In any given year, the number of agencies who win awards and earn accolades in the industry press totals about 500 to 600, give or take. These name brand shops paint a picture of an industry in transition (some would say decline). But, limited views provide limited information to base conclusions upon. Here's a conclusion not based on anything the name brand shops are doing: The agency business is highly dynamic. …
Want to Keep Up With The Jetstones? Dump Your Internal Combustion Engine
Electrify America, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America, is investing $2 billion over a 10-year period in Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure and awareness. https://youtu.be/KRgcJusf280 The campaign is part of a $45 million education and public awareness initiative that the automaker agreed to as part of their diesel emissions scandal settlement. “This is the first expression of a new movement …
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The Newspaper Industry Responds To So-Called “Fake News”
Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes recently talked about her November 2016 interview with Don Trump — his first after winning the election. She asked him if he planned to stop attacking the press, something he did repeatedly during his campaign. Don said, "You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all, so when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe you." America's "free …
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Coleman Lanterns Help Move People from Darkness to Light
“Come forth into the light things, let nature be your teacher.” –William Wordsworth https://youtu.be/_y1Z_W0rSbw Coleman Japan is working to "Light Up" the great outdoors with its iconic lanterns. With this new brand movie from Geometry Global Japan, the brand aims to foster meaningful connections between people, through camping. It's a bold and meaningful quest that Coleman is on. Sheltered people may ask, …
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Will Turf Wars and Posturing Ever End?
Agencies, like any business that make things and/or produces intellectual property, are protective of their turf. It's natural to adopt a defensive posture, but is it healthy? Chris Wallrapp, president of Hill Holliday, wrote a powerful piece for Media Post's Agency Daily, in which he calls upon agency workers to adopt new practices and better habits. Agencies will only survive and thrive if we eagerly — …
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The Week In Advertising
The agency business is a fertile place for creative people. That's the dream. For the dream to be a reality, the agencies where creative people work must be viable businesses. Once upon a time, agencies added 15% to their clients' media buys and called it good, but those days are long gone. Today, it's all about billing for time. There are innovators seeking better revenue models, but right now, 9.9 of every 10 …
Kansas Democrats Want Sharice Davids, A Fighter and A Scholar, To Battle In DC
The number of inspiring primary wins by women candidates this year is an exciting development and a great sign that the women of this country have zero intention of being told how to conduct themselves by clueless old white men. In a season of big political news, the hits keep coming. This week, Sharice Davids, an Ivy League-educated attorney and former professional mixed martial arts fighter, won the Democratic …
Juanita Jean Ain’t Messin’
How many emails per day do you receive? How many of them request money from you? If you've bothered to donate to a political campaign, or non-profit, you're under constant pressure to give more. If you purchase a product or service online, it's the same onslaught of emails that never end. To make matters worse, the creative found in these email pitches is piss poor. With the bar so far beyond low, it doesn't …