Why Marketers Need To Have More Purpose

I started my agency career by working on McDonald’s when it had a great quality perception.

But I wanted to work on Packaged Goods. That’s where the game was in those days. Much like working on technology and gaming and the sexy sectors today.

My goal lead me to working on brands like Kellogg’s, Warner Lambert, Mithum Thayer, S.C. Johnson, Canadian Divisions of Campbell’s Soup and others that I can’t remember.

I really didn’t enjoy it often as I didn’t go to their schools, wear their Brooks Brothers suits or have their same homogenous haircuts or their MBA lingo.

But what’s a poor boy going to do?

I loved the Analytics, the knowledge, the fact based decision making based on all the research that was conducted. I loved the discovery of research.

How the Advertising Game Works Today.

This is the New Normal and all bets are off.

It’s not what they promised you when they hired you.

Work hard and you will rise to the top. There are lots of opportunities for career growth here.

That is true to a degree but the problem is that you often won’t stay at your shop for as long as you like. Especially if times get tough. People pay the price when agencies lose business.

I know many senior level folks in the Ad Game. I have connected with them when I was conducting agency reviews, looking for talent, speaking to AAF Chapters across the country and just through my networking journey.

What I Have Learned By Going to Conferences.

One of my goals this year was to go to more Conferences. It was the concept of, If you want to be a big fish act like a big fish. I mentioned it in a blog called How Agencies Can Move Up the Food Chain.

Now I put a lot of skin in the game making this decision because I have to personally pay for all the expenses. I did get a free pass to one of the Conferences but I also had the brutal shock of a hotel bill in NYC.

I attended two conferences this week. One was a Branding Conference in New York and the other one was Interactive Day in San Diego which is certainly closer to home.

The Branding Conference certainly had a lot of heavy hitters on the panels and attending. There were representatives from major brands in financial services, consumer products, and a myriad of other industries. The companies that are on the NYSE. You know the type. The speakers worked at all the big places with all the impressive titles. Some of them remain firmly entrenched in the Old Normal.

Is Marketing Dead?

It’s all about the money these days. The almighty Yankee Dollar.

I read an article the other day in Advertising Age online that P&G plans to cut $500 Million in Agency Fees by shrinking its roster of agencies. Kind of like reporting on a funeral.

Their CFO said that the move will improve the company’s Marketing as it cuts costs.

I don’t think that adds up to Marketing Math but it does satisfy Wall Street.

In addition the company planned to reduce its non-manufacturing headcount by 25% to 30% by the end of the next fiscal year.

Non-manufacturing sounds like marketing folks to me.

Wait there is more. In addition P&G is plans to sell, spin off or merge 100 Brands.

Is that the P&G that I knew and admired? The marketing icon.

Career Tips for 2015

Yes a New Year is upon us. Happened faster than we thought. What else is new?

I think that there will be a lot of changes in the workplace in the coming year. There will be a shortage of talent especially top notch digital talent. Today, Digital Marketers, Digital Strategy folks, SEO talent, and programmers are all very hard to find.

If you don’t have those skills acquire as much game as you can learn.

More people will be moving around this year than ever before. Some companies will portray them as opportunists. Remember companies killed company loyalty, not employees.

So here are some career tips for the coming year.