New post on Agency Blog – Thank you for sharing

Part of the creative’s job these days is to develop ways to encourage sharing a new campaign. It’s no longer enough to create brilliant creative that connects with the audience. Now, creative needs to be so powerful that it encourages “engagement” and “sharing.” Read the rest here.

Personal time. Sometimes you have to take some from social media too.

It's been a few weeks since I posted here and for good reason. But this really isn't the time or place to talk about it. (If you're my Facebook friend and you know me personally, you already know why I haven't posted.) I've written here before about the need to…

Why your advertising sucks part 6. You’re scared you might offend someone.

Ever met someone who never takes sides. Never makes a clear decision. Always wants the group to decide so he doesn't run the risk of making anyone upset. You probably called this person wishy washy, indecisive or maybe even weak. And never a leader. Now imagine this person is your…

What the hell inspires me? Actually, you can.

As a writer and creative person, inspiration is something I’m supposed to know a lot about. I shouldn’t need your help, because I’m inspired to write witty, interesting things all the time, right? Certainly I’ve got a direct line to the muse? Unfortunately, there’s no bat phone for writers. Article…

Are “digital” creatives the future for traditional shops?

There's been a lot of discussion lately about what the future's creative department should look like and who it should be headed by. Do traditional shops need to get rid of their old guard and make way for leaders and practitioners steeped in the traditions of the digital shops? Surely…

Why your advertising sucks part 5. It’s designed to make you feel good.

Too many marketing departments spend countless hours navel gazing, trying to find a omniscient inner-voice. This oracle is supposed to communicate who they are as a company and what they need to tell their customers so that they will finally understand the value they offer the world. It never works.…

Top 10 signs you’re a waiter and not ad professional

Image by jm3 via Flickr There's a kind of deviant you can find in lurking in most ad agencies. Sometimes they've made it to the top, sometimes they're just bottom dwellers but they rarely have a passion for what an agency actually produces – creative solutions to business problem. But…

Why your advertising sucks part 4: You want it to do everything.

Image via Wikipedia Quick, how many copy points can you fit into a 60 second radio spot? The answer should be one. But many ads that really suck the big one are about two or three things – maybe even more. This is real easy to observe in a print…

Hey, account guy, where’s your book?

Image by StreetFly JZ via Flickr Every creative in the business has a portfolio. It's our calling card, our proof of worth, and our stamp of identity all rolled into one. Resume? Why do people even have those when a book says so much more about your ability to work…

Why your advertising sucks part 3: You think people are stupid.

Image by byzantin3 via Flickr David Ogilvy said 40 years ago "the consumer is not a moron, she's your wife." It seems not everyone listened because the industry continues to insult her. Ogilvy's quip may be one of the most quoted phrases in marketing and advertising but marketers often don't…