Thanks to @snesareva for providing one of this week’s top questions. Remember, get your questions about advertising, business, the economy and more answered every Wednesday by posting comments to blog posts or on Twitter via #askjz.

“What are the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities for Zimmerman Advertising? Where is the agency going?”

One of Zimmerman’s biggest strengths is the Brandtailing™ philosophy on which the agency was built. Brandtailing bridges the gap between brand and retail marketing. It’s the concept of building a brand over time and building sales overnight. This difference and our unrelenting focus on our client’s bottom line has always and will always set us apart from the rest of the ad industry.

We are lucky to have incredible, incredible clients. One reason our relationship with our clients is so successful is because we have a true partnership with each and every one of them – we aren’t vendors, contractors or service providers. (Check out my recent guest column in Adweek for more on this subject.) However, this also means that we’re not right for everyone, which could be viewed as a weakness. Instead, we are quick to embrace it. Because we recognize that while we may not be right for everyone, we are the perfect fit for some.

As far as threats go, the economy is going to continue to be a challenge. Advertising dollars will stay the same or shrink for some time still to come, forcing companies to make tough decisions. This, however, may be Zimmerman’s biggest opportunity to shine. We have always been about results. We have always focused on the input and outcome of our creative work, not the output. It’s what we do. It’s what makes our clients so successful. And it’s what sets us apart from every other ad agency out there.

There’s nowhere for Zimmerman to go from here other than UP, UP, UP!!! 2009 was a great year for us. We kicked off 2010 with big new client announcements in a row…and we haven’t looked back since. We will continue to grow, continue to win new business, continue to expand into other retail sectors, and continue to KICK SOME SERIOUS ASS!!!

Thanks for your questions. Keep them coming so you can get straight answers from me here or at #askjz.