Charge Less, Be More Successful
Did you ever stumble across a single sentence that totally focused your thinking, maybe even changed your mind?
View ArticleDomination, Intimidation -- and Winning Against the Big Boys
We're in a pitch against two much bigger, well-known agencies. I wish I could trash them and say that they don't deserve the business, but I admire them both and they've done some beautiful campaigns.
View ArticleWhere Do You Draw the Line Between Good Sportsmanship and Bad Behavior?
Is all fair in love and business, is it OK to date your best friend's girlfriend -- or are there some lines that we shouldn't cross?
View ArticleIf You Can Help Your Friend's Snack Truck With Some Creative Ideas, Why Not?
Marketers should offer some time to businesses and institutions in their community that could never afford an agency. It's a way to do good and stay sharp.
View ArticleMaybe It Sells, but What Values Is AT&T's Awful Ad Promoting?
An AT&T ad depicts a marriage where the relationship of husband and wife is defined by a consumer decision, conveying values to viewers that can't be defended
View ArticlePush Clients Out of the Gate With Mobile, Before It's Too Late
Advertising seems unthinkable without mobile, but many companies struggle to get started. A good way to begin is by updating an important existing campaign.
View Article10 Things to Do to Improve Service in 2012
Ten things to do in 2012 that will improve an agency's service to clients, including mastering social media, developing talent and cultivating partnerships.
View ArticleWhen It's Bursting at the Seams, an Agency's True Colors Show
When it feels as if the wheels are about to come off an agency, it is a moment of truth. It's when an agency learns whether its people have the resiliency and imagination to outgrow its problems or...
View ArticlePersonality Types Matter More Than Job Titles
An ad agency hums when it has a mix of four or five core types of people whose personalities can complete each other, creating creative chemistry.
View ArticleThe True Promise of Social Media Drowned Out by Self-Promotion
Technology that promised to change how we talk with each other is now mostly used for self-promotion.
View ArticleWhen One Agency's Ideas Show Up In Another Agency's Work
What happens when you lose a pitch--but your work ends up in the client's campaign anyway?
View ArticleThe Big Problem With 'The Pitch': It Portrays an Outdated Business Model
"The Pitch" can be fun to watch, but it portrays an outdated business model.
View ArticleIt Can Be Good to Be Bad
The more cautious we are in sticking to our best talents, the less likely we are to be creative.
View ArticleHow Do You Launch an Agency That Will Grow Over Time?
What an agency owner has learned about creating a firm that will grow.
View ArticleWhy I Changed My Mind About 'The Pitch'
A couple of developments have taken place since I wrote that piece that make me feel a little sheepish about trashing "The Pitch" in Ad Age.
View ArticleA Spy in the Agency-Review Process
An agency chief joins a committee to select an agency for a nonprofit initiative. You'd be shocked at what factors tip the hiring decision.
View ArticleWhat Drives Ad-Agency CEOs Crazy
What bugs you most? Six agency CEOs reveal their particular obsessions and pet peeves about their business.
View ArticleSavvy PR Firms Could Soon Rule Native Ads and Social Campaigns
Some have already decided that "native ads" are conceptually the same as press releases that look like news stories. It's a natural fit.
View ArticleThe Route to Creative Director Starts With a Passion for New Ideas
Great creative directors share a passion for new ideas and the drive to realize them. But each carves his or her own path there.
View ArticleWhat Should We Mere Mortals Make of the Publicis-Omnicom Merger?
Even with huge clout, Publicis and Omnicom believe they still need more of everything to compete. That's a clue for the rest of us.
View ArticleTo Grow Your Agency Blog, Find Writers in Unexpected Places
Please don't share this post with anybody at my agency.
View ArticleBtoB Magazine's Lessons for the New Integrated Era
BtoB Magazine, now part of Ad Age, was way ahead of its time in promoting the values and practices that matter today, writes Phil Johnson.
View ArticleSome Creative Ideas for Reinventing the Creative Brief
You could see the creative brief like old age, writes Phil Johnson. No one looks forward to it, but it's better than the alternative
View ArticleBeware the Agency Consultant
Agency consultants make all sorts of promises, but can they deliver? Phil Johnson gives agencies some tips on hiring outside experts.
View ArticleA Millennial Talks: What the Job Owes Us and What We Owe the Job
Agency execs, always on the lookout for good people, need to understand what young workers expect from their jobs, Phil Johnson writes.
View ArticleAttention Creative People: Your Job Is Safe -- for the Moment
Big data can predict trends, but could it have come up with the "Ice Bucket Challenge?" There's no replacing creativity, Johnson writes.
View ArticleAdvice for a Young Creative Starting an Agency: Be Ruthless with Your Talent
Talented people sometimes leave agencies to start their own businesses. Phil Johnson offers advice to a young creative starting out.
View ArticleGood Clients Are Hard to Find, and You Hate to See Them Go
It's hard when a client says goodbye, writes Phil Johnson. Here are some lessons learned from a longstanding relationship with a client.
View ArticleThe Perils of Agency Positioning
It's getting harder for agencies to differentiate themselves, Phil Johnson writes. What makes your agency special?
View ArticleHow to Talk Politics -- or Not -- With Clients, Employees and Friends
An agency's guide to discussing politics and other potentially dangerous topics, writes Phil Johnson.
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