The Agency You Love

Last winter, the leadership at our agency gathered for a long working lunch of introspection. For 15 years, we’ve been helping our clients build out their brands, teasing out and articulating the mission, vision, and values that differentiate them in their market. However, we were chagrined to realize… we had never taken the time to define those foundational pillars at our own company. 

“>That working lunch was just the beginning of a journey to tell our own story — a story we all sort of understood but had never formalized — that would carry over many months, with every team member at every level making deeply felt contributions in capturing the core of what makes us, us. However, a central tenet of our brand did emerge in that initial discussion. An ambition that came out organically, conversationally, and with pure earnestness: 

the advertising agency you love to work with

As soon as it was spoken, we all knew we had our Vision. This simple statement encapsulates the essence of why we have so many long-term clients, why staff turnover here is atypically rare for the industry, and why we all have so much fun. It’s short and sweet but has layered meanings and offers versatility as a brand element — customizable for clients, capabilities, and case studies.

the advertising agency you love to work with

From there, we explored what exactly we love about working with Agency 15 and the results of this reflection are summed up in our company Values:

agency 15 advertising agency values

While these Values are internal, they foster a culture, an aura, that our clients can feel, and feel good about. The positive vibes are grounded by our Mission statement, which underlines the ROI that comes with the pleasure of our partnership:

advertising agency mission: we reinvent, standardize and amplify brands, with a business mindset, to connect with audiences and achieve meaningful results

Put together, our Vision, Values, and Mission characterize Agency 15. But what does that character look like? How do they speak? What do they doodle in the margins? It became clear that our brand no longer aligned with our truth, and it was time to evolve. We’d done it before, when 15 Fingers the shop matured into FIFTEEN the agency. Now, that agency has self-actualized. We know who we are, we know who we are not, and we know where we’re going. Reinventing our brand was the natural next step.

agency 15 brand and advertising agency branding

Fun, right? It nails our energy, our creative perspective, our blend of informality and expertise that makes us so enjoyably effective for our clients. The new headshots and illustrations capture the personalities of our distinctive weirdos who happen to be really good at what they do. It’s been a blast to develop and roll out, and we’re all feeling more comfortable draped in a style authentic to who we are. 

Oh, and the orange couch remains front and center. We started as two guys and an orange couch, and we’ll always honor our hard-earned roots. We’re more appreciative than ever of our old girl, and all of the memories, people, and ideas who have impressed upon her cushions to shape who we are today.

agency 15 orange couch

So why now? This is not an ‘It’s about time,’ situation. It’s that ‘Now is the right time.’ 2024 marks the 15th anniversary of Agency 15, though the symmetry there is more coincidence than impetus. We’ve simply grown up. We’ve been through our (admittedly, often awkward) adolescence to achieve a harmonious balance of self-awareness, humility, and poise. This harmony could only bloom from experience, from finding the right recipe of people, and from the earned trust of our clients. Now, we step into our prime.

Enjoy our new website, and get in touch if you’re inspired to discuss how we can amplify authenticity and actualization in your own business.

agency 15, the agency you love to work with

Secure The Deal

Consumer data has become an extremely valuable commodity for businesses – unlocking a web of possibilities for customer targeting, market research, product enhancement and so much more. However, consumers are becoming increasingly aware (and concerned) about the privacy and security risks associated with data collection – as they should be. What does this mean for businesses hoping to harvest consumer data? You must first work to earn their trust, and present them with a worthy trade-off.

65% of consumers ranked "misuse of personal data" as the top reason they would lose trust in a brand.

HOW CAN YOU ESTABLISH TRUST WITH CONSUMERS?

BE TRANSPARENT

Transparency is the key to trust in any relationship – and that includes brand-to-consumer. Your consumers need a reason to want to share data with you. It’s important to be upfront about what data is needed, and why. Beyond explaining why it’s necessary, tell them how they will benefit from it, and what steps you’ve taken to ensure their personal data is protected. They’re more likely to authorize consent if you’re explicit and to-the-point, rather than if you bombard them with a request form full of legal jargon. In the case of privacy and security, asking permission is better than asking for forgiveness.

39% of consumers say the most important thing orgnizations can do to build trust regarding their data is provide clear information on how it's being used.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Who is your target audience? Where do they generally lie on the spectrum of privacy and security concern and consent hesitancy? It’s important to tailor your message appropriately. Too little explanation or lack of consent for an older audience might give off the impression that you’re taking advantage of their lack of digital literacy.

GIVE THEM CONTROL

People want leverage on how their data is being used. Building a consumer-mediated data exchange lets consumers manage their personal data and control how that information is used by your organization – giving them both authority and peace of mind. Prioritize consent from your consumers before collecting any data, and make information preferences and opt-ins/outs simple and straightforward.

81% of consumers believe that the way a company treats their personal data is indicative of the way it views them as a customer.

DELIVER VALUE

Consumers are looking for a return that benefits them as much as, or if not, more, than it benefits you. Make sure you’re delivering on the value they demand. Is it convenience? Is it a more streamlined process? Is it access to free content or insights? Is it for a better, more personalized app experience? Is it to advance research for the greater good? Pinpoint the biggest value(s) you’re able to give consumers in exchange for their personal data, and tell them exactly what they’re getting out of the bargain. They’ll be more willing to share data with you when they know the full value they’ll receive from you.

KNOW WHEN TO (AND NOT TO) USE THE DATA

It’s important to find the right balance between value and privacy concerns. Don’t overstep by collecting more data from consumers than you need, which might break trust. Figure out exactly what data you require to drive value for your business and your consumers. This will also help streamline your marketing strategy. 

If you’re working with an agency, like FIFTEEN, we can help you to decipher which data is most pertinent to your marketing strategy while sorting through the logistical and legal complexities of capturing consumer data and making sure that it’s secure – giving you the confidence to support your principle. Then we’ll communicate integrity and transparency in your data collection process, and rationale, to your consumers from the get-go using approachable, comprehensive language that earns you their trust. Once you’ve collected the data, we’ll help you digest the information and find new ways to strengthen your products, services or efficiencies.

Social Dilemma

With so many new and emerging social media platforms, it can be difficult to know where your business fits in. Each platform has unique demographics, features and algorithms that are constantly changing (more on that here). Which platform(s) should you be on? Where will you have the most success? 

While there’s no magic eight ball to answer these questions, there are some considerations that will make choosing your platform(s) easier (and a lot less overwhelming). Whether you’re just getting started on social, or looking to expand your social presence, here are some crucial factors to consider:

Is my audience on Tik Tok?

YOUR AUDIENCE

Perhaps one of the most important factors in any marketing campaign, your audience will help you determine which social media platform(s) will offer you the most success. Who exactly is your audience? How old are they? Where do they live? What interests them? Are they educated? How do they use social media? These are all important questions to ask yourself before jumping onto the latest new platform. Our 2023 State of Social Report will help you discover which demographics are using which platform(s).

YOUR BUSINESS

What is your business? What types of products or services do you offer? Does your brand have a developed personality? All of these considerations will greatly influence your social platform selection. If your brand is very visual or creative, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest or Lemon8 might appeal to your content and audience. If your business is service-oriented, Facebook may be a great place to generate leads. If you sell products with an array of instructional videos, YouTube might be the best host. Many businesses may lend themselves to multiple social channels, where they can connect with their audience in different ways or showcase different facets of their business. 

YOUR COMPETITORS

Who are your competitors, and where do they live in the social space? Do a little competitor research to find out what platforms they’re using, how they’re engaging with their audience and what type of content they’re sharing. Then, look at what’s working for them, and what’s not, before deciding where it makes most sense for your business to have a presence. You’ll want to exist on the platforms they’re most successful if you want to grow your audience through social users. 

YOUR GOALS & CONTENT

Why are you hopping on (or already on) social media in the first place? Once you’ve thought about your overall social media goals and strategy, then you can decide which platforms are best for helping you reach those goals. For example, if you’re looking to your social to help promote you as a thought leader in your industry, LinkedIn or Twitter might help you achieve that better than Instagram or Pinterest with trending topics and blog shares. If customer support is a priority for you, Facebook might be a great platform to start. If capturing attention through photos and video or connecting with lifestyle influencers for product promotion is a goal for you, Instagram might be your platform. If you’re looking to social for e-commerce capability or product/service ads, Instagram or Facebook can give you a boost. 

YOUR BANDWIDTH

Effectively managing a social media account (ie. engaging with your audience on a regular basis, utilizing your social platform to its advantage, responding to users, etc.) requires a significant amount of time and energy. It’s important that you consider your team and your resources before choosing the platform(s) your business exists on. That also includes equipment and capabilities. Do you have the time and resources to edit TikTok videos or fact-check Twitter re-shares?

Do I have time to fact-check Twitter?

By the way, if you’re looking for help navigating the social world, we’re here for you!

Creatively Serving Our Community

Our love for our Western New York community runs deep. Many of us were born and raised here – and don’t plan on leaving the place we love to call home – while the rest of us, welcomed with open arms, settled in as proud WNY locals. Native or not, our hearts belong to the City of Good Neighbors, and we love that we get to make an impact with our work right here, right now. 

Giving back to our community through pro bono work has always been a central pillar of our values, and we’re very intentional about the people and efforts we choose to support. In an effort to democratize the process for how we select these partnerships, our internal DE+I Committee created The FIFTEEN Project – empowering our entire team to choose the organizations that most align with our passions, abilities, and potential for impact. Our focus is on those who have been historically underrepresented as marketing and advertising agency clients. 

We’re extending The FIFTEEN Project application to everyone who meets our eligibility criteria, while also giving all members of team FIFTEEN a say in which nonprofits and Minority and/or Women-Owned Businesses (MWOB) we support. We’ll be donating a total of 400 hours to pro bono clients (donation to be renewed annually). Our services include branding, website design and development, video production and photography, social media, public relations, content marketing, event activation and more.

how it works to apply for project FIFTEEN for free advertising and marketing services for companies in western new york

Where To Apply

If you’re a certified Minority and/or Women-Owned Business (MWOB) OR 501c3 in WNY, visit agency15.com/de-i to apply!

We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve, uplift and work alongside so many amazing local businesses, organizations and causes with our passions and talents. Empowering marginalized or more vulnerable business owners, teams and organizations in our community is something that is very important to us, and we hope to make their voices and initiatives heard through our charitable work. We hope you’ll help us out with nominations!

Everyday AI

A LOOK AT THE AI YOU USE ON THE REGULAR

All this talk of AI… you might feel removed from the conversation, yet there’s so much of it that you use unknowingly on a regular, even daily basis. AI is everywhere, from your Instagram feed to your next binge show selection, to your day to day work processes. And it’s only going to become more prevalent in our jobs, our play and our routines. Knowing the everyday AI that you already use might help you better understand how AI is working its way into so many aspects of our lives, and how it’s going to grow in the future.

Ai used in advertising. reads, "chances are,"
  • SOCIAL MEDIA
    AI is working behind the scenes of your favorite social platforms to customize your feeds (and ads) based on your interests and preferences, to spot and remove fake news or offensive content, and to gather data to improve user experience.
  • EMAIL
    Email systems’ AI technology is filtering and sorting your emails (such as spam, promotional or non-urgent content). And the suggested replies? That’s AI!
  • DIGITAL ASSISTANTS
    Siri, Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant… these know-it-alls are AI-powered to decode queries and deliver answers in a natural, conversational manner.
  • STREAMING SERVICES
    Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, YouTube… the streaming services you use daily are always suggesting new shows, movies and music that sync so perfectly with your taste with the help of AI, which makes its best judgment based on your preferences.
  • NAVIGATION
    The navigation tools we’ve come to rely on for all of our travels – apps like Google Maps and Waze – use AI to enrich digital maps with real-time road features and determine the best possible routes to your destination, helping you get from A to B without traffic or road work concerns.
  • WRITING TOOLS
    Tools like Grammarly and Wordtune use advanced AI to check and correct spelling, punctuation, style and other writing mistakes – even plagiarism. Apple’s iOS software, Google’s Gboard keyboard and Samsung have predictive text functions that base suggestions on past conversations, browser searches and other sources to aid your writing.
  • WORKFLOW AUTOMATION
    AI algorithms are driving many of today’s work and business processes, such as appointment scheduling, data migration, expense and budget management, loan approvals, supply chain automation and manufacturing automation.

This just scratches the surface of AI, and its increasing ubiquity. It’s hard for us to wrap our heads around the fact that it’s still only in its beginning stage – there is plenty more potential for AI to transform our society and the world. And now, you can spot it just a little easier!

Curious how AI is affecting advertising? Click here to find out!

One Step Ahead

Most clients think in terms of the finished product: how the redesigned website is going to look and function, the impact a new TV ad will have on business, or what news coverage will amount from the latest press conference. And if we’re doing our jobs at FIFTEEN correctly, that’s all they should be concerned about. The very existence of advertising agencies is based on producing work that’s so good and building trust that’s so implicit, clients can concentrate on running their businesses.

However, there’s a lot that goes into that website, TV spot and news conference clients may not necessarily know about, like making sure they meet government regulations, adhere to a set of professional standards, and don’t claim to be something they’re not. Today we’re going to pull back the curtain to show some behind-the-scenes considerations we take into account when producing work on behalf of our clients in order to protect their integrity and reputation.

  1. ADA Compliance. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act states that all private businesses must maintain an environment that’s accessible by all which has extended to websites over time. Captions on videos, pre-recorded audio descriptions and text magnification software are all ways we can ensure accessibility for all website users. Be sure to read our checklist or download the PDF that includes what websites need to be ADA compliant for more info.
  2. Copyright Laws. While it may seem incredibly tempting to use familiar music in your ad, you can also open yourself up to a world of trouble (and litigation). That’s because of those pesky things called copyright laws, which protect the original artist’s intellectual property. Even if a piece of music is part of the public domain, a recent recording of it might make the copyright still in effect. This means whoever uses it without permission could be held liable. Luckily, we have access to many royalty-free music options for our clients, like this catchy tune we used for a recent Rich’s spot.
  3. Contest and Sweepstakes Rules. Contests, giveaways, and sweepstakes are a great way to excite and engage your audience, but implementing them takes some careful planning and wording. First, you need to determine if you’ll be running a contest or a sweepstakes. Contests involve some skill and winners are chosen based on certain criteria, while sweepstakes winners are chosen at random. Then, there’s the standard no purchase necessary stipulation, and we haven’t even talked about how rules can vary from state to state. With all of the contests AND sweepstakes we’ve run for Upstate Farms, Intense Milk and Bison Foods, it’s safe to say we’ve got this down pat.
  4. Underwriting vs. Advertising. Depending on the product, service, target audience, and budget, we may recommend clients place spots on public radio or television broadcasting stations instead of traditional outlets, like the local NBC affiliate or Top 40 station. However, NPR and PBS have specific parameters content must fall within to consider it appropriate and within FCC standards. Using subjective language, explicit calls to action, and making unsubstantiated claims are all prohibited when it comes to underwriting. For example, while we cannot say a client’s pizza is “the cheesiest and most delicious,” we can say “it’s made with artisan cheeses and baked in a clay oven” or instead of “go to xyz website to request a quote today,” “request a quote at xyz website” is correct. Knowing all of these nuances only comes with knowledge and experience.
  5. Codes of Ethics. Yes, public relations practitioners have a bad rap of being “spin doctors;” alas, that’s a subject for another day. But did you know there’s actually a Code of Ethics all members of the Public Relations Society of America pledge to follow? The pledge encompasses values ranging from honesty to advocacy to independence. There are certain practices they simply won’t engage in, as innocent as the intent is. Want to send a journalist a free product in hopes he/she will write positively about it? How about providing some audience members with questions to ask at a town hall meeting to make sure certain talking points get brought up? Should you “forget” to mention you own stock or are on the board of a client’s competitor? Nope, nope and nope.

With all of these different guidelines, standards and codes to follow, it’s easy to see how “creativity” actually has a lot of parameters. It’s so important for businesses to work with experienced professionals who always have their best interests in mind.

What We Look For In Potential Candidates

With graduation around the corner, amidst the influx of post-pandemic job seekers, we thought we’d speak to the timelier-than-ever topic of recruitment through our own lens. More specifically, we’re diving into our talent search strategy as an advertising agency.

What do we look for in potential employee candidates? Obviously, there are some skills and qualities that are sought out by almost every employer, but there are others unique to agency-qualified prospects. Ultimately, we want to know if you’re a good fit for our team and bring something new and valuable to the table. It’s finding the best balance between talent and culture.

We recently spoke with Catapult, a client of ours specializing in executive search, for some insight on finding employees that meet this perfect combination of talent and culture. Senior Director of Talent, Paige Gullotti Nero, reinforced the importance of identifying candidates whose values align with your company’s – along with your mission and vision — through assessments and a consistent interview process.

“It’s important to really look behind the curtain to identify a candidates’ critical competencies, work styles, philosophies, values, behavioral preferences, core values and emotional intelligence to determine whether or not they’re a good fit for your team and the ways you collaborate.”

HMN Resources President and Senior Professional in Human Resources, Holly Nowak, says that the two most important qualities she looks for when hiring are “true interest in the opportunity and a growth mindset” — both stand-out traits that we’ve found make for success in the advertising world – and beyond.

A motto of ours at FIFTEEN is “personality over portfolio.” We look for someone who’s excited and passionate about what they do, with a desire to learn and grow, both personally and professionally. If you take a good look at our team, you’ll notice that every person has a passion, hobby or side hustle outside of their career. We believe it’s important to have outlets beyond the workplace to express ourselves, that make our lives just a little more meaningful while keeping us balanced. It also makes for a uniquely diverse and well-rounded office, where there’s so much to learn from and about each other every day. Our passion for learning transfers to our work, benefitting our clients as we delve into their products, services and culture in order to effectively communicate what they offer.

Below, we’ve categorized some of the most valuable skills and qualities we look for in potential agency additions.

ideation, innovation, storytelling, verbal & digital communication. Active listening, public speaking, networking, collaboration, project management, humility, passion, drive, and reliability

Wondering how you can improve your own hiring efforts? Learn how you can stand out among the competition with recruitment marketing.

What Is Stock Photography, Anyway?

Ever wonder what it’s like modeling for a stock photographer? How much would you get paid? What would you wear? What would you do if you ever saw yourself on a billboard advertising fecal incontinence medication?

And what is stock photography, anyway?

Chances are you see stock photography every day, multiple times a day, without even realizing. It’s a fairly common subgenre in the advertising world where marketers can pay photographers and online repositories to use images in a wide variety of materials: websites, magazines, bus shelters, brochures…

This got us to thinking: how exactly does one become a stock model (or a stock photographer, for that matter)? Is it something they fell into, or do they set out to do it? We decided to go straight to the source and ask the models and photographers themselves to share their experiences, and feel lucky to have gotten responses from such a wide array of people: both current and former; U.S. and internationally-based.

Sarah Skilton (@skiltongram) is a rom-com book author, but briefly had a stint as a stock model around 15 years ago, while between jobs as a production assistant and writer in LA.

“When you live in LA, it’s tempting to shoot your shot with showbiz because ‘Why not? It’s right there!’” she said. “I signed up at Central Casting in Burbank to be an extra, and within a week I was wandering around in the background of the TV show Alias. It was fun, so I looked at Craigslist for other jobs in front of a camera.”

Skilton said the category T4P, which stands for “Time for Prints,” helped get her foot in the door. “I gave them my time, and as payment, a photographer and make-up artist who were looking to try out new techniques, update their portfolios, or simply get more practice in, paid me with shots. This arrangement benefited all parties and I was happy to have free headshots and outdoor shots with professional equipment, hair and makeup, which I then used to secure paid work.”

Skilton said she was paid between $75 and $150 per shoot in 2005, and even though she only did it for about a year, the experience obviously had lasting effects, since one of the leads in her latest book, Hollywood Ending, has some misadventures as a print and fit model.

Cesar Garcia (@cesar_garcia_artist) is a stock model in Serbia, and said that even though he’d been making a living as an actor, about a year ago he decided to give stock modeling a try. “One day I started studying the market and said, ‘I can do that,’” he said. “I messaged brands and photographers, like thousands of them, and sent them my presentation and some good photos (from my acting jobs). Some of them wrote back and then I started to have photoshoots and make face-to-face connections and started to market myself online and make a visual CV.”

After a while, Garcia said, the jobs started coming to him, based on recommendations from previous gigs. Garcia’s genre is mostly business or corporate-type shoots, such as for hotels and restaurants. He’s also seen an uptick in COVID-type photography that includes masks and said even though he comes to set wearing his own clothes and does his own hair and makeup, having a definitive sense of style can help land more jobs. “In a few cases there’s been a specific wardrobe direction and the production staff gives me the exact clothes they want to wear,” he said. “However, having some nicer, flattering clothes in neutral colors without branding or labels can help bring in more jobs.”

Jonny Long, a Portland-based stock photographer and owner of Fly View Productions, has been producing visual media for the stock photo/video industry since 2011. He loves shooting lifestyle imagery, but admits he doesn’t always know what’s going to prove popular with download rates, although he’s aware of the growing demand for underrepresented demographics, which he tries to fulfill.

Long said that a lot of planning goes into his shoots, such as wardrobe, location and casting, plus more strategic considerations like current trends and keywords, all while trying to tie in relevant briefs delivered by the agency. Still, Long said the key for him is to remain flexible and be open to going with the flow.

“We try to come up with a plan and framework for our shoot days, but are completely okay with letting a shoot take on a life of its own,” he said. “More often than not, working with and taking what our talent gives us in addition to the elements/location leads to my favorite content. I usually have a plan, and that plan is frequently thrown out the window as I don’t want my stubborn ideas of what I ‘need’ to get, to get in the way of what’s naturally unfolding in front of me.

“I’m always amazed at what does or does not take off,” he continued. “There are images or clips we shoot that I’m certain will be top downloaded assets that never have a single download, then there are others, that in my opinion aren’t even in the top assets from a particular shoot, that take on a life of their own and perform really well.”

Long frequently notices his work “out in the wild,” and said it’s fun to observe how it’s utilized. Billboards, magazines, trains/buses, and all over the Web are just some of the places he sees his photography. ”It’s especially fun to have content sent to us that people find globally, and to realize how far of a reach our media has worldwide,” he said.

Jordi Salas (@jordisalasphoto) was an established events photographer for 17 years in Spain before turning to stock photography in 2020, a move that was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said his favorite stock photography genre is lifestyle, and he enjoys shooting on location because it gives him the opportunity to meet different people. He also savors the challenge of blending his point of view with commercial photography styles and trying to make his shots as marketable as possible.

Salas echoed Long’s sentiments about noticing a shift with clients looking for diversity in his work. “I think the demand is growing every day; the clients are looking for natural and non-regular beauty,” he said. In fact, one of Salas’ top selling photos, one he sold to a major makeup company, is of a Latin American teenager with acne.

“Competition is extremely high, and it’s not easy to have sales,” he said. “Even if a stock agency like Getty or Shutterstock accepts your work, that doesn’t mean it’s going to sell. It can be frustrating, and I’m learning you need to have a very big and diverse portfolio in order to be successful. But the reward is also big: you will be able to shoot what you want, when you want and most important: you can be your own boss!”

For more information on when you should opt for original photography versus when it makes sense to go with stock, check out our handy chart and accompanying article here.

ADA Compliance Checklist

When FIFTEEN creates or updates a website for our clients, we want to make sure it’s accessible for everyone. That means we adhere to ADA compliance procedures for things like images, text and even overall comprehension. Otherwise, businesses may be open to lawsuits, like what happened to the pizza chain Domino’s in 2019. Below are just a few guidelines we follow. How do they compare to your company’s website?

  • Images and graphics make content more aesthetically pleasing and easier to comprehend, especially for those with cognitive and learning disabilities.
  • The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) suggests avoiding images of text if the text needs to be read by a user, except in the cases of logos and brand names.
  • Images and other non-text content needs ALT text, the image descriptions captured behind-the-scenes that are read aloud to blind or visually impaired users via a screen reader.
  • Not only does this help optimize search results, but without it, a screen reader would only be able to say “IMAGE” and the context of the website would be lost.
  • Text must be able to be resized up to 200% without negatively affecting readability and website navigation.
  • Ensure that default fonts are no smaller than 9 pt/12px, as smaller sizes may be illegible on some platforms.
  • Select colors that everyone can easily read and understand, and implement a color contrast ratio of 4.5:1 (text:background).
  • Color accessibility enables people with visual impairments or color blindness to interact with digital experiences in the same way as their non-visually-impaired counterparts.
  • Audio elements over 3 seconds long must have the ability to be paused, stopped, or muted, or have volume control independent of the overall system volume level.
  • Hearing impaired individuals, as well as non-native speakers, use captions to experience audio content, which helps with comprehension and recall.
  • Present content in a meaningful sequence so that it reads logically.
  • If visual or auditory assistive technology alters the presentation format, the context is still implied.
  • All content and functions on a website must be accessible by keyboard only (no mouse required).
  • Keyboard users must be able to access all interactive elements (forms, drop-down menus, buttons, etc.), not just the main navigation or in-line links.


For full ADA compliance guidelines go to: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/…

Download our checklist here.

Big News: FIFTEEN Accepted Into The 4A's

Imagine an advertising agency that had access to countless proprietary resources to serve clients better, both through internal functionality and creative impact. Every agency would want it, right?

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our acceptance into the American Association of Advertising Agencies, or 4A’s. It’s an industry organization founded in 1917 to promote, advance and defend the interests of member agencies, employees and the overall advertising community.

The 4A’s only has around 600 member agencies across the country, but their influence is huge, directing more that 85% of the country’s advertising spend, and it’s an honor to be considered among its ranks.

As members, we have the 4A’s vast resources at our disposal, including research and thought leadership, benchmark data, training and development, and business intelligence and insight, just to name a few. We’re also able to network with other agencies across the U.S., and have a voice in setting our industry’s agenda.

The 4A’s cornerstones of advocacy, talent and impact are what we value as well. For over 10 years, FIFTEEN has strived to bring its clients unique experiences that foster audience engagement, interaction and activation. We believe the basis of advertising comes from the human experience, which is why we strive to create impactful connections that incite action, loyalty and growth. The 4A’s will help us further achieve that.

We can’t wait to fully utilize our membership and the unique opportunities the 4A’s affords us, and sharing these insights with our clients.

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