Sunday, May 11, 2014

Build the Perfect Account Service intern.

Is it slightly wrong that the idea of building a mini lego version of yourself is, in my mind, completely awesome. 



Surely not, given Lego has slowly trended in to the world of nerster- that's my word for 'nerdy hipster'.
 see Larry the Barista for further reference*  


                            *Larry the Barista 


Anywho, this post is intended to highlight the awesomeness that is, Ms Bowman. 



Her sweet sweet resume effort scored her an internship at  Omnicom's EnergyBBDO

The once was 'that LEGO intern girl' has now turned official in the  BBDO Account Management team.

This is, according to me, an example of complete and genuine motivation with a dose of awesomeness, which one should endeavour to always contain. 


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Today I'm 78 but tomorrow I will be 68!

It's not often that you can't wait to be old. But watching this, I think it may well be an adventure just waiting for you to join it.

It's bizarre to think how many 'new experiences' there are to come. I'm a 20 something and apparently claim to y'know...know it all!

It puts a certain adrenalin in me to think what my 'first flight' will be....

Much like my adrenalin for that, is my adrenalin for my latest news- a move in agencies!

I'm moving from my VERY FIRST job and will be, in four weeks, walking into a shiny new building with new pretty people and deadlines that are scarier than my current ones...*eekkk.

FCB, Vodafone... let us be as exciting an adventure as these ol' ladies had on their first flight.


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Midweek Pepsi.

One must love a good dose of midweek augmented reality. 


This will be sure to start your morning off well. 
Well, more so if you're an ad kid.
Actually, even more so if you are the lucky commuter who is in a routine of experiencing dull mornings waiting for your bus...


Monday, March 17, 2014

Yes, Spike Jonze.




Uhm, yes. 
This Spike Jonze movie was unexpectedly, exactly what I have been in the mood for, for quite some time.



her fulfilled my desire for colour, a pallet of retro, a musical piece of mind and a pace of unusual fantasy that one should have in their daily daydreams.



That's not to say that you should have an OS to cater to your emotional needs...rather you should be woken, as I was, to a place of absolute serene adrenalin. 

 This movie was intimate, funny, honest, romantic, beautiful, peaceful, exciting and in it's own state of time.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

I know what you did last Campaign.

I'm completely aware of why I got into advertising. 

It was for the same reasons as FlyPress Film's reasoning; Story Tellers. Magic Makers. 



Furthermore, let us add a quote from an award winning man to the repertoire of career inspiring posts this blog aims to host:


Magic, I know where you live.

Monday, January 27, 2014

An email from my first week at work.

Sent: Wednesday, 29 April 2013 11:49 a.m.

To: Jane King

Subject: quick one for you



Thought you might like this – on from our chat this morning!  It’s something I found on a blog a couple of years ago – how to be a great suit.


AEs: This is your real job description

   Disclaimer: I work at a very entrepreneurial agency. On the side of the house I work in, there are no account planners, no hard-and-fast rules about what an account executive can and cannot do. We blur the lines of strategy, relationships and execution to – I believe – the great benefit of our clients and our people. I mention this because not all of this advice may be strictly applicable in every agency, but, then again, I’ve never heard of an AE being fired for doing too MUCH.

   On with the post.

You are a smart, proactive advocate for your client. You understand her business, her customer, her goals for every marketing and advertising dollar spent. You invest time in recommending the best projects and initiatives to reach her goals.

You come to the agency table with ideas for the most effective messages and strategies for the marketplace. You identify research opportunities and key metrics.

You own the lifecycle of a project and speak for the client at every phase along the way. You never accept “no” without understanding why and what other options you can recommend.

You build relationships in-house and out-of-house and communicate constantly to get the best ideas and avoid any surprises. You present confidently. Ask tough questions. Dig deep to bring back meaningful feedback.

You share success and shoulder failure and learn from every project.

You make your client's job easier, better and more effective.

And, yeah, you pick up the tab at cocktail hour and remember the names of her kids. It’s the least you can do.

Eleven Unbreakable Rules for AEs

  1. No order takers: If you never say no to your client, you are wasting their money.
     Your client hired your agency because they believed that you are the right partner for smart, responsive advertising. They want you to push back – tastefully – and make sure they deliver the absolute best product to the market place.

  2. Know when to give in. The above being said, your client is your client. If you’ve given the best advice your agency can offer. And, have sought meaningful feedback. Accept your client’s decision gracefully.

  3. Be the voice of the client: The single most valuable role you can play in every interaction is understanding your client’s motivations and preferences deeply. Be able to accurately communicate not only the basics of a project, but the more subtle preferences and politics that will make your agency invaluable to the client.

  4. If work leaves the agency, you – personally – take responsibility for it being on time, on target and on budget. You own the lifecycle of a project. And you understand your client and the strategy better than anyone else. In the end, the buck always stops here.

  5. Understand the concept of feedback. Feedback is not a yes or no proposition. Whether it’s strategy, design or a media plan, keep the client talking. Find out what elements they like / don’t like. What the key issues are. What – specifically – is off strategy. Where her concerns are coming from, etc. Never come back to the agency with “she hates it.”

  6. Learn to talk about money. You and your agency have been retained to deliver professional services. That’s a business relationship. One that involves the exchange of work for money. Get comfortable with it. Talk about money up front. Start by finding out what budget parameters exist and what scope of work the client is expecting – Chevette or Cadillac? Then, always write formal estimates. And, don’t just email them and hope for the best. Call and discuss. If the scope changes, talk about the cost implications.
     Seriously, learn to talk about money. For most clients, conversations about money aren’t awkward. It’s the surprise at the end when you’re 250% over budget and didn’t warn them that’s awkward.

  7. Be passionate about presenting.  You’re representing the best work and advice your agency has to offer. Be proud of it. Convey enthusiasm. Get the client talking.

  8. Show off successes. Make it easy for your client to look successful in her corporate environment. Share results and metrics. Pull tear sheets and Web reporting before she asks. Create an easily-forwardable email or one-pager about the consumer response. Share it internally, too – your team pulled it off!

  9. Love or respect? Most account person – client relationships are built on one or the other.  You either start as the best friend, building the relationship, always saying yes … or the intellectual partner, recommending ideas, delivering results, boldly pushing back. My only advice: It’s rarely possible to be both. And, ideally, every account will have one of each.

 10. Always have a next idea. Stay on top of your client’s industry and competition. Understand key successes your agency has had in similar categories. Try to come to every major meeting with a new idea or approach.

 11. Remember: This is the fun part of their day. If you only remember one thing, let it be this: Most of our clients work in political, corporate environments. They sit in meetings. They have enormous binders of documentation. The are forced to deeply understand the personal implications of Sarbanes Oxley. Working with us? It’s the fun part of their day. It’s creative and exciting and engaging. Keep it that way. Invite the client over to the agency. Bring creative people to the table. Have drinks or unexpected appetizers. Bring all the best parts of your job to the meeting. Give you client a well-deserved break…

Be a Better AE Cheat sheet.

Want more specifics? Try this simple exercise to start: Before you hit “send,” on yet another email, ask yourself these nine questions

  1. Have I reviewed this myself and asked all the tough questions?

  2. Could I confidently present this to my boss (since that's what our clients are usually doing)?

  3. If the client calls with questions, can I confidently speak to all aspects of the project?

  4. Have I compared this to the original work order? Is there anything we missed / deviated from?

  5. Have all the brand rules been followed?

  6. Are we on strategy?

  7. Have I explained the client where we are in the process and what she should expect?

  8. Have I made this as easy for the client to use as possible? (For example, if it's a 10-page spreadsheet, have I set the headers to print on every page and checked the page break preview screen)?

  9. Have I noted a time / day when I will call to follow-up?



Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Naturally, feeling Tip Top.



Tip Top. Natural colours, Natural Flavours.

That's all these ads say to me. And no doubt, that was the brief. 

Tick. 

However, one must admit that the reaction for a non-ad man is likely to be "what's that?...oh it's a new poster for Adshel"

Cross.

A simple objective with a simple idea, brilliantly executed.
Award winning, but perhaps not so customer focused. 

Innovative poster executions.

Innovative work Colenso BBDO. 

Fyi: These are limited run posters, which are all hand screened and utilise synthetic food colours instead of ink.


Sunday, January 19, 2014

#putpockets

I love me some do-good campaigns.
And brilliantly effective ones at that. 

OgilvyOne. 

A great and effective idea that is achieved through some magic hands nb. these are not jazz hands. 

As Lucy Reid, campaigns manager for CrimeStoppers points out, this gives a personal impact that no poster or TV ad could ever do. 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Bri Emery with envy.


From the wonderful array of blogs out there, do you follow DesignLoveFest?

No? Well you should. 

Why, you wonder?

Because it's simply fabulous, that's why. 
And I'm very excited, and also slightly sad. 

WHY?

Because they are now hosting their BlogShops online!
But alas, just like their real blogshops, thet are still far too expensive for a meagre account executive to spend her money on *insert sigh here...

However, if you are in need of some delightful inspiration for 2014, this is your go-to lady.
The most adorable and on to it lady who I've come to be completely inspired by over the last couple of years.


The best thing about her, is that she took risks and wasn't afraid of chasing after what she was adamant she was meant to be doing in her life.


Monday, January 6, 2014

Team Print.


According to U.K's Big Communications, Christmas can be tough-and they're here to help.
Lovely execution. 
Kudos to the retouchers and stylist of the room reflected in the bobble.

Well done team Sarah Bayley.

Friday, January 3, 2014