Advertising 5.0: Who Will You Be?

As Upheavals Continue, Many Could Be in for a Rude Awakening

Posted by Tom Martin on 08.01.08 @ 04:30 PM

Tom Martin

What will the world of advertising look like for small agencies in five years? More important, what will your agency look like in five years? My crystal ball says many of us are in for a rude awakening.

Everyone is saying it (or, to be more accurate, whining about it). The advertising business is in a state of upheaval. Everyone is blaming it on technology and the rapid rate of change it is causing. Hello -- it ain't the technology, folks. The technological change is simply making it easier to diagnose the real challenge. The one that has been around since the dawn of our industry but that, thankfully, we've been able to sidestep.

Promotional Items: Stash or Trash?

Sometimes the Cheap Ones Stick Around the Longest

Posted by Doug Zanger on 08.01.08 @ 11:16 AM

Doug Zanger

In cleaning out my home office this week, I came across a bunch of promotional items that have accumulated over the years. They ranged from the fairly useless (mouse pads) to the somewhat useful (pads of paper) and everything in between.

Dealing With Stage Fright

Not All of Us Were Born Into Public Speaking

Posted by Phil Johnson on 07.30.08 @ 03:32 PM

Phil Johnson

I'm writing this from United 123, on my way from Boston to San Francisco. Later today, a couple of us are going to present a new brand strategy to the executive team of a client company. I believe we've done our homework. I'm confident that the thinking and the strategy are good. We've got some beautiful work that we'll be proud to show. But I've learned that it can all fall flat if we don't engage with the audience and bring them along. Once again, it strikes me that in our business, presentation skills can make or break an agency.

Success Rarely Happens in a Comfort Zone

Push Your Clients, Your Employees and Yourself

Posted by Bart Cleveland on 07.30.08 @ 01:11 PM

Bart Cleveland

We all have a comfort zone. For example, people who make ads tend to first create the ad in a voice that appeals to the audience they know best: themselves. This makes for some interesting creative reviews when the assignment is to sell health insurance to geriatrics -- since few of us have geriatrics on staff. I remind my staff that just as a great actor can convincingly portray characters much different from himself, ad makers must be able to communicate to any audience with their voice. To succeed at this particularly difficult task, they must get out of their comfort zones.

Vacations Aren't Just for Wimps

There's No Award for 15 Years Without a Day Off

Posted by Marc Brownstein on 07.23.08 @ 01:26 PM

Marc Brownstein

I am getting ready to head off to Maine for a much-needed summer vacation. If you've never been Down East, it's a special part of the world this time of the year.

Yet as I pack my suitcase, I can't help but think of all of the people I know in advertising and public relations who pride themselves on not taking vacations. Or at least a real one that lasts more than a few days. It's true. I know a handful of colleagues who brag about their "workhorse" ethic. Some of these folks, who I believe are very talented but short-sighted, haven't been away in 15 years. They consider the rest of us who take our vacation time wimps. Can't handle 52 weeks a year without a break!

Time to Learn Something New?

Or Time to Realize You Have to Delegate a Few Things

Posted by Doug Zanger on 07.21.08 @ 04:29 PM

Doug Zanger

I finally got around to Adobe Creative Suite last week. Actually, I finally got around to removing it from both my G5 and MacBook Pro. It's a perfectly good program. It has a tremendous amount of power and it is the industry standard.

The problem is that I'm mainly an audio guy.

How Will You Respond to Pricing Pressure?

Not All Profit Is Created Equally

Posted by Phil Johnson on 07.17.08 @ 12:51 PM

Phil Johnson

Every other Tuesday, the senior management team at PJA meets for an hour to review the state of the business. In the early days of the agency, the meetings were somewhat free-form and an opportunity for a handful of us to get together and divvy up the work. Now, with a staff of 50-plus, and two offices, we need a lot more discipline. I usually try to keep the focus on the status of our 2008 plan and a handful of key initiatives for the coming year. This past Tuesday, we talked about pricing and its effect on profits. I was surprised at the range of themes and the intensity of the conversation.

Is Advertising Still Attractive to College Graduates?

Staying Close to Campus Can Keep Industry Brand Alive and Well

Posted by Marc Brownstein on 07.14.08 @ 01:30 PM

Marc Brownstein

I was in a meeting of agency executives recently, when one of the CEOs said, "I worry that working in an advertising/public relations agency isn't appealing to young people anymore." Several of the other CEOs quickly agreed that young talent is going elsewhere for careers. I found that consensus alarming, as our industry has long been considered sexy by the (naive) youth entering the business. I say "naive" because agency life always appears more glamorous than it really is.

Do You Know the People Behind Your Client's Brand?

Pleasing the Internal Audience Is Crucial

Posted by Bart Cleveland on 07.11.08 @ 11:27 AM

Bart Cleveland

Connecting a brand with its target audience in a sustainable way is like an archer hitting a bull's-eye at will. But in branding, that ability is not really a success if another target is not also reached: the internal target. Have you noticed that it doesn't really matter if the work you do is effective if your client doesn't like it?

Keeping Up With the Network

Where Do You Focus Your Social Energy?

Posted by Doug Zanger on 07.09.08 @ 10:49 AM

Doug Zanger

I'm wondering about my breaking point with social networks, especially as it relates to our business. I have a Facebook page, a (terrible) MySpace page that I think I updated in 2005, a LinkedIn account and one for the Oregon Media Network.