We know that some of the brightest bulbs in Adlandia like to invent their own products and bring them to market, when they’re not busy polishing their reels. It’s a healthy exercise and all that…
According to Ad Age, London’s Bartle Bogle has a unit called Zag dedicated to the practice.
The idea is to identify “brand lag” — areas where consumers are active but there are few brands.
For instance, only 12% of people describe themselves as vegetarians, but 86% of adults eat meatless meals at least once or twice a week. That’s brand lag, and Zag is there to fill it with Pick Me, a vegetarian meals company that Zag hopes will be a $15 million retail business within a year.
Anyone at BBH can contribute to — and profit from — the Zag division. There is an annual competition for the best new idea, which was won this year by a pregnancy-nutrition brand. The winner’s prize money of 2008 pounds (upped to 2009 pounds next year) is suspended in a glass ball in the agency’s reception area until it’s claimed.
