Many people are surprised that I have been in the same industry – advertising – for 40 years. In fact, most are fascinated by the fact that I continue to be so passionate about what I do. I will certainly confess that this has been a great ride so far, and I don’t see it...
We understand that sometimes you bite off more than you can chew… We understand that some days you just can’t win… We understand that working hard seems to be getting harder… We understand meetings and deadlines and overtime… We understand that flights get delayed, and luggage gets lost… We understand that it’s hard to find...
I was having lunch recently with a gentleman who was asking me if I might consider being on the board of his organization. During the “getting to know each other” sequence he asked me about my career, and if things had changed dramatically since I entered the advertising agency industry in 1978. Then he asked...
In a climate of instant access, it’s getting harder to determine where and what should get our attention. With more responsibilities in our lives, we all feel an ever-increasing pressure to do more. We feel the stress of garnering new clients and full-scale customers as quickly as possible. With the constant pull of yet another...
Brands obsess about attention, and for good reason. A fractured media landscape makes it harder to get noticed, especially with attention spans getting shorter. Yet too many ads are trying too hard, and nothing pushes someone away more than desperation. Why are we still subjected to digital ad units that pop up and make it...
As many of you are aware, I bought the advertising agency I had been President of for ten years in 2014 and changed the name to 78Madison. Early on, while there were changes to how we conducted business philosophically, there was not a major shift in approach for our staff or clients. But now, eight...
Strange question when it comes to the subject of marketing and creativity. But in short, the answer is yes! Unfortunately, most advertising agencies are not willing to endure the pain that it takes to end up in the right place on behalf of their clients. So, what is good pain? Good pain is not accepting...
Was chatting with a friend of mine recently who was telling me how hard he was working to improve on his weaknesses. He said the task was difficult, but hopefully rewarding. I asked him why he was wasting time on weaknesses versus accentuating his strengths. He looked at me dumbfounded. Listen, like many, I worked...
An old advertising cohort and I used to go to lunch at Steak and Shake every Friday—back in the late 1980’s (ok, so I’m old) when in my humble opinion the franchise was under-managed, and the buildings were stuck in the 1950s. I remember thinking dozens of times; this is such a great product. What...
Recently we’ve been asked what Brand immersion is. In a sentence, Brand Immersion is the act of integrating your brand into your customer’s lifestyle – sort of what we are doing here with blogs. Over the past few years, it has become evident that consumers show preference for brands that engage them on an emotional...