There’s a moment – brief, almost imperceptible – when your audience decides what to do with you. Stay… or leave. Lean in… or scroll past. Engage… or ignore. That moment lasts about seven seconds. And in today’s environment, it’s often even shorter. We like to think people carefully consider messaging, weigh value propositions, and thoughtfully...
“Advertising doesn’t create a product advantage. It can only convey it.” Bill Bernbach. Now, many of you who are practicing modern day marketing might be saying to yourself, who the heck is Bill Bernbach. Well, it takes a real ad junkie to know that Bernbach was the godfather of modern advertising. One of the greatest...
In an industry where buzzwords and generalizations often cloud the conversation, it’s crucial to peel back the layers and focus on the essence of what businesses truly seek in an advertising agency partner. Despite all the rhetoric about innovation, disruption, and creativity, my 45 years of experience with businesses of all sizes have allowed me...
In the rapidly evolving world of advertising, businesses continue to look at marketing return on investment (ROI) as their number one priority. No doubt, with the ever-evolving media landscape, determining what media will deliver the biggest bang for the buck is the holy grail. Each planning cycle, ROI remains the number one goal which of...
In a world saturated with information and content, it’s easy to overlook the profound impact that great creative work can have on all of us. Whether it’s a captivating piece of art, an inspiring story, or a powerful message, the essence of creativity lies in its ability to capture our attention, challenge our thinking, and...
As I am approaching 46 years in the advertising agency business – from Madison Avenue to Orlando and everything in between – I am often asked what advice I would give to build a winning local advertising agency. Of course I could write a book on such a subject, but ultimately my readers digest answer...
In case you haven’t noticed, the advertising agency landscape has changed, and the rules of engagement are not always fair. Over the past few years, we’ve written and talked about the advantages that small agencies like 78Madison have, but recently, another trend is worth looking at – the fact that clients themselves are now treating...
In the business and marketing world, we’ve all heard the phrase “sense of arrival”. It’s the portion of the overall customer journey that most companies are laser focused on. But is that really the best method by which to create a customer for life? When you think about it, there is not much that is...
I was reminiscing about the good ole days in the advertising agency business with a friend who like me got their start on Madison Avenue in New York City. Both of us continue to run advertising agencies some 45+ years later, but the paradigm shift in our industry is mind-blowing when you think about it....
I was fascinated by a recent national study that indicated most CEOs feel their brand(s) needed to take a stand on social issues, even though less than a third of consumers want to see politics in marketing – and pretty much the opposite of what every agency seems to be telling its clients. Curious don’t...