For the 63rd year in a row, it's Advertising Age "Agency Report" time. And if you're in marketing services, particularly digital, you're in for good news. Agency revenue from marketing services rocketed 13.1% to $15.1 billion, the strongest growth since the recession. Agency revenue from traditional advertising and media rose just 4.2% to $13.1 billion, the weakest growth since 2003, the first full year of the …
There’s A Lot Of BS In This BS Job Description
On CNN.com, they've listed "50 Bullshit Jobs" as written by Stanley Bing. Going in alphabetical order, the first one is "Advertising Executive": Advertising executive: Create perceived need/value for inherently generic or worthless products $$: Ground-level workers with writing ability move quickly to the top, immediately snagging low to mid-six figures; those who can spin mythological concepts surrounding quotidian …
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Today is Administrative Professionals Day
So be nice to the folks at the front desk. Or the folks at the front desk in the agency you're interviewing at. Because in advertising agencies, the admins know EVERYTHING. …
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Goodby Connects The Dots
Goodby, Silverstein & Partners' hometown newspaper took a look at how the agency is busy transforming itself for the digital age. The story says the founders worried that their best days were behind them, but two years ago took steps to alter the agency's course. Goodby, 55, a Harvard graduate who describes himself on his office nameplate as co-founder, informal psychiatrist and father, said he had a career epiphany …
IPG’s Roth Says We’re All Doomed–Well, Sort Of
You have to dig really deep into this Adweek article to see how perceptive Michael Roth is. Here he is speaking at the AAAA Management Conference: Like the airline and music industries, the ad industry must adapt and evolve with the times, said Roth, who quoted Charles Darwin toward the end of his address: "It's not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent—but the one who is responsive to …
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Kmart Makes Howard Happy
The Wall Street Journal's (paid sub. req.) lead says it all, "Goodbye, Wal-Mart. Hello, Kmart." Just months after the punishing loss of the Arkansas-based retail behemoth, and the sordid affairs that led to it, Howard Draft's agency is back in business. Kmart, a unit of Sears Holdings, chose the Interpublic Group agency because of the shop's skills in "analytics" and "customer insights," says Maureen McGuire, chief …
Chuckin’ The Chucks
The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.) takes a look at several agencies that have recently walked away from fickle but lucrative accounts. Here's a quick view of one high profile move. Last week, Sausalito, Calif., independent Butler Shine Stern & Partners parted ways with Nike's Converse, a client of about three years' standing. Winning the Converse account in 2004 was an important win for the agency, says Butler …
B2B Shouldn’t Be DOA
About once a month or so, Steve McKee of McKee Wallwork Cleveland writes a column for BusinessWeek, and he's always right on point. This month, he does it again with 5 Common B2B Advertising Myths: Over the years, my company has struggled with the creativity-limiting effects of myths like these many times. But we have also enjoyed breakthroughs with forward-thinking clients who overcome their pull. What we have …