Where's That Line Between Reporting and Opinion Again?

Something about the Idaho Business Review's cover story this week about "Greenwashing" just rubbed me the wrong way.

Maybe it's the interviews that seem to end with more questions than answers.

Maybe it's because Simon Shifrin takes a residential developer, and their agency, to task in a thinly veiled 'you're not being open and honest' sort of way about their business motivations. Let's not even get into the quoting (somewhat out of context) from the agency's website, without any actual contact with the agency itself.

Or it could just be the "me too" reporting -- writing about "green" activities, environmentally friendly stories and such is all the rage these days, so if the IBR doesn't cover it, they must be behind the times.

This, my all accounts, is much more of an op/ed piece than business reporting. And I don't think I'm alone in that opinion. Rick Carpenter, Robb Hicken et. al., you shouldn't have let this story out the door the way it was published.

Of course, I could just be way off base. Been known to happen before...

Oh, and by the way Simon, it's Stoltz Marketing Group, not Stolz Marketing Group.

Technorati tags: idaho business review, greenwashing, stoltz marketing group

The Hallowed Halls

Yesterday was a one-of-a-kind sort of days for me.

Just over a week ago, I got word that Gary Vaynerchuk was going to be speaking at a Legion of Tech event in Portland, Oregon. For those who aren’t familiar with Gary, he helped grow his family’s retail wine business from annual sales of $10 million to $50 million, went on to start a video blog about wine – Wine Library TV, and is incredibly active in the social media space.

The event took place in the atrium of the Wieden + Kennedy offices in Downtown Portland. W+K should need no introduction. It is a massive building, both inside and out. A unique blend of concrete and wood, the physical space itself is impressive. There are a number of open-air walkways throughout the center of the building, with offices / desks / work spaces / meeting areas around the peripheral edges. It is incredibly cool without trying too hard.

While I was listening to Gary speak (an excellent talk, by the way. If you ever have a chance, you really should see him in person), I couldn’t help but notice all of the activity in the building. It was 7:00 Pacific time before the event even got started, and there were still many people in various parts of the building, working, talking, meeting, etc. And, by the time myself and the other stragglers were finally shuffled out the door, there were still people in the building working. I get the sense that there is a dedication to the work, the company, the clients, and the idea that becomes a part of the W+K culture, and those who choose to (or are lucky enough to) work there, adopt that dedication as their own.

Too often, the end result of all of those long hours is discounted by those who will never know the effort that went into making sure every little detail was perfect, that nothing was left to chance. The end-result of the work quickly becomes the target, often by those with absolutely no knowledge of what went into it behind the scenes.

But there they were, putting in the time to make sure that whatever the task or assignment was, it was getting done.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for W+K the company, and more importantly those inside the walls of the building who make it what it is, and those who have passed through the oversized doors that helped it become what it is today.

Part of the reason that I made the trip was simply for the experience. Odds are I’ll never have the chance to step foot inside those offices again (however if invited, I’d accept that invitation in a heartbeat), but it was absolutely worth it. It was a refreshing change, and a good chance to refocus. If given the chance, I’d do the same thing again.

The question ask you, dear readers is this: Within the scope of your own world, agency-related or otherwise, are you willing to put forth the effort to make sure that thing you are working on is perfect? Or, are you satisfied with less? Are you content to check out at 5:00 every day? How much better would the work be if you spent an extra half hour on it? How much better would it be if you spent an extra hour on it? What drives you, and where do you find that motivation?

Heavy questions, and ones that cannot be easily answered. But if they’re never asked, nothing ever changes.

P.S. Yes Gary, in spite of the way it may sound, I really was paying attention…

Technorati tags: gary vaynerchuk, legion of tech, wine library tv, wieden+kennedy

The End of an Era

Today marks the end of an era in the marketing and advertising world here in Idaho, for this is the last day that you'll see Jeremy Chase as a member of the Drake Cooper staff.

Jeremy is packing up and heading to Salt Lake City, Utah, and is on to bigger and better things, as they say.

But before his takes one final bow at the end of the day, I wanted to take a moment, on behalf of the entire marketing and advertising industry in and around the State of Idaho, to say one simple thing:

Thank you Jeremy for all that you have done.

In a world where change happens at incredible speed, Jeremy has been a constant presence. He has been with Drake Cooper for well over a decade, and has helped to shepherd both clients and agency through the highs and lows that have come along with it. A true professional in every sense of the word, Jeremy has been a tremendous asset to the agency, and his departure will leave some very, very large shoes to fill.

I'm sure there will be many toasts made inside (and outside) the walls of Drake Cooper today, stories shared, and maybe even a tear or two shed. But let me take this opportunity to add my own thoughts...

Jeremy, you're a class act in every sense. You've been an excellent ambassador for your agency and this industry, and you will most certainly be missed.

Technorati tags: jeremy chase, drake cooper

The Realities of Business

The topic comes up from time to time -- local agencies doing work for local clients, particularly the larger clients that just so happen to be in the area.

Unfortunately, fairly or not, the fact of the matter is that the larger local clients do not always see the value that a local agency can provide.

Case in point: Blue Cross of Idaho.

Earlier this year, Blue Cross of Idaho chose the Minneapolis office of Weber Shandwick to help launch its new web-based health and well being initiative. The folks over at Red Sky PR first noticed this decision, and made comment about it on their PR Musings Weblog.

Another recent example: Balihoo.

In March, Balihoo named Affect Strategies as their Public Relations Agency of Record. Now, given Balihoo's focus on large-scale media planning and buying, I can understand this decision. It is in their best interest to work with an agency that can provide the best exposure possible, particularly to media buyers and agencies that buy in large volumes, and a PR agency out of New York is certainly a wise choice. The cynic in me has to wonder, however, how much of this decision was driven by the addition of Michael Browner to their Board of Directors two days prior to the announcement. Pure speculation on my part, but the timing just seems suspect.

So without laboring on too much longer with the same old 'poor us' mentality, I'll pose this question: What do local agencies need to do differently to either attract or retain these types of clients? Is it just a fact of life today's business environment, or are there there areas that local, or even regional shops can focus on to differentiate themselves?

Now, the same question to those on the client side: What do out-of-town or out-of-state agencies offer that local or regional agencies don't? Where are the local shops lacking?

Now that I've stirred the pot, I'm going to go ahead and duck for a while...

Technorati tags: blue cross of idaho, weber shandwick, red sky pr, balihoo, affect strategies, michael browner

UPDATE - An open letter to the BAF

As expected, the open letter to the Boise Advertising Federation drew quite a bit of interest, and several responses.

Included in those was one from Edward Moore, President of the BAF, as well as a response from Shane Vaughan, one of the current BAF board members. My thanks go out to both of them for taking the time to respond on behalf of the BAF. Agree or disagree with what they have to say, they deserve credit for responding openly.

If you haven't already, and are so inclined, take some time to read the original post as well as the comments to date. Then, by all means, add your own if you'd like.

Technorati tags: boise advertising federation, edward moore, baf, shane vaughan

An open letter to the Boise Advertising Federation

Over the past few years, I've taken the Boise Advertising Federation to task a number of times, but I've also given them what I'd consider to be a number of free passes. In this case, it's the former.

From the BAF website:

The Boise Advertising Federation is the professional development organization for advertising professional in the Boise metro area.

Now, from the Boise Advertising Federation's Articles of Incorporation:

The purpose or purposes for which the corporation is organized is to provide an educational and fraternal organization for the betterment of the field of advertising. To increase the understanding of advertising and its role among public life. To provide fellowship and culture among persons of the advertising profession.

So, my first question to the current board of the Boise Advertising Federation: What are you doing to provide an educational and fraternal organization for the betterment of the field of advertising? The guest speakers at the occasional luncheon is a good start, but what about those times in between? Where are the regular updates to the website? The newsletters? The articles that members may find interesting? Shouldn't that be part of the "betterment of the field of advertising"?

Second question: How are you increasing the understanding of advertising and its role among public life? There may very well be some outstanding educational programs happening, but unless people know about them, their effectiveness is severely limited. Now granted, I know that the golf tournament last fall raised some money for the Boise State University and University of Idaho advertising clubs, but is that really enough? How often does someone from the Ad Fed go speak to those clubs? How often are those club members invited to events hosted and/or sponsored by the Boise Ad Fed?

Third question: Fellowship and culture among persons of the advertising profession? Now once again I'll give credit to the occasional luncheon or social event as an opportunity for those in the advertising profession to get together, but is that really enough?

Fourth question: Why isn't the Idaho Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America more involved with the Boise Ad Fed, or vice versa? Shouldn't those same public relations professionals that are part of the PRSA be involved in the BAF also?

Now, should you think that this entire post is an attack on the Boise Ad Fed, it isn't. It is just as much the responsibility of the members to get involved in the activities of the organization. That being said, however, the BAF has made it very difficult for anyone who may want to get involved to actually do so. On the current website, which has been under construction for god only knows how long now, there is no way for a potential member or interested party to learn more about the group, other than a phone number and an email address, that based on past experience, rarely gets checked.

Have I ever tried to call the phone number? No. What's the incentive to do so? To try and get involved with a group that doesn't seem to be doing much, given the outward appearance of their site?

Now, let's look at it from another point of view -- that of the prospective talent thinking about moving to Boise. If I were in their shoes, I'd be extremely leery about considering moving to Boise. Again, given the outward appearance of the organization on the website, it doesn't seem that there's anything worth moving to Boise for.

And what about a client looking to hire a Boise agency? Given the fact that the Boise Advertising Federation is supposed to represent the advertising profession, I'd imagine that a potential client would be incredibly put off by the way that the profession is represented locally, and instead would be inclined to look outside of the market to areas such as San Francisco, Portland or Seattle for an agency that can provide the services that they need.

At the end of the day, the Boise Ad Fed should be bringing greater visibility locally, regionally and nationally to the talent that this market has to offer. And there is quite a bit of talent in this market. Instead, though, it seems that the only purpose as of late is to serve as the gatekeeper to any regional or national ADDY awards shows. If you want to enter on a regional or national level, you must enter locally first.

I'm not alone in these concerns about the BAF. I've received comments from others expressing many of these same concerns. And again, my intention is not to lay blame on the organization, or lash out at them publicly. But these are valid concerns, and they're being expressed by BAF members.

So, my challenge to you, the reader, is this:

If you're a member of the Boise Ad Fed, get more involved. Call up the current President and ask what the group has been up to. Attend an event. Ask for more frequent email updates. Poke and prod the leadership into action, if need be.

If you're an officer of the Boise Ad Fed, don't wait for your members to poke and prod you into action. Be proactive. Send out updates on the Rockie Awards, brag about work that members, and member agencies have done recently. Get more people involved. Make the Boise Advertising Federation, and the website in particular, into the hub of activity that it deserves to be.

Also, be sure to take a look at Bart Cleveland's take on advertising organizations over at the Ad Age Small Agency Diary.

And of course, everyone is welcome to tell me that I'm wrong, right, or just completely full of shit. Comment away.

Technorati tags: boise advertising federation, baf, boise state university, university of idaho, addy awards, rockie awards, bart cleveland, ad age, small agency diary

Are changes in the air?

A couple of recent job opening have got me wondering -- are changes in the air?

More specifically, within the past week I've seen an opening with the Idaho Lottery for a Marketing Director, and a Marketing Manager for the Boise Hawks Baseball Club.

Now the realist in me says that I'm reading way too much into things, but I have to at least pose the question. I've seen it happen entirely too many times in the past -- a new marketing manager or director joins an organization, has their own opinions and personal favorites as to which agency they'd like to work with, and ends up yanking the account from the incumbent agency.

Will that happen with the Idaho Lottery? Doubtful. Within the past year they went through the entire RFP process and renewed their relationship with Drake Cooper. If I remember correctly, though, there were a few stipulations in the RFP guidelines that could open it back up again -- one of which was a change in agency ownership / management or a change in leadership at the Lottery office (Disclaimer - I'm going off of memory here, so I could very well be mistaken).

The Boise Hawks? Well, that's another story all together. Since the opening is not for the Director of Marketing, but rather someone that reports to the Director, it doesn't seem as likely that this account would change hands, but then again, you never know.

So, the moral of the story -- if you're the incumbent, by all means don't just sit back and expect business as usual. If you want to keep them, you're going to have to defend your accounts virorously. And on the flip side, if you're looking to pick off one of these accounts, this may be your best shot at doing so.

Technorati tags: idaho lottery, marketing director job, boise hawks, marketing manager job, drake cooper

In your opinion...

What do you think is going to be the biggest issue facing agencies in Idaho this year?

Will it be finding and retaining clients? Growing the agency? Adapting to changes in technology?

Or will it be something entirely different? I've got my opinion, of course, but I'd like to hear yours.

Comment away.

Technorati tags: idaho ad agencies, agency business

Where do you draw the line?

At what point to you make the distinction between an individual doing work for a client, and an agency as it's own entity doing work for a client?

Is it when the business becomes its own legal entity? If so, there's a whole helluva lot more links that I need to add to the list.

Is it when the business becomes a brand, and that brand takes on a life of its own? If that's the case, who gets to decide? Me? I think not. My opinions are just that. Opinions.

So, I throw the question out there to you, dear readers...where do you draw the line?

When the heart and soul leaves the room

Too often, in small agencies, there are one or two key people that drive the focus of an entire business. These people are the heart and soul of the business. Put another way, these people are "the agency."

Recently, though, I've noticed a number of instances where the heart and soul of the business has left the building.

Take Blueline Grassroots Marketing, for example.

Just under a month ago, one of the founders of the company, Brian Critchfield, decided it was time to leave. Blueline was, by my own observations, his baby. He, along with others, started it, and grew it from it's original group to the place that they're at today. Then, in what I'd assume was not a sudden decision, he left. He decided that it was time to move on.

Now I'm sure there are a number of reasons for this, many of which you and I will never know about. That's the case no matter when this happens. The point, however, is that in many ways, Brian was the heart and soul of Blueline. And with him gone, what's next for them?

Now, it should be noted that this is not unique to our little world here in Idaho. For those of you who follow the new media/marketing world may know, last week CC Chapman decided that it was time for him to leave Crayon, a company that he helped to create. Again, I'm sure there are a number of reasons for this decision that the casual observer will never know about, but I have to call it as I see it -- the heart and soul of that company has now left the building.

So, the question remains. When this happens where you're at, and at some point in time it will happen, what are you going to do about it? Are you in a position to replace the talent that just left the company, or are you going to have to scramble to try and pick up the slack somehow?

As always, comments, questions, blatant cries that I'm full of shit are always welcome.

Technorati tags: blueline grassroots marketing, brian critchfield, navel marketing, crayon, cc chapman