Marketing and advertising are changing at a pace unequaled in history. New methods of communication, new technologies, and the ability of the consumer to interact with marketers have changed the landscape forever.

Has your business embraced the new communication opportunities? Just dipped your toe in the water to see how it feels? Or avoided them like the plague?

Winfield & Associates Marketing & Advertising is a marketing communications agency in Raleigh, North Carolina. We use and test old media and new for our clients, constantly analyzing results to gauge what works. In this new world of marketing we’ve discovered that the learning never stops.

One of the most important things we’ve learned is that common sense still applies. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Our most successful marketing campaigns have come from integrating multiple communication platforms, tracking the results, and making real time adjustments. Change is the one constant in our world today, and we embrace that change for the benefit of our clients and our business.

Creative Philosophy Our creative philosophy is a little different, and that’s probably  because we are a little different (in a good way, not a “you need a  restraining order” way).

We call it CONTRARIAN thinking.
The word  “contrarian” is defined as:

Taking the opposing view; rejecting the majority opinion

We’ve developed this philosophy over time because so much marketing  and advertising today is overlooked or quickly forgotten. The number  of advertisements and commercial messages people see every day is  estimated at 2,382,968. OK, that might be a slight exaggeration, but probably not that much.

The CONTRARIAN philosophy starts by asking “What’s the opposite of what the competition is doing?”

Sometimes the “opposite” is a great position for the business to take within their industry.

Other times the “opposite” is the starting point for exploring differentiators. The contrarian process gets our clients thinking in new ways and helps us gain a better understanding of their business.

Al Ries, a best-selling author and marketing guru, makes the case for contrarian thinking in a short article titled “The Marketing Importance of Being Opposite.” Published a few years ago, the companies he cites are excellent examples of how our thought process can benefit business.