Adverts, adverts all around. How does it feel to be in one though?
Advertising? What do you think? Does it really help a business grow?
I don’t know and quite frankly this week’s blog won’t give you the answer to that question; yet it is a topic I want to talk about because as chance would have it, this week has been big on advertising for me.
Avid readers of this blog may recall me mentioning that at the start of the year I found myself being in a huge advertising campaign for a global insurance company.
This week, the company (AXA Insurance) decided to roll out the campaign again so I was pleasantly taken aback when I was walking through a major train station in London and saw myself on the giant video billboard in the middle of the concourse. It turns out that they have the adverts re-running for 6 weeks across the UK so I better get used to seeing myself blown up (so to speak).
Who am I kidding? It’s such a fun thing to experience. I have absolutely no idea if it will actually have any positive impact on my business, Shiageto Consulting, but it certainly did make for a fun family day out this weekend as we went billboard spotting around London.
In addition to that, earlier in the week AXA had released a short video that I had shot for them to support another campaign they launched over the summer so suddenly it feels like I really am everywhere (ok, I better reign in the hyperbole).
I said I couldn’t comment on the impact of advertising on my business and I can’t (time will tell on that front, although from the first time the campaign ran I definitely had some reach out from existing/former clients to acknowledge it so maybe it did have some small impact) but there is something else that is important to note — the impact the billboards had on me.
What’s the impact they had on you?
It’s completely egotistical but seeing myself on a giant billboard and a video definitely helped give me a positive uplift.
As a small business owner, I’ve talked about how important your own mindset can be on your business and the importance of positivity.
Certainly after a difficult few weeks, having this land at my door was fantastic. It gave me such a lift which flowed through into everything I did for the rest of the week.
Every meeting was a bit more enthusiastic, every new business opportunity seemed to go a little better, each new person I met we seemed to have a better connection. Again, there is no immediate metric here but it definitely feels like this will flow through into my business and other aspects.
In fact, the positive uplift has seen me embrace advertising even further…
What’s going on?
Well, it’s early days but I have decided to get Shiageto out there in the world of advertising and we will soon be dipping our toes into the mighty world of sponsorship for a football team.
Hold your horses, it’s not one of the big teams (unless you count Division 6 as big) but it’s a start and will get some excellent exposure for the business as we continue to grow — more news to follow soon.
Conclusion
So, is advertising the solution to everything? No is the simple answer! But, it’s definitely been an exciting advertising week for me and Shiageto so join us next week to find out what other adventures await…
Faris is the CEO and Founder of Shiageto Consulting, an innovative consultancy that helps firms and individuals sharpen their effectiveness.
Success = IQ x EQ x FQ
