Public Humiliation: A Surefire Way to Guarantee Timesheet Compliance

Or: Yet Another Use for YouTube

Posted by Tom Martin on 05.08.08 @ 12:57 PM

Tom Martin

I hate timesheets. They are a pain and our employees often forget to do them. But alas, they are (for now) a necessary evil. And if we want to get paid, we need our employees to accurately fill them out in a timely fashion. But how do you force compliance in a fun and friendly way?

Picking a Partner: Harmony Is Overrated

Sometimes Loud, Noisy Relationships Work

Posted by Millie Olson on 05.06.08 @ 03:10 PM

Millie Olson

What makes for a successful partnership? As we think about enlarging the leadership team at Amazon, I realize that the answers are obvious mostly in hindsight.

Take the relationship between me and my business partner, a term I belatedly learned to use after a few prospects' eyebrows were raised upon meeting two tall female agency heads calling themselves Amazons.

The Karma of Pro Bono Work

Charity Helps Your Agency Brand; That's Nothing to Be Ashamed Of

Posted by Marc Brownstein on 05.05.08 @ 12:24 PM

Marc Brownstein

Our local business newsweekly, the Philadelphia Business Journal, recently honored the most philanthropic companies in the Philadelphia/South Jersey/Delaware region. To our surprise and delight, our agency was named the No. 1 Most Charitable Company among all companies up to 100 employees. The metric was for all in-kind and cash contributions to nonprofit causes in a single year.

Getting the Fair Market Value

What's the Best Way to Charge for Your Time?

Posted by Phil Johnson on 04.29.08 @ 11:08 AM

Phil Johnson

I've always been intrigued with how agencies make money -- or don't. After running PJA Advertising for 15 years, I still scratch my head at the inherent contradictions in the agency model. We're selling a service, which is typically priced around the cost of time. We're selling a creative product, the value of which can't be measured by the time it takes to create. We're selling results, which calls for an entirely different set of metrics. Regardless of whether you work on a retainer or on a project basis, you need to navigate the pros and cons of each of these models. Sometimes, one is more advantageous than the other. Quite often, a hybrid approach works best. You could go crazy figuring out this stuff.

On the Road Again

Marathons, Movies and Motivation

Posted by Doug Zanger on 04.28.08 @ 10:27 AM

Doug Zanger

It's yet another marathon on the road.

Ironically, one of the stops on the road was in Boston for the Boston Marathon. Since I can only cobble together 26.2 miles in around 10 runs, it's clear that my reason for being there was to watch. Here are some things I noticed on this latest jaunt.

Is the New-Media Mix too Mixed?

Unfocused Nontraditional Media Efforts Can Waste Time, Money

Posted by Marc Brownstein on 04.23.08 @ 12:42 PM

Marc Brownstein

I'm all for exploring new media. In fact, I've built my agency around it. But I do feel that, at times, the rush to place messages in nontraditional places in a flight from TV, newspaper, radio, magazines and billboards has gotten a little out of hand.

Thoughts of Spring in New England

And a Brief Defense of Nepotism

Posted by Phil Johnson on 04.22.08 @ 01:13 PM

Phil Johnson

This is a bad day for my agency. The temperature went from the mid-50s this morning to 70 at noon. Overnight, buds appeared on all the trees. Miraculously, Cambridge transformed itself from something that looks like a gulag to a beautiful city on the Charles River. It's a bad day because I'm staring out the window wondering how long before I go downstairs for a supposedly no-fat yogurt. I know if I go outside I'll walk up the street to the bookstore, and then I may sit at Café Pamplona and drink an ice coffee. This is not good.

Some Thoughts for Earth Day

How You and Your Clients Can Be a Little More Earth Friendly

Posted by Noelle Weaver on 04.22.08 @ 10:53 AM

Noelle Weaver

As an industry we're so focused on the big picture and end product that we forget about the process, tools and materials of how to get there.

Sure, a great "green" campaign might move your client up the ladder in the eyes of the socially conscious. And yes, companies and businesses are thinking about ways to "reinvent themselves" by changing to energy-efficient light bulbs and starting a recycling program or committing to a Corporate Social Responsibility program. But how are you truly helping your clients conserve energy, reduce pollution and waste to help to make their (and your) business operations more environmentally friendly?

Creating an Insight & Information Department

Instead of Bitching, I've Come Up With a Solution

Posted by Tom Martin on 04.21.08 @ 10:39 AM

Tom Martin

How I wish I had an Insight & Information Department -- a smart person (or a few) responsible for keeping me ahead of the curve. A person with access to research tools such as MRI, Simmons, Iconoculture, etc. At worst, it would save me the 15-20 hours a month I currently spend reading and synthesizing information. At best, it would give me ready access to research that will make the work we do more compelling and effective.

Bad Times Can Be Good

Small Agencies Are Built for Recessions

Posted by Bart Cleveland on 04.18.08 @ 02:11 PM

Bart Cleveland

Depending on whom you believe, the economy is either in a recession, or will be soon. This of course spells bad times for ad agencies. Or does it? Frankly, small agencies can take advantage of lean times. Marketers looking to cut costs need agencies that can run lean and mean. And when do we small agencies not run lean and mean?