Category: ad age

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Call for entries: Ad Age Small Agency Awards

Since virtually every agency in Idaho qualifies as a small agency under Ad Age’s guidelines (sorry Publicis and Accenture Interactive)…

Each year, the Ad Age Small Agency Awards uncover and honor small, independent agencies that are producing innovative and exciting work. These teams strategize and execute groundbreaking ideas to compete with work done by some of advertising’s oldest, largest and most sought-after partners.

The competition is tough, but the reward is big. Finalists will be notified mid-June and winners are announced and celebrated at our Small Agency Conference & Awards, to be held in July 2020.

The final deadline to enter is April 23, 2020 at 5pm EDT

More information about the Ad Age Small Agency Awards, how to apply, and past winners can be found here.

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Just What Is a Creative Director?

Phil Johnson, of PJA Advertising and Marketing, recently published a good piece on the Ad Age Small Agency Diary:  What the Hell Is a Creative Director Supposed to Be?

An excerpt from Phil’s piece:

I’ve come to the conclusion that the job of creative director is bigger and more important than any one task. Rather than the person with the best ideas, or the person who is the best judge of good work, or the person who can best manage the creative process, a creative director needs to shape the creative brain of the entire agency and build a creative conscience. His influence extends well beyond the creative department. This conviction has made me question many of the traditional expectations for a creative leader.

Take the time to read the entire post on the Small Agency Diary.  It’s a good read for anyone involved in this business.  And, if you feel so inclined, leave him a comment over there as well.

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There’s a New Year Coming, But its Going to Take Work

2009 is almost done crumbling to the ground, and that shiny new toy that is 2010 still looks good in the display case.  But before you go thinking that things are going to turn on a dime, take a few minutes to read the latest piece from Bart Cleveland on the Ad Age Small Agency Diary.  In it, he offers some good advice on How to Roll Strong Into 2010, such as:

Communicate. Not much good to talk about? You’re not looking hard enough. Even if it is how great everyone is being in the face of hardship, talk about it in your staff meetings, e-mails, etc.

Walk and talk. The economy can’t kill what makes your agency a great place to work; only you can. It has no effect on your imagination or your will to succeed; only you do. It can’t keep you from smiling, or patting someone on the back. Move around your office and talk to everyone at least once a day.

Take a few minutes and give it a read. You’ll be glad you did.

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Entry Deadline: Ad Age’s Small Agency of the Year

Don’t forget, entries into Ad Age’s Small Agency of the Year competition are due by Friday, May 22nd.  Full details are available in the original post.

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The Balancing Act that is Running an Agency

The Ad Age Small Agency Diary should be required reading for anyone in the agency world here in Idaho. Because let’s face it – every agency in the state is a small agency. No sense in mincing words there.

A recent piece from Phil Johnson on running an agency helps illustrate why:

A strange truth about the agency business is that it’s very difficult to define productivity. An hour on Twitter may lead to a breakthrough idea. Half a day storyboarding a concept may yield nothing useful. These contradictions have led me to conclude that creative agencies operate in two parallel universes. One universe is made up of billable hours and completion of tasks mapped out on a schedule. The other universe looks more like a chaotic playground where people’s actions don’t seem to add up to anything productive. I’ve concluded that the art of running an agency is learning how to inhabit both worlds at the same time.

Take the time to read the entire piece: Running an Agency Means Living in Parallel Universes

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