I remember driving to Florida for a holiday break with a friend a long time ago. As teenagers with no income of our own, we decided to drive through the night without stopping. What we saved in hotel expenses, we more than made up for in memories. Part of any such right of passage are […]
Agency Growth doesn’t come from just winning a pitch. When a pitch is won, there’s something that usually matters more than anything else. The win is rarely just because of a piece of work, a plan or an impressive tech stack. The deciding factor is the totality of the entire team coming together. The choice and the agency become undeniable. I’ve lost count of how […]
How to Build Cultural Capital in a messy world As eyes stayed glued to media outlets reporting election results, one thing becomes more clear. Today people make choices through the lens of character, values and cultural filters as much as they consider issues of politics and public policy. We are voting for the who and the how […]
Strengthen Marketing Teams, Increase Cultural Capital Cultural Capital is the emerging frontier of competitive advantage. Brands need it more than ever. Increasing cultural capital starts with building influential connections through the company’s teams of marketing resources. The brand teams, creative agencies and digital marketing suppliers who work closely together to make sure the brand shows […]
Three elephants walk into a bar… It sounds like the start of a joke, but there is nothing funny about the impact that a few elephants can have on the retail landscape. While there are many, let’s start with the three named Google, Amazon and Walmart. Here’s the Punch… Google can put Amazon out of business. Amazon […]
Where does Growth Come from? Everyone wants to grow, especially during times like these. Most brands have ambition. Many have growth plans. Business owners and marketers understand the sweat equity and grit it takes. So with all that intention, and despite what people showcase about their efforts, why is real growth so rare? It can’t be that people are […]
Do We Still Need Advertising Industry Agencies? In a stalled economy marked by decreased sales, reduced work forces and slashed media budgets, companies may think that marketing leaders no longer need their advertising agency partners by their side. At least not like they used to. Under pressure to conserve cash, brands may think that their […]
They are Good for You! Performance-based Agency Compensation Programs are like carrots, healthy for you, but polarizing. You either like them or you pass on them. The better prepared they are, however, the more likely they will be palatable for advertiser and agency alike. Back On the Menu Marketing expenses and agency fees are under […]
Success Under Stress? 3 Key Factors Brands will need creativity and learning agility more than ever to recovery from the economic devastation of COVID-19. The focus now is on the design and delivery of innovative services and experiences for their customers. Companies look to their marketing leaders to marshal the right talent and resources to […]
How should Ad Agencies be rebranded? Marketing leaders can feel pressure to justify the dollars spent on advertising agency fees yet are reliant on external advertising industry suppliers to execute their brand strategies. They face questions regarding the future need for external agencies, their value and of course, their ROI. Perhaps the advertising industry suffers […]
Charming Lesson for Marketing Leaders One could argue that most elected officials are brand-builders in their own right, masters at tailoring their message for the market. But the history buffs among us can look to our favorite brand-building President, Theodore Roosevelt, for some fresh inspiration. Widely considered by historians to be one of the best […]
Find Creative Thinkers to Elevate your Brand Marketing is increasingly complex yet full of opportunity. The need to recruit creative thinkers is at an all-time high. Most execs approach challenges with reams of data and knowledge. Yet brands grow when people creatively solve problems, seize opportunity and claim higher ground. Creative thinking is the cornerstone […]
Discover the Surprising Solution for People Problems Sometimes the pace, pressure and myopic focus of Q4 can feel like a bad winter cold. Marketers strive to deliver a strong finish to this year and hustle to set the KPI’s for next, building the case for investment in resources. It wears us down – taking an emotional […]
As a coffee lover, I cringed at the invasion of crumbs from a biscotti floating in my cup. (Who knew one could have buyer’s remorse over a biscotti and ruin a perfectly good cup of joe?) After some (tasty) trial and error, I learn that (a) all biscotti are hard, in fact twice-baked (literal definition) and […]
Ever feel the energy of an end-of-summer competitive swim meet? Seasoned swimmers cut fast through the water, striving towards achieving their personal best. They know their individual effort also contributes to overall team performance. Swimmers will realize the smoothest glide when they stay centered in their lane. If they stray off the mark they become less […]