Archive for the ‘small town advertising’ Category
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
I’ve been horrible blogger, posting nothing for some time. But far more important matters have had to come before this indulgence.
I lost my mother last September and am now in “charge” of caring for an almost 96 year old, and still quite sharp, grandmother. (She has stayed with me during the Blizzard of the Century and I now know that constant chatter DOES run in the family.)
My colleague (and BFF) just lost his mother at a very young 71 years. She was the kind of woman I can only hope to be.
In our Small Shop, indulgences are set aside to keep the plates spinning. We are just four people who all possess a particular set of skills, with an army of independent contractors at the ready. There isn’t another person or department to write the spot, shoot the video, design the ad, or file the paperwork. We are each an entrepreneur in our own right, depending on the skills of the other to make it all go. We need each other to survive.
Although I’ve never worked in a big agency, I imagine there may be a lot of time wasted stepping around big egos. Who has time for this? We have customers to steer through a clients door. There are clients who must be led, taught, scolded, loved, and tended to. Whether its in Hooterville or nationwide, is the objective really so different?
So blogging will take a back seat as real life whirls by. We must be accountable to one another because the business plan depends on it.
I’m the cute one on the right.
Tags:advertising, Big Agencies, entrepreneur, life, small business, Small town business, teams, working
Posted in advertising, From the chick's nest, small town advertising | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
You’re a hero at the end of the month and whore at the beginning.
A car sales guy once told me this. You bust your ass to make your sales goals, celebrate on the 30th and on the 1st, start all over again.
But what about the middle?
The middle for me is usually quite manageable.
And I hate it.
Manageable means there’s time for a nice lunch with that sales rep I’ve been putting off. Time to clean out a file, tidy up my desk, be at the gym by 5:30.
When you’re in business for yourself, manageable means you’re not making any money. Frantic means you are. It’s hard to relax as you wait for the next “thing”, whatever it is, to happen. I’ve made all the calls, media is placed, billing is out, and creative projects are merely perking, not boiling over. (Not to mention the holidays are almost here. Billable hours slow to a freaking crawl.)
Making the most of the middle, this is my goal. Learning to take advantage of a little down time…without panic.
“Whore”. The term seems a little strong. Perhaps “Paid Escort”?
It’s only the 15th…work the phones!
Tags:being busy, entrepreneur, Sales quotas, selling, small business, Workday
Posted in From the chick's nest, small business, small town advertising | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 12th, 2010
Over the last several months (hell, maybe years) the performance of those folks who sell local media time and space has become so inept, it’s like a bad sitcom. Imagine the fat, lazy Network TV girl who always asks “What are we running this month?” while she chomps her gum. The radio girl who quite openly uncrosses her legs in front of male clients, hoping to usurp any rational decision. Then there’s the really obese Cable girl who takes a fiendish delight in pointing out a $2 error. But the really interesting douchebag of recent note is the newspaper salesguy. He’s all passive aggressive, refusing to accept the fact that being the agency means WE place the buy, not his designer pal in the clients office. “You’re not my client. They’re my client.” Really? His emasculation is on the calendar.
I started by selling radio many years ago…before the FCC screwed the broadcast industry by allowing anyone a license to broadcast. My sales manager preached the problem-solving approach to selling a client. Is there any other way?
So, Dear Time-and-Space-Sales Guys/Gals: Don’t breeze into my office without an appointment. Do NOT pitch me a 2 by 3 space on the Pet of the Month page. I do NOT want to buy 15 spots during School Safety Week. Do Not tell me EVERYONE listens to your pathetic little radio station. And DO NOT ever, ever say to me, “You mean you don’t want to put your client in front of the 750 attendees of the Cooking School we’re hosting?”
Just because you’re in Hooterville doesn’t mean you have to sell like it.
Tags:advertising, douchebag media salespeople, media, salepeople, selling media, selling radio time, small business, small towns
Posted in advertising, From the chick's nest, small town advertising | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
I havent posted lately due to a) overwork b) charity wine tasting events c) a sudden rush of local politicians wanting our services d) all of the above. I’ve always assumed there is a special voodoo when it comes to political advertising. But is there?
Many politicians are attorneys. I sat in a room with three of them, listening and watching as they reasoned their way to each conclusion. It was interesting for a minute, until I realized none of them REALLY knew what they were talking about. Like all clients, they were basing marketing decisions on their own personal experience, rather than looking at a broader, objective and researched view. (Yes, even in Hooterville we’re a Nielsen market and have data to drive SOME decisions.) And I understand the “sale” in politics is a person, an ego, and subsequently, power, money and control. So it’s important….although no more important to our furniture client than selling that sofa. But I digress.
Anyway, their critique of the first pass was hysterical.
“His delivery was too light and airy…it needs to be more of a hemorrhoid moment. Why is he smiling? He’s running for JUDGE, for Gods sake.”
“We HAVE to reshoot. The sagging bag under my neck is awful…can’t you adjust the lighting?”
“My wife doesn’t like the shot of me walking up the stairs.”
“Didn’t the shot of me walking the dog work out?”
“We’re in GO MODE. When can we be on the air?”
Settle down, gentlemen. My meter is running.
Tags:advertising, elections, Political advertising, small town clients, small town politics, TV commercials
Posted in From the chick's nest, small town advertising | No Comments »
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
We should do more of this.
Start a project, then rip it up and start again…and again…and again.
Until we get it just right.
Unfortunately, we don’t get too many chances to refine here in Hooterville. Time is a premium and this sort of self-indulgent activity isn’t subsidisied by small town clients. And it wouldn’t be appreciated. It’s not that the initial effort is “wrong”… it’s that creative development should be a process. There should be time to simmer, to let you understand and absorb what you’re making. Is it “just right”? Is this going to make impact with the audience? How can we write it, shoot it, design it that’s really different than what we did last time? And, once we get a potential customer motivated by the ad we do make, will the small town client not fuck it all up with crappy service or bad store hours?
I can only worry about what we can control. And everytime something goes out the door and on the air, I think of something we could have done better. Because every new day you look at what you’ve done, you see it in a brand new way. If there was only time.
Via
Tags:advertising, creating advertising, Creative, doing your best work, never satisfied, new and different, small business, small town clients, the process of creativity, time, Workday
Posted in advertising, From the chick's nest, small town advertising, small town clients | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
We have been busy. Very busy. Pitching new businesses who call us. Handling what we’ve got. So busy I haven’t had a chance to write a thing besides paying work.
“Busy” also comes with the price of the learning curve. We were on a three day shoot for a bio-tech firm from the West coast and equipment problems saved themselves for our last 2 hours. (Only with the exciting, big clients will shit like this happen.) Camera guy figured it out and saved the day. Phrases like “Data Retrieval” and “5 to 7 working days” make my blood pressure spike. Then….hard drive crashing on graphics system=quit screwing around and write the check….get that new iMAC in here NOW.
Why all this happens when business is good must mean the Ad God is looking out for us … testing our patience while cash flow is there to support it. This is how it goes in the small town agency. We figure it out as we go along and make it right. At least we’re in control of or own destiny … we’re a team in the purest sense of the word.
I’m rolling clothes for the Harley trip that starts tomorrow. Everything will be fine when I get back. In the meantime, I think I’ll order one of these. I like it.
Via
Tags:dice, entrepreneur, equipment fail, randomness, small business, toys, Vacation, video production, Weird Stuff
Posted in From the chick's nest, small town advertising, video production | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
The bad client called to kiss my ass. It was embarrassing.
The President of the United States came to Hooterville. His helicopter buzzed over our building. That’s as close as I got. But I was excited he came, and relieved our Tea/Douche Baggers didn’t make a bigger ass of themselves. Good God, people … settle down and learn to spell.
We put the finishing touches on a tire commercial that will run NATIONALLY soon on the Discovery and History Channels. Yeah, that’s right. I said Nationally. We’re above average here in Hooterville.
Brought our old office manager back. It’s heaven. I’ve been at the gym three times this week before 6pm.
Our designer had a colonoscopy. We gave him 4 rolls of Angel Soft and he named his polyps. We’re so weird.
I’m on the Board of our local womens shelter. The cash flow crisis we feared would happen, has. Our fucked up state government owes us $200,000…and others plenty more. As the Board’s VP, I’m freaking out, trying to figure out a solution. Your ideas and suggestions would be more than welcome.
I had to keep reminding myself that, even though I don’t get to do what I went into business for anymore, it’s still good. It’s just that now I shuffle papers, boss clients around…and get to work with cool people.
It’s cocktail hour in AdLand!
Tags:Bad clients, end of the week, entrepreneur, Obama, small business, small towns, Weird Stuff
Posted in From the chick's nest, small town advertising | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
Ah….it feels good to be back. Or does it?
My sweetheart had a serious car accident. In a second, priorities shifted. But now that he’s better, reality has shown its large ass and I’m reminded what the entrepreneurial experience is all about. After 27 years on my own, why am I still surprised how intense a day can be? It’s like the bus pulled up and everyone got off at the same stop. Clients need copy changes. Media needs to be planned. Staff need a paycheck. In order to give them one, bills must go out. And surely, there’s a Yellow Pages Sales Rep who needs to be cursed.
In a small agency, you don’t have time to bask in gossip, awards, or winning new business. You learn to spin plates, buy time, reason quickly, stash snacks in your desk, keep beer in the fridge, teach clients to work on your time table, not theirs, and do it all with a certain amount of grace. That last part I have yet to master.
Today, I made a dent in the pile, engaged a potentially awesome new client, and planned tomorrow. I left my desk after 12 1/2 hours, numb and brain dead, but thankful that tomorrow I won’t have to answer to some ego crazed Art Director, put up with some annoying intern (no, not YOU Mags!) or a too-familiar office girl. It’s my nest and along with the stress comes the right to surround yourself with cool people who love makin’ the work. No Assholes Allowed. It’s good to be back!
Please…take a number!
Tags:entrepreneur, small agencies, small business, Workday
Posted in From the chick's nest, small business, small town advertising | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
When you’re a small agency, you can do that. Turn on a dime. You can jump through a hoop and make it happen without inter-office bullshit, egos, protocols or hierarchy. So today when a client called and needed to change his commercial to push bananas at 39¢ a pound, we stopped everything else and did it. In less than 3 hours, revision uploaded to the FTP. Boom. Done. I work with such cool people.
Dime turning.
It’s what we do.
It feels good.
Tags:advertising, small town clients, TV commercials, video production
Posted in small town advertising, video production | 1 Comment »
