Once every decade or so, something new comes along to transform the marketing industry. If you draw a through-line from radio and television to the advent of the internet and, most recently, digital channels like search, social and mobile, you’d find one common principle: that first-mover advantage pays off handsomely for the businesses who master…
Every few years the winds of change blow hard. They kick up the dust and shake up legacy practices, and when we understand how to read those emerging patterns, we’re able to turn challenges into opportunities that take us to a better place–a place where we’re advancing on behalf of our clients, rather than being…
I know I’ve not been alone in my excitement about the return of in-person events. But despite the appeal of live interaction and experiential value, earlier this year the question of “Is this worth leaving my house?” was persistently top of mind. And today, many people once again find themselves asking, “Is it safe to…
It’s safe to say that 2021 wasn’t quite the break we all wanted after 2020, and there’s a somber feel already going into 2022. Many of us are exhausted, burnt out and lost trying to identify what the future looks like. If that resonates with you, know that you’re not alone. Unfortunately, many of us…
NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are one of the biggest trends in the marketing industry right now and set to be a major player in the trillion-dollar marketing industry by 2022. While some might believe the rise of NFTs are just the current shiny new object, I’m letting you know they are here to stay and will…
This year, we’ve seen that companies are spending twice as much on their employees this holiday season to show them love. Why’s that? Volume hasn’t doubled, meaning that companies are simply spending more money per gift for their employees to make an impact. Traditionally, promotional gifts have been more affordable items that can be branded…
The launch of Dove’s iconic “Real Beauty” campaign in 2004 marked the first time I had ever seen a body that looked like mine celebrated on television. With what was then considered a bold move, Dove gained a place in my heart and in my Target cart for life by offering something money can’t buy-a…
Growing up, the Santa Claus I always saw was the jolly old white man with a white beard and red suit. In the mall, in movies and on Christmas cards, this fictional character of Santa Claus so many celebrated was always depicted as white. As a child, I could never have imagined that Santa Claus…
What is creativity and how does it work? For an industry built around humanity’s most powerful transformative force, it often feels we really don’t know much about it. Of course, much has been written about commercial creativity by those who know–the ones who have first-hand experience. From Rory Sutherland’s brilliant book Alchemy to Dave Birss’…
And just like that … it’s the holidays and we are talking about Peloton. Again. A lot has been written about the situation already, most of it focusing on the short-term stock price recovery and on how Ryan Reynolds saved the day on a ridiculous and alleged 48-hour timeline. As a brand and comms. professional…
And just like that …. You are on back-to-back-to-back phone calls, production meetings, coordinating teams and 48 short hours later, you have a TV spot! Unrealistic or our new norm? As an agency leader, I take the role of expectations very seriously–both the expectations of our internal teams and those of our client teams. This…
Branded Advent calendars are all the rage right now. And it makes sense! As someone on Twitter recently–and brilliantly–described, Advent calendars are like ‘microdosing Christmas.’ What brand wouldn’t want to be a part of that? It’s a daily opportunity to surprise and delight customers who raised their hand and said “yes, bring on 25 days…
I am very fortunate to work for a company that allows tenured employees to take a month-long sabbatical. As you might expect, the purpose of the time off is rooted in mental health: aimed at allowing employees to disconnect from work and do something they love, have never tried before or both. While covering countless…
For the past two years, the rising tide of anti-Asian violence spurred by COVID-19 accelerated at light speed. Not only did we see the Asian American Pacific Island Community barraged with verbal, physical and life-threatening racial attacks, Asian-owned businesses also witnessed a steep decline in consumer spending. Earlier this year, myself and a group of…
It’s safe to say that 2021 hasn’t been the year anyone expected. Yet again, designers and brands are responding to shared global challenges, but there are distinct undercurrents of revival, possibility and a tentative optimism happening in visual culture. From expressive typefaces that communicate far beyond words to retro color palettes and playful nostalgic nods…
I would love tech companies to get better at pitching to agencies. Brands are always looking to gain the edge over their competitors, and ad agencies are forever looking to update their operating model. This means that the partnership opportunities presented by startups, emerging platforms and frontier tech become more tantalizing. But I’ve sat through…
Preparing for a trip to the Consumer Electronics Show has always been a daunting proposition–even in pre-pandemic times. This year, the question many of us are asking is: How do you get the most out of a show that attracts hundreds of thousands of companies and attendees when it may be your first live event…
No matter the category or executive team, brands and gaffes go together, especially when dealing with employee layoffs. But how these companies respond publicly can be better or worse than the initial act–assuming they even know how to properly structure an apology. Last week, Better.com CEO Vishal Garg laid off several hundred employees over Zoom,…
In early 2020, my team was getting ready for the launch of Canela.TV, one of the first streaming platforms to be focused entirely on U.S. Hispanic audiences. We had spent months preparing for this moment, building out the back-end technology while recruiting advertisers to help us launch this new venture. And then the pandemic hit….
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the past two years have caused pretty much everyone to take their well-being much more seriously. And they want to know that their favorite brands are taking it just as seriously. Think about the myriad of tools, products and apps we have available to assist us in forming…
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
