What Makes Advertising Agencies In Boston Unique?
Boston is a world-renowned center for higher education. Each year, the illustrious Harvard, MIT and Tufts universities attract high-end talent from across the world.
More precisely, Boston University, Emerson College or Suffolk University produce not only the globe’s top experts in advertising but thought leaders as well.
This immediately tells you that advertising agencies in Boston have teams of highly educated, skilled and talented advertisers.
The East Coast city stands at the forefront of education and culture, with healthcare, technology, tourism or finance fueling its economic growth.
In fact, the city enjoys a steady job growth which is expected to reach 42.5% in the next ten years.
Moreover, Boston has emerged as a significant tech hub on the US map. It added 10,704 new tech jobs between 2018 and 2019 only.
These are key reasons why Boston entices some of the finest advertisers in the country as well as the globe.
In addition, many Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the Boston metro area, including:
- Biogen
- Raytheon
- American Tower
- Eversource Energy
- And more
Serving brands like these, it’s clear that Boston ad agencies deal with some of the most high-paying clients and can successfully manage challenging campaigns.
Besides, the capital of Massachusetts has a higher cost of living than Washington, Los Angeles or Chicago.
The high level of competition within the industry and the equally high cost of living mean that only the best ad agencies are based in Boston.
How Big Is The Advertising Talent Pool in Boston?
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state of Massachusetts comes in second by concentration of ad jobs. Boston is the fourth US metro area with the highest employment level in advertising.
The field of advertising is expected to grow 6% from 2019 to 2029, faster than average, as indicated by the same source.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, companies across all industries will continue to invest in advertising to maintain and expand their market shares.
Therefore, the advertising talent pool in Boston will certainly grow in the upcoming years.
What Does A Boston Advertising Agency Specialize In?
Unlike its competitors elsewhere in the world, advertising agencies in Boston have acquired deep expertise in providing ad services for the locally dominant sectors.
The leading industries in Boston are:
- Education
- Healthcare
- Finance
- Biotechnology
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- And more
Much as any other ad agency in the world, a Boston-based one specializes in a number of advertising and marketing services that help businesses increase brand awareness, boost sales, launch new products and more.
A Boston advertising agency typically provides these services:
- Branding – strategy, identity, naming, messaging
- Advertising materials – online ads, TV and radio spots, traditional print ads, billboards and more
- Media buying
- Social media marketing
- Integrated marketing campaigns
- Brand activation campaigns
- Event marketing
- Email marketing
- Video production
- And many more
What Are The Different Types Of Boston Ad Agencies?
Comprising both creative and strategic facets, advertising is a wide field that uses many channels and platforms to score multiple objectives.
Therefore Boston ad agencies can be categorized in a few different ways, based on the services they provide:
- Full-service advertising agency
- Branding agency
- Traditional ad agency
- PR advertising company
- Digital advertising agency
- Design company
- Advertising & marketing agency
- Promotional agency
- Media buying and planning company
- And more
How Much Do Boston Advertising Agencies Charge?
Most advertising agencies in Boston price their services by the hour, though some may ask for a retainer fee also.
Most Boston advertising agencies charge between $125 and $190 per hour. The typical cost for a project is between $10,000 and $25,000.
Given the competition in the industry and the cost of living, the prices are higher than in other parts of the US.
Why Hire A Boston Advertising Agency?
Considering Boston is a magnet for top academic talent, the ad agencies are sure to offer high-quality services.
Here are a few reasons why you should hire advertising agencies in Boston:
- High-end talent pool: Given its multitude of higher learning educational institutions, Boston draws top-level talent from across the nation and the globe. This results in a highly qualified workforce that can offer internationally competitive output and expertise.
- Innovation mentality: Thanks to their closeness to MIT and the many tech players in Boston, these agencies have teams of advertisers with an innovation-focused mindset. They can devise fresh and creative strategies that can help you outshine your competitors and dazzle your audience.
- Services at market rates: The city of Massachusetts has lower living expenses than New York or San Francisco. This means advertising agencies based there can offer the same quality of work at more affordable rates.
- Local market prowess: Operating and living in Boston, these agencies have gained deep expertise in the local market and are able to provide unique insights. Thus, they can help you better target audiences or reach new demographics within your industry, giving you a competitive edge.
How To Choose The Best Advertising Agency In Boston
There are many options to choose from in Boston, so selecting the best ad agency might get tough.
To ensure you’re making the right call for your business, take these four steps:
Step #1: Evaluate Their Portfolio
You should start by skimming through an agency’s portfolio. Examining their past work will provide you with valuable insights into their quality of work, creativity and resources.
Moreover, you’ll gain information about previous clients and what similar projects they have worked on. If they have expertise within your niche, that will be to your advantage in the long run.
The portfolio will also reveal their successful and least successful campaigns. You will learn if they follow emerging trends and are able to stay relevant, inventive and productive in their campaigns.
Step #2: See If They Can Match Your Brand Vision
Naturally, the top Boston ad agencies are able to come up with creative campaign ideas and crisp ways to execute them to yield the best results.
Despite that, you certainly have your own ideas and vision about your brand. Make sure the advertisers are in line with your thinking so that the whole branding process and further promotion goes smoothly.
Step #3: Ask About Their Team
The best advertising agencies in Boston only hire senior-level specialists meaning that no trainees or entry-level employees will work on your account. Having experts managing your entire projects will ensure the best possible results.
However, keep in mind that advertising agencies have teams of experts in different fields such as marketing, advertising, analytics, customer behavior and so on.
Therefore, it’s best to ask who will be in charge of your brand and how they work together to drive results. You should request their past areas of expertise and previous campaigns to learn exactly who will be at the helm of your brand.
Step #4: Learn About Their Company Culture
The previous track record of successful campaigns is essential, but an agency’s company culture is equally important.
Make sure to dive into their processes and workflow, see what kind of employees they are drawing. This way, you will better evaluate if they can adapt to your vision and brand identity during a campaign.
You can take a glance into their work environment once you go in for pitches. If the atmosphere seems inspiring but also productive, chances are you will spark up a positive business relationship.
10 Questions To Ask When Hiring Advertising Agencies In Boston
Before starting a partnership with an ad agency, make sure to gather as much information as you can into their quality of work, company culture, reliability or transparency.
Ask them these questions:
- What is your process for creating an original and effective ad campaign?
- How will you conduct audience analysis to define their pain points, wants and needs?
- Have you worked on similar projects or reached the same goals as our business?
- Can we see your most successful campaigns?
- How will you define the goals our brand needs to achieve?
- What type of tools do you use to measure the results of campaigns?
- How frequently will you monitor the goals and how often will you report on your progress?
- What is your pricing structure, flat rate pay or per hour?
- What is your strategy in case a campaign does not perform as predicted?
- Are you able to create a long-term campaign that unfolds with the ever-changing trends?
Takeaways On Boston Ad Agencies
Boston is a world-famous center for education attracting top-level specialists and qualified professionals from the whole country and the globe.
Therefore, it’s safe to say that Boston ad agencies provide the highest quality of services and can help your brand stand out in a saturated marketplace.
These are the key elements that differentiate Boston advertising agencies from their peers elsewhere in the world:
- High-end talent pool
- Innovative mindset
- Quality services at market rates
- Local market expertise
Most Boston ad agencies have an average hourly rate between $125 and $190.
To select the best agency for your brand, follow these key steps:
- Examine their portfolio
- Ensure they can match your vision
- Learn about their company culture
- Ask about the members on the team
