CEO POV

Most relationships in life begin with a human connection. A conversation, a coffee meet-up, a face-to-face “Do I like you?” moment. These are the most interesting and delightful Client reviews for me. Pete Carter of Creative Haystack runs reviews through chemistry meals. It is a brilliant concept. Do you feel comfortable with the team in the most comfortable situation – a meal. As you break bread together, you get to ask yourself, can I see myself working with this team day-to-day problem solving?  Is this a team that will listen, debate, share, stretch my brand to achieve our goals. These types of encounters really go a step beyond the traditional form and emphasize the value of spirited conversation. Agencies get so energized when they have opportunities to really talk through ideas, discover the possibilities together and work through the challenges. And it is especially advantageous when you have these conversations upfront. You really get the up close and personal touch and see the more active, in the moment thought process. Teams get the opportunity to explore and challenge on the spot.
That’s usually when the magic happens!

Building new relationships is a like a long-term investment, especially when nearly 60-80% of all new business wins at an advertising agency come from people you already know! Shockingly less than 40% come from new relationships. I guess, it’s not that surprising. Since COVID, people tend to spend more and more time meeting virtually. It is so easy to curtail time spent together and even be off camera. Certainly not the ideal recipe for building meaningful connections. To help start conversations and make new connections, we have opted to share our knowledge and personality over time through these newsletters. They are meant to inform, entertain and maybe even encourage you to take the leap and make a new friend! There certainly are questions - Are they getting to you? Do you see the value? Lots of questions and even fewer real answers. I do Know a few things – there is a lot of valuable information in here, also a few giggles and whole lot of insight. Most importantly, we chose to reach out to you with these newsletters and over time hope we can meet and learn more about each other. At the BAM, we believe it’s always a good time to make a new friend. Let’s start the conversation at bambusiness@thebam.com

Countless studies (IPA, Harvard, ANA,WFA to name a few) support that long-term Client-Agency relationships lead to better strategic and financial value than short-term engagements. The first and most tangible reason is that is provides the collective team a long, unencumbered runway to reach a goal making it far easier to hit. BETTER OVERALL MARKETING PERFORMANCE. There is no ramp up on understanding priorities and as a result, the team gets to results faster and at lower costs. HIGHER EFFICIENCY. The Client benefits from sharper creative and strategic contributions because of a deeper brand understanding; so you spend more time optimizing and less on re-teaching. GREATER BUSINESS IMPACT. The team thrives on a culture of performance where every problem is attacked with more consistency. Not to mention that a trusted partner also becomes an extension of the Client’s team leading to transparent conversations, faster decision-making and an agility in delivering ideal outcomes. In the end, a collaborative, sustained partnership delivers a Client the ultimate competitive edge. That’s an ROC everyone should believe in! The ultimate Return on Connection. So why then is it so undervalued today?

I watched the faces of Super Bowl fans at an annual party during each commercial studying reactions, as I typically do, to see if the “regular humans” would line with the industry polls. From the fantastical to the celebrity to the just plain “scratch your head” spots, the disappointment was loud. Instead, most reveled in the commercials from the past. That was until the Budweiser foal was left behind and the keg of Budweiser fell from the truck. I noticed a change in the room and watched he child-like faces and oohs and aahs as the colt heroically delivers the case to the local joint. It stole hearts. Budweiser does it again. It was beyond a tried-and-true approach. It connected to the best of the human spirit. Not surprisingly, my group was a good indicator for the USA Today Ad Meter. While as an ad professional, I may have appreciated a few others, I too felt the tug. Coming through for others and following in the path of your mentors. And finally stepping into the spotlight and deliver for others. The Clydesdales – the best of who we are and the joy we can bring.

Yes, this Bud’s for you and you and you.

So many Clients today are bracing for increasing costs due to tariffs. Talks of streamlining and reducing expenses are prevalent in many agency discussions. At a time where expectations of the “Golden Age” are part of new narrative, is it really possible that American marketers are retreating?

Marketing 101 tells us that differentiation is the lever that a brand needs to unlock for brand success. With the potential wave of increased prices across multiple categories of business, now more than ever, it should be a time of renewed differentiation principles. Why should consumers continue to choose you at a higher price?  

While some may manage a P&L for the short-term, only the brave invest knowing the long-term will reap the greatest benefits.

Advertising agency fee are more than often designated as non-working dollars in Client budgets. It has always confused me because this is where the magic of ideas take flight so brands can have impact with their media dollars (designated as working). So, I thought I would look up the definition and see if it sheds a light on how this has come to be.  

Non-working  

- Not employed: Not having a job or producing income. For example, "Our employee medical plan also covers nonworking spouses". 

- Not involved in work: Not engaged in or directed toward work. For example, "What are some of your nonworking activities?". 

- Not functioning: Not operating or working. For example, "a nonworking coffee grinder". 

I think we would all agree that this definition certainly doesn’t define the impact an agency’s creative product contributes to their brand. So again, I ask why are services referred to in this way? We can all agree that the thinking is the hardest part of the job and contributes the most to the success of a brand and company. We recognize leadership and its value in many ways in moving companies forward with smart thinking. Maybe it’s time to reward creative ideas that lead brands to their highest valuations in the same way. Or, the very least change the description from non-working to Catapulting working. 

Because without the idea those working media dollars won’t really work as hard. 

The top 100 most valuable brands today are worth over 5 trillion dollars; more than half reside in the United States. How they got there was no accident; years of branding and product innovation supported by powerful media. Today, network bandwidth doubles every six months. That translates to more and more stuff spreading like a wildfire suffocating social channels demanding attention. Poof and your message is gone. 

Given the pressures of the product post stampede, how do you manage the chaos so your brand stands apart? Some clients choose commonization of communication allowing technology to get to messages faster and cheaper and as pervasive as their budgets can go. But, is that the beginning of the slippery slope? Is it all about chasing the short term win, joining the stampede rather than investing in what allows you to consistently forge ahead of your competitors and outrun them in the long term? 

Outmaneuvering each message and laying the runway for a superior branding story takes heart and head. Each word becomes ownable and valuable in creating brand distinction. Branding isn’t for the faint of heart or the people looking for a quick catch and release. It is a discipline that builds shareholder value robustly and consistently. Where will brands be in 3-5 years if the “set it and forget it” doesn’t work? Will your brand cut through the noise?

How many times do we send emails or texts and get no response? The frustration, the “fill-in-the-blank” stories we create. It has become far too common not to respond. Is it the easy way out of a conversation? Leaving the sender feeling uncertain, devalued and that they have wasted their time….and yours. I understand “No” is an often-difficult word to use as a response. “No, I am not interested.” “No, now is not the right time.” “This is wonderful to learn, but not ready to do right now”. These types of responses might leave some people feeling uncomfortable. But what is the alternative, silence? It’s hard to know what to say, and how to say it. But maybe being considerate, kind and honest is a good start. We talk about these values as a society yet in the simplest of interactions, we don’t apply it. This lack of basic courtesy seems to contradict the values we claim to uphold.

Emily Post, the queen of etiquette from years gone by, said, “The letter you write, whether you realize it or not, is always a mirror which reflects your appearance, taste and character.” I challenge you to think about the letter you don’t write; the response you don’t have time to give. Is that the impression you want to leave of yourself in business and life?

Seeding a company culture is key part of leadership in any organization, and a way to lift your organization and attract prospective talent.

Having leaders that both embody the ideals of the company yet can replicate them in their team is one of a company’s most valuable assets. It is an often overlooked and undervalued asset as it typically reflects the softer, less tangible side of leadership. Today, however, it is the engine that energizes an organization, attracts young talent and creates a unique bond between employers and employees. 

Having culture become a key pillar of evaluation is a statement by a company that they stand behind the ideals they set forth and encourage employees to internalize and contribute to ways it can show up in the world.

How does your company show up? Are your employees passionate about the company ideals and do they contribute each day to driving that enthusiasm? Are you relevant to prospective talent? If any of these questions, have you pausing, check out THE BAM Tik Tok here and let’s have a conversation. 

Is branding important in today’s world of fast, cheap and good enough social posts and videos?

Maybe a short term panacea, but time and time again I learn it becomes a slippery slope to “WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!”. In a marketplace where creators and “influencers” hawk multiple brands a day and hundreds in a given week, are you surprised your brand becomes part of the very lucrative pile. The singular awareness spike wanes pretty quickly and the brand either scored big or saw a blip that leaves you looking for the next best thing.

Just maybe, the ideal approach is to first understand the brand and what makes it unique then craft and hone the platform. Put the controls back in the hands of the brand.

When Wall Street leads brand decision-making, we are all on a slippery slope. But maybe we are entering a new era from brand building to brand blasting.

Stock prices have become such an important indicator of a company’s success. Revenue is down; stock price dips and so on. Brands suffer as support is typically pulled to control the narrative. But, does this require agencies and clients to think differently about how they connect with consumers for short term sales success? Perhaps, we need to keep the brand front and center, but not be bound by all the brand building benefits that typically appear in a brief. You could certainly make the case that being part of the conversation and impacting sales in the moment is more important than creating and obtaining buy-in to a brand narrative. Maybe making decisions about numbers for Wall Street doesn’t mean decimating the brand effort, but strategically creating something that is more explosive? Is this the new reality, and the right way for brands to go? Or even better, if done well, can’t you have both?

When you are not on your front foot you will always be on your backfoot.

It is so important to anticipate and act in the fast-paced world of advertising. I always advocate to wargame scenarios so you are always ready with action. The only way to stay ahead is to lead with real insight and consistently be one step ahead.  Otherwise, inaction paralyzes you and you are always playing catch-up and reacting to a sharper competitor.ription

2020 is sooooo over! So why did everyone get so comfortable relating through boxes. Now I know there is efficiency in long distance meeting, save the emissions from too many SUVs on the road and oh yeah, I’d rather be home, but how the hell are you supposed to create new relationships in a box on a computer?

Let’s start with the fact that once you start presenting, the box gets even more suffocating. You can’t see reactions so you can’t anticipate anything which is usually an important component of relationship building. Then everyone is muted.

The silence is deafening and brings the energy to a staunching halt. Then the worst violator – the video plays and the lack of sync between what they see causes instant arrhythmia across the panel of boxes.

Let’s drop the box and open our doors to face-to-face interactions. Are you ready!