Remember when AI was fun? It wasn’t that long ago. AI in advertising was the shiny new tool everyone was talking about. It could write copy, create images, analyze mountains of data and help agencies do things that once took hours, or even days, in minutes. It was exciting. Then, seemingly overnight, the conversation changed....
One of the greatest lessons I learned in more than forty years in the advertising agency business is this: You don’t really know what you can accomplish until you stop waiting for someone else to tell you it’s okay. We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission.” While I wouldn’t recommend...
Most companies don’t have a marketing problem. They have a courage problem. In boardrooms and marketing meetings across the country, the same conversation happens every day: “Let’s not do anything too controversial.” “Let’s stick with what we’ve always done.” “Let’s not take any chances.” On the surface, that sounds responsible. After all, risk is something...
Marketing is noisy. Every week, there’s a new “must-do” trend, a new platform to master, or a new tool promising to transform your business overnight. But let’s be honest, most of it doesn’t matter. And for clients and businesses trying to make smart decisions, clarity is more valuable than chasing every shiny object. So, how...
There’s a moment – brief, almost imperceptible – when your audience decides what to do with you. Stay… or leave. Lean in… or scroll past. Engage… or ignore. That moment lasts about seven seconds. And in today’s environment, it’s often even shorter. We like to think people carefully consider messaging, weigh value propositions, and thoughtfully...
“Advertising doesn’t create a product advantage. It can only convey it.” Bill Bernbach. Now, many of you who are practicing modern day marketing might be saying to yourself, who the heck is Bill Bernbach. Well, it takes a real ad junkie to know that Bernbach was the godfather of modern advertising. One of the greatest...
In an industry where buzzwords and generalizations often cloud the conversation, it’s crucial to peel back the layers and focus on the essence of what businesses truly seek in an advertising agency partner. Despite all the rhetoric about innovation, disruption, and creativity, my 45 years of experience with businesses of all sizes have allowed me...
In the rapidly evolving world of advertising, businesses continue to look at marketing return on investment (ROI) as their number one priority. No doubt, with the ever-evolving media landscape, determining what media will deliver the biggest bang for the buck is the holy grail. Each planning cycle, ROI remains the number one goal which of...
In a world saturated with information and content, it’s easy to overlook the profound impact that great creative work can have on all of us. Whether it’s a captivating piece of art, an inspiring story, or a powerful message, the essence of creativity lies in its ability to capture our attention, challenge our thinking, and...
As I am approaching 46 years in the advertising agency business – from Madison Avenue to Orlando and everything in between – I am often asked what advice I would give to build a winning local advertising agency. Of course I could write a book on such a subject, but ultimately my readers digest answer...