation, or even developing creative material meant for sales points or an event.
This step takes place throughout the communication within the marketer, who needs a campaign for its own brand, and the Finance/Purchase Department of the company that has to allocate the budget for its development.
How to make sure that the Communication and Marketing Department manages to illustrate to all the members the project itself and especially the correct cost report?
The answer is: using specific skills and a benchmarking tool, such as the System-SICS, a single system of analysis and management of marketing and benchmarking projects.
What is System-SICS
System-SICS is a system specifically designed to provide the customer with the possibility to access a database of about 140.000 quotations belonging to 12.000 marketing campaigns already carried out in all industry sectors.
Last October, System-SICS has been enriched by Influencer benchmarking and Ratecard Calculator forms (read here). Now this system is part of the benchmark activities of VA Consulting and is intended to support the marketing department at the time when it is necessary to understand how much money the company will spend for every section of the project, giving the Finance and Procurement units the correct figures, in order not to throw up unpleasant surprises.
Furthermore, looking deeply into this point, VA Consulting monitors each step of the campaign making, in order to ensure that the funds previously allocated are properly used and for the appropriate day-by-day supervision, which is also useful in the event that some changes and cost variations happen in the making.
Every benchmark provided by VA Consulting using the System-SICS is calibrated on the dimensions and on the real customer requirements, who can also benefit from the VA Consulting experience in its application and reading.
«The application of this tool to its own projects paves the way for a work-in-progress with which it is possible to develop a historical profile of the customer company, on which we can adjust the efficiency for the future investments in the advertising and communication fields. » Alessandro Arbitrio, CEO @ VA Consulting – Advertising Production Advisory & Cost Control, explains.
READ MORE: Engage magazine
The new emergency pushes the market to make use of great consultancy not only for problems related to cancellation or postponement of events, but also to the ones connected to production and that outline new messages.
Taking a look at advertisements on the TV in the last few months allows to note that something is deeply changed. Lately, we indeed experienced a fast shift in perspective in the major television campaigns which are no longer putting the focus on the product – that seems to act as a backdrop – but on values and people instead, whether they are the targets or production companies partners. Being forced to stay at home for such a long time has led to take effect on both consumers’ habits and advertising production. People are using up more television content (+17% during daytime compared to the same period in 2019), digital content (+50% of news, videos, chats and productivity), also buying more products online (+20% than in 2019).
This rise in figures is due to the time spent at home and to new needs, among which positive messages, especially related to family. Advertisement has been able to monitor and meet these needs, often thanks to domestic settings of commercials. All of this leads to two reflections: advertising world has slowed down its growth, but has never stopped. We will fully grasp the new opportunities dictated by the aforementioned increased percentages, only by following some important recommendations in the production field.
How to handle audiovisual productions and their (possible) cancellation
With current restrictions to movement, in a constantly evolving situation, it would be appropriate: to be flexible; to use personal photo/video archives; to talk in streaming with its agency in order to solve eventual problems; to adapt the script to new demands (talking about values, community, future hugs even before the product, but always with the foresight not to cause panic in consumers, using campaigns suitable to drive them to the urgency of purchase); to cast talent adept at embodying the new messages; avoid crowded sets and excessive interaction among the actors and with the crew. Options in computer graphics will surely be the future of advertisement, as in the cinema. Moreover, it is fundamental to verify that the costs of cancellation or postponement of audiovisual productions are revised in detail, in order to check the not refundable expenses. A review of the insurance policies will show which costs may or may not be covered by clauses linked to pandemic, taking into consideration that eventual complaints or refund requests related to Covid-19 could hardly be fulfilled and certainly not quickly. It will also be important to reassess talents’ contracts because of the current situation.
What to do if an event is cancelled
If an event related to advertising or film world is cancelled due to Covid-19, it is necessary: to review insurance covers in order to verify if a cancellation policy exists; to double-check the agreements with agencies, production partners and third parties for possible terms of cancellation; to negotiate their feasible fees, also verifying whether there are state deals to facilitate practises. Finally, please be aware of a possible alternative, that is the choice to organize a virtual event that can be substitute for the live one.
<< In this context, the must-have is maximising the efficiency of marketing and communication operations, considering the investment and the channels to use in the most appropriate manner. Competitions and selections of creative agencies, TV commercial productions and photoshoots, events and press campaigns have been cancelled or postponed. However, this situation does not preclude that we will find new opportunities to communicate through digital channels >> Alessandro Arbitrio, Ceo @ VA Consulting – Advertising Producion Advisory & Cost Control, explained.
READ MORE: Engage marketing
The pitch management & agency selection criteria in the creative sector, according to VA Consulting. Now more than ever, during Covid-19 emergency, brands, managers, agencies, media, consultants, the entire advertising industry, are undergoing huge changes, implementing real revolutions in their single way of operating.
In light of recent international upheavals, the ones involved in business adv models are forced to re-parameterize their production approach strategies.
Many accepted the challenge, choosing alternative production models: shooting safely and remotely, taking advantage of the material already filmed, ensuring the on-air of effective and valuable spots for the TV channels, as the leading media to achieve a good penetration rating.
As for the pitches, is it possible to deal with them remotely?
Agencies and advertisers are more than willing to face the selection and therefore not postpone the processes until further notice
“The technologies and operating methods we have today can support us in managing the briefs remotely. It will also be important to simplify the business models supporting the pitches to optimize the assignment timing ”, says Alessandro Arbitrio, CEO of VA Consulting, the company specialized in production advisory & cost control.
“As a client-agency relationship manager it is important to understand how to support marketing in choosing the agencies to be involved in the pitch, as it is essential to guarantee a fluid and transparent process to obtain the most appropriate proposal, in line with the market benchmarks, especially in this moment of global crisis ”continues Arbitrio.
“Due to the reallocation of investments previously destined for ATL productions into recovery plans, we are experiencing a significant increase in agency pitch on new advertising projects in the digital and social area. A strategy shared also by the companies that before COVID19 had planned the realization of events or participation in trade fairs”.
“On the other hand, between streaming, e-commerce, digital news, the number of people accessing social media is clearly increasing in all age groups and our role as advisory & cost consultancy firm is also to support the customer in the management of budgets and their strategic containment “concludes Alessandro Arbitrio.
READ MORE: Engage magazine – COVID-19’s Impact | The new role of the advertising industry
Strength objectives, efficiency of communication operations and orientation towards innovation: that’s the advice of the company specialized in production consultancy and cost control to face the crisis proactively.
The speed and global spread of Coronavirus have led to a huge change in people’s behavior, they act with new patterns that are no longer predictable.
This is testified by different and new ways of working, such as smart working: not too long ago, in Italy, only 2% of Italian employees worked from home, today this percentage is clearly and exponentially growing, also involving those who work, in various ways, in the advertising world.
The watchword for brands is also “flexibility”.
How does the advertising world adapt to the changing needs of the COVID-19 world of customers?
In times as inauspicious as those that are taking place following the health emergency, the choice towards which to strive is to optimize investments to weather the storm.
Brands can make a difference, offering a positive and driving vision in the varied consumer habits. This VA Consulting’s advice, the independent firm that offers advice on the optimization of marketing investments.
“In this context – explains CEO Alessandro Arbitrio – the must-have is to maximize the efficiency of marketing and communication operations, evaluating in the most appropriate way investments and channels to be used. Pitch and selection of advertising agencies, TVC production, shootings, events and print campaigns have been canceled or postponed. However, this does not preclude that new opportunities to communicate can be found through digital channels ».
The transition to virtual alternatives is already clear: the explosion of digital consumption (from productivity to chats) with peaks by + 50% in the news and video sector and the e-commerce exploit which, compared to last year, increases even by 20% for the same base, they are proof of this. More and more companies are making their services available through digital apps and tools, which allow the systems to operate and ensure the safety of customers and employees.
“History provides evidence that brands can overcome difficult situations – continues the manager -. Some brands have bravely faced moments of crisis through innovation, customer relations, alternative pricing models and transparency in communications, while many of their competitors have stopped communicating or have remained loyal to old business models without investing in the relationship with consumers and thus losing their trust ».
Cutting the budget for some realities at this moment could be counterproductive, optimizing or reallocating it instead could make a difference in the future. “Our role today as production advisory & cost control, is even more to support our customers, providing them with the right tools to contain costs, helping them to emerge and adapt in such a difficult and inauspicious period of change”, concludes Alessandro Arbitrio.
READ MORE: Youmark magazine – VA Consulting and Movie Auditor
The two companies announce their new collaboration to guarantee their customers an even more complete and specific control on investments in marketing and advertisement.
Movie Auditor & Consultant is the first Italian cost controlling company for the advertising production in the creative sector. Founded in 1989 by Gian Paolo Casini, today it’s headed by Pietro Casini, in collaboration with Nino Vanoli.
VA Consulting, Production Advisory & Cost Control company led by CEO Alessandro Arbitrio, was founded in 1994 by Vitaliano Arbitrio, it’s based in Rome and Milan and is active and operating in over 35 countries.
The partnership is meant to offer its customers increasingly thorough and integrated skills. Thanks to Movie Auditor, VA Consulting strengthens its significant expertise in the cost controlling of ATL (TV spot) productions and Movie Auditor, in turn, integrates its services with strong skills in the field of agency pitch & selection, TTL (digital & social media), KOL (influencer) and BTL (point of sales materials), event & PR offered by VA Consulting.
“We are very happy with this partnership” say Alessandro Arbitrio and Pietro Casini “being able to collaborate with professionals who share our vision allows us to offer an increasingly distinctive service, in all sectors.” ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
(In the picture, from left to right: Stefano Arbitrio, Pietro Casini, Nino Vanoli, Alessandra Pasquini, Fabio Arbitrio e Alessandro Arbitrio).
