This December marked Snyder Group’s 25 year anniversary. Other than indicating that the founders may be on the “older” side of life’s equation, what business insights can be found by operating for a quarter of a century in the fast-changing world of advertising and marketing?

Insight 1: Focus on and Deliver To Client Objectives

When Snyder Group first opened our doors in 1995, marketing strategies were employed primarily through print and broadcast mediums.Think about it. The internet was just beginning to become a “thing” and emails (remember AOL?) were not a primary form of communication. We faxed, Fed Exed, made phone calls and traveled a lot for in-person meetings.

To be clear, Snyder Group has never been solely a creative agency, or a design/print shop, or a broadcast agency. Even though we’re creating and working on a lot of websites these days we’re certainly not only a website shop. What is consistent from then to now remains a focus on delivering to clear client marketing objectives. And that, I believe, has made all the difference in giving us a good 25 years, and still running. Rather than hanging a hat on any one marketing medium, we adopt and employ mediums that best deliver to client objectives.

Insight 2: Top 3 Business Drivers - Referrals, Referrals, and Referrals

I didn’t get into business learning the art of selling and sales. I was more drawn to the art of creative communication. For Snyder Group, referrals still remain the singular best source of new business. While this may not say a lot about our selling ability, it does say something about what people experience working with us. Good work begets good work.

From this perspective, one should never discount the power of referrals. Particularly over the long haul. At the end of the day (and week, month, year, decade - you get the idea) every new encounter, business and otherwise, has the potential to build a referral.

Typically, when potential sources for new business are explored, referral sources are often sidelined to the “it’s a given” category. Fast forward to “account based marketing” or “ABM” strategies and the notion of referral marketing becomes even more relevant.

Insight 3: Data Driven For Now, But What’s Next?

Marketing mediums that are working now, while seemingly indispensable, will most likely not be what drives sales and business in the future. As mentioned in the opening of this blog the print and broadcast strategies successfully employed 20 years ago are archaic now. Delivering success (and being successful) requires balancing marketing mediums that get traction now, while keeping an eye out for new mediums that best serve a client's sales and marketing objectives in the future. At the end of the day, or even at the end of 25 years, marketing experience and expertise supersedes any one marketing medium.

The Little Big Things

After 25 years it would be remiss not to mention the basics: Show up on time, do your best work (no matter what), tell the truth, and be kind. People matter and success in business is all about people.