As a brother and exec board member of the professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi, I'm immersed in a "professional" landscape more than the average Lundquist College of Business student. We're recognized as one of the most conservative student groups in the school. I love looking the part of businessman. I take my work and my career very seriously. But I also take it all with a grain of salt. Structure and rules and professional norms are only helpful to a certain point (and it varies in place to place). After that, it kills creativity and hinders what's needed to fix problems.
I'm the University of Oregon Vice President of Administration. It's hard to find a student role with a stronger description implying the opposite of abstract thinking. We describe our President as the chapter cheerleader, and I'm there to hold him up for the crowd. When there's unpopular work that needs doing, I've been there to do it. And I'm happy to do it, but there's something that's been lacking.
The rest of the exec board and I have recognized in the last few months that we really don't need to stick to our job descriptions word for word. There is room between the lines to incorporate who we are outside of proper dress, resumes, and handshakes and offer something to the membership far more valuable. Business and creativity aren't silos, and we could all benefit from breaking down more walls in the fraternity. One doesn't need to be in a "creative" industry to incorporate creativity into their work.
Outside of AKPsi I choose to immerse myself in the creative thinking world. I read books and magazines on all subjects constantly, I take classes I have no need for except to fulfill my desire to learn and grow, I challenge others to think outside the box and refute the status quo. I made a sculpture out of glass shards because it's beautiful and it's different and it gave me an outlet to create for crying out loud. I get strange looks for it, but it doesn't matter. There is so much I experience that isn't considered "professional" that can be applied to any aspiring professional in any field.
That's why I've vowed to take a leap forward in incorporating the different aspects of my life with each other far more than I have thus far. My business friends and brothers are too often hidden from the inspiration of abstract thought. The friends I've made through the advertising program have their eyes shut from the resources and support business oriented thought can provide. I have four months left atop AKPsi, and I am determined to let my colors shine through and help others get beyond the metaphor of the suit. We will all be better leaders for it and influence countless more in our careers to open their own scopes. I look forward to my finale in the brotherhood still holding true to my responsibilities and playing the roles called for in each situation while bringing in the "others" in my life far more, leading us to be something bold and prosperous. It's through that internal partnership of creativity and business that I hope to open doors for the external partnerships I cherish.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
22 | Loss of a Crucial Leader: Richard Lariviere
I never really paid much attention to UO President Richard Lariviere much until the shit hit the fan in the last week. He did say "howdy" to me once at a football game. And I love the man's sense of style. But after reading up, I'm truly sold on his vision for the Oregon University System (OUS). It's a vision of excellence the seven individual universities deserve.
It comes back to the idea of a brand. Brands should act as people. Currently the OUS demands that all seven institutions are the same brand and the same person, when it's obvious that they have major differences and needs. Lariviere called for the brand personas of each university to shine through and govern themselves in that light, guided by a common mission.
Politics aside, it's frustrating to watch our state government fail to relinquish any authority and fail to recognize that smaller individual brands certainly have the capability to live within larger ones. Look at every multinational in the world. Look at Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, etc. Look at the structure of the American government as defined in the Constitution. Large organizations with a narrowly focused and restricting mission ultimately fail. There doesn't exist a large enough market to justify such a specific goal applied so vastly. The mission needs to be guiding, not controlling.
Letting the universities live as individuals has significant benefits for the collective as well. For one, it mitigates risk and protects the others from the failures of one. If one university screws up - they all do - it doesn't bring down the others, because they are recognized as unique entities, not a group of conniving academic types. Negatives always outweigh positives in the public light. The OUS Board ought to remember this when deciding the fate of a public organization.
A declining institution needs bold leadership. Old ideas don't solve new problems. What the OUS really needs is top leadership as unafraid to challenge the status quo as Dr. Richard Lariviere. If not that, then an innovator such as he needs to be kept in the organization to vigilantly push the "radical" agenda, as unpopular as it may be with those in power. It's a shame that a state that prides itself on being progressive and thinking differently just ousted the figure fighting the hardest for a bold solution to the public education discussion.
It comes back to the idea of a brand. Brands should act as people. Currently the OUS demands that all seven institutions are the same brand and the same person, when it's obvious that they have major differences and needs. Lariviere called for the brand personas of each university to shine through and govern themselves in that light, guided by a common mission.
Politics aside, it's frustrating to watch our state government fail to relinquish any authority and fail to recognize that smaller individual brands certainly have the capability to live within larger ones. Look at every multinational in the world. Look at Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, etc. Look at the structure of the American government as defined in the Constitution. Large organizations with a narrowly focused and restricting mission ultimately fail. There doesn't exist a large enough market to justify such a specific goal applied so vastly. The mission needs to be guiding, not controlling.
Letting the universities live as individuals has significant benefits for the collective as well. For one, it mitigates risk and protects the others from the failures of one. If one university screws up - they all do - it doesn't bring down the others, because they are recognized as unique entities, not a group of conniving academic types. Negatives always outweigh positives in the public light. The OUS Board ought to remember this when deciding the fate of a public organization.
A declining institution needs bold leadership. Old ideas don't solve new problems. What the OUS really needs is top leadership as unafraid to challenge the status quo as Dr. Richard Lariviere. If not that, then an innovator such as he needs to be kept in the organization to vigilantly push the "radical" agenda, as unpopular as it may be with those in power. It's a shame that a state that prides itself on being progressive and thinking differently just ousted the figure fighting the hardest for a bold solution to the public education discussion.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
21 | I Miss My Other
In Deb Morrison's Creative Strategist class, we've teamed up to create a content specialization project on some aspect of advertising. Alex Stoltze, Nick Pothetes and myself decided to look deep into the power of the "other" in work and more specifically landing a job. This is nothing mind blowing. We all know agency life doesn't exist in a vacuum. But it's become increasingly apparent that the "other" in people's lives are more important than any display of work or experience in getting started.
Haley Goggin at Wieden+Kennedy is a producer on the Target account. She got there by being a ski bum for several months and keeping that side with her as a professional.
Dustin Ballard has an impressive portfolio at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky. But he got his foot in the door in 2003 because he played the violin, and the agency needed a fiddle player for a Battle of the Ad Bands.
Those are just two impressive stories. There are really too many to count. But it obviously gets me thinking: what's my other? I feel I have a few things in my life that I do purely for enjoyment, purely to balance my life, purely because it completes me as a person.
Running | That Aasics commercial where all the stressors that cover the runner's body just melt off is a great visualization of what running does for me. But it also gives me the chance to explore and absorb the world around me as I sail through it. When I see something new that catches my eye, there is nothing stopping me from running towards it and observing more. Whether I'm on country roads, or through the heart of a city, or across suburban sprawl, I use running as a chance to witness and understand the lifestyles that are not my own.
Playing Susie Home Maker | I cook. I decorate. I clean. I get a lot of ridicule from it all, but it's me building my nest. My home is my Zen palace, away from the fast pace and chaos of my life. I love to entertain and share my latest gastronomic creation with others. It also has opened my eyes up to artists and cultures I would have never sought spontaneously. If my home is an extension of myself, it would appear I'm worldly, organized, and a little bit flamboyant for a straight man. I literally drool over the design of this chair.
Music | Actually who doesn't associate music with their being? We are a musical species, after all. I love to create music. I've played trumpet for fifteen years. I write and arrange tunes for pop and funk groups. Music making has taken me to dozens of states and five foreign countries. It's allowed me to be both a single essential cog in a well oiled machine, as well as design the pieces to fit together in synchronicity and melody and harmony. It's opened my eyes to genres I didn't care for originally and why others love them. It's allowed me to step outside my own world and feel the worlds of others, past and present.
Running and my home life have kept me grounded, but I've let music making slip away from me. I chose to take a break to focus on taking my career into the next stage. Look what I found in the meantime: my other is as (if not more) important than the jobs and projects I pick up. Something is missing without playing an instrument and composing. I miss my other. It's time to pick it back up.
Haley Goggin at Wieden+Kennedy is a producer on the Target account. She got there by being a ski bum for several months and keeping that side with her as a professional.
Dustin Ballard has an impressive portfolio at Crispin, Porter + Bogusky. But he got his foot in the door in 2003 because he played the violin, and the agency needed a fiddle player for a Battle of the Ad Bands.
Those are just two impressive stories. There are really too many to count. But it obviously gets me thinking: what's my other? I feel I have a few things in my life that I do purely for enjoyment, purely to balance my life, purely because it completes me as a person.
Running | That Aasics commercial where all the stressors that cover the runner's body just melt off is a great visualization of what running does for me. But it also gives me the chance to explore and absorb the world around me as I sail through it. When I see something new that catches my eye, there is nothing stopping me from running towards it and observing more. Whether I'm on country roads, or through the heart of a city, or across suburban sprawl, I use running as a chance to witness and understand the lifestyles that are not my own.
Playing Susie Home Maker | I cook. I decorate. I clean. I get a lot of ridicule from it all, but it's me building my nest. My home is my Zen palace, away from the fast pace and chaos of my life. I love to entertain and share my latest gastronomic creation with others. It also has opened my eyes up to artists and cultures I would have never sought spontaneously. If my home is an extension of myself, it would appear I'm worldly, organized, and a little bit flamboyant for a straight man. I literally drool over the design of this chair.
Music | Actually who doesn't associate music with their being? We are a musical species, after all. I love to create music. I've played trumpet for fifteen years. I write and arrange tunes for pop and funk groups. Music making has taken me to dozens of states and five foreign countries. It's allowed me to be both a single essential cog in a well oiled machine, as well as design the pieces to fit together in synchronicity and melody and harmony. It's opened my eyes to genres I didn't care for originally and why others love them. It's allowed me to step outside my own world and feel the worlds of others, past and present.
Running and my home life have kept me grounded, but I've let music making slip away from me. I chose to take a break to focus on taking my career into the next stage. Look what I found in the meantime: my other is as (if not more) important than the jobs and projects I pick up. Something is missing without playing an instrument and composing. I miss my other. It's time to pick it back up.
20 | Crack at a Creative Brief 1
Client: Muscle Milk
Problem: The protein supplement market is over saturated. Brands all say the same thing: get huger, faster. Supplements are associated with bodybuilding and sports. Casual exercisers feel excluded and don't want to associate with the established die-hard athletic culture.
Who: Urban 20-40 y.o. men and women. Health is important to them, but not the critical driver. Career/life experience oriented. Make the semi regular attempt to exercise independently or at a gym.
Competition: Most brands differentiate on formula USPs like flavor, mixability, and additional supplements, but generally all make the same claim. Muscle Milk, Myoplex, Optimum, and BSN are major players, though countless other brands exist.
Intended Ad Feeling: Muscle Milk is designed to fit my life, not just my exercise schedule. I can live healthier through Muscle Milk without belonging on Jersey Shore.
Honest Points: Everyone uses their muscles, adding protein to your diet helps treat them right.
Tone: Understanding hesitance, but optimistic for the benefits. Sleek and smart, but not bragging.
Problem: The protein supplement market is over saturated. Brands all say the same thing: get huger, faster. Supplements are associated with bodybuilding and sports. Casual exercisers feel excluded and don't want to associate with the established die-hard athletic culture.
Who: Urban 20-40 y.o. men and women. Health is important to them, but not the critical driver. Career/life experience oriented. Make the semi regular attempt to exercise independently or at a gym.
Competition: Most brands differentiate on formula USPs like flavor, mixability, and additional supplements, but generally all make the same claim. Muscle Milk, Myoplex, Optimum, and BSN are major players, though countless other brands exist.
Intended Ad Feeling: Muscle Milk is designed to fit my life, not just my exercise schedule. I can live healthier through Muscle Milk without belonging on Jersey Shore.
Honest Points: Everyone uses their muscles, adding protein to your diet helps treat them right.
Tone: Understanding hesitance, but optimistic for the benefits. Sleek and smart, but not bragging.
Friday, November 25, 2011
19 | Music and Trust
I have two very cool videos I want to share with you, and they revolve around the concept of trust. The best part? They use my favorite language to tell it: music.
We don't need to direct everything we work on for the intended or best result to blossom. We must trust in our colleagues and selves that we can do the task at hand. Charles Hazlewood delivers a great TED Talk on this. When we are in a position of un-trust, we tend to over manage. When a conductor lacks trust in his/her ensemble, he/she tends to over-articulate the guiding motions. A mild crescendo will be signaled by a sweeping motion of the left hand, maybe with the shaking of a fist if the conductor lacks trust in the players. A manager (in any field) may stand over the shoulders of the staff if they can't place trust. A client, if distrusting (account managers get your butts into gear), may try to direct the creative process, hindering instead of helping the end product. All that over "conducting" in lives and careers accomplishes is opening doors for ridicule, and lowering the self-trust of the people around you. From there it goes downhill fast. Hazlewood describes ideal leadership as a small bird in your hand: hold it too tight, and you crush it. Hold it too loose, and it flies away.
Bobby McFerrin shows just how little instruction is needed to create an intended result in the video below. He doesn't tell us where each tone lies, and how to connect them, and remind us what we've learned so far before moving on. He gives us the critical foundation for the learning process, and trusts our ears to take us the rest of the way.
I consider music to be a universal language. It definitely has dialects and slang all its own, but there's something emotional about music that transcends cultural differences and speaks wisdom to nearly every aspect of our musical lives. Here, in just two clips, we've found grounds for trust in ways that can be applied to creative direction, management, briefs, client-agency relationships, and so much more. I invite you to listen to music not always just for enjoyment, but as a reflection of everything that is not music.
We don't need to direct everything we work on for the intended or best result to blossom. We must trust in our colleagues and selves that we can do the task at hand. Charles Hazlewood delivers a great TED Talk on this. When we are in a position of un-trust, we tend to over manage. When a conductor lacks trust in his/her ensemble, he/she tends to over-articulate the guiding motions. A mild crescendo will be signaled by a sweeping motion of the left hand, maybe with the shaking of a fist if the conductor lacks trust in the players. A manager (in any field) may stand over the shoulders of the staff if they can't place trust. A client, if distrusting (account managers get your butts into gear), may try to direct the creative process, hindering instead of helping the end product. All that over "conducting" in lives and careers accomplishes is opening doors for ridicule, and lowering the self-trust of the people around you. From there it goes downhill fast. Hazlewood describes ideal leadership as a small bird in your hand: hold it too tight, and you crush it. Hold it too loose, and it flies away.
Bobby McFerrin shows just how little instruction is needed to create an intended result in the video below. He doesn't tell us where each tone lies, and how to connect them, and remind us what we've learned so far before moving on. He gives us the critical foundation for the learning process, and trusts our ears to take us the rest of the way.
I consider music to be a universal language. It definitely has dialects and slang all its own, but there's something emotional about music that transcends cultural differences and speaks wisdom to nearly every aspect of our musical lives. Here, in just two clips, we've found grounds for trust in ways that can be applied to creative direction, management, briefs, client-agency relationships, and so much more. I invite you to listen to music not always just for enjoyment, but as a reflection of everything that is not music.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
18 | Market Research, a Love Story (Not Really)
After five wonderful years as a trumpet player in the Oregon Marching Band and its parent, the Oregon Athletic Bands (OAB), it was time to move on. I chose to focus on career in my final year of college. But I wasn't satisfied with where I was leaving certain things. And so I wanted to apply my marketing education in a way that benefited both myself and the organization I spent the best years of my life a part of. I pitched a term-long marketing consultancy to the OAB administration, and they were very supportive. I had won* my first client**.
The plan had two sides: update the recruitment strategy, and build brand awareness with athletic event audiences. The brand-building aspect was a great journey in itself, but was far more out of my hands. Successful brands must live their persona to their core, not just speak it. Sometimes this requires massive cultural and organizational shifts, and mid-football season is no easy time to effect change from the outside. The group is heading in the right direction. The fuller story is for another day. It was in the recruitment strategy that I had the opportunity and backing to create something much needed.
The foundation for the need was that that recruiting results had plateaued. We recognized that our perception of the situation was swayed by our own experiences, and we weren't connecting with high school students as well as we probably could have. So we initiated a longitudinal study on the draws of the organization, comparing those of fresh recruits against veteran members and past strategy thoroughness. Some incredible, just eye opening things were found in the data. There existed topics that vets preached from their hearts yet held little interest by the audience (Oregon spirit, scholarships, Nike uniforms). There were topics that meant the world to high school bandos but didn't even show up on older members' radar (musical quality, large base of friends). There were even topics that both sides found incredibly important that were being neglected entirely in the recruiting and retention process (physical fitness/health). The implications of this information goes beyond recruitment purposes, and it will be interesting to see how it evolves with the organization.
An in-house creative team of six*** was assembled (plus me) and we got to work. We spent two weeks contructing a new print campaign true to the data findings. We did everyhting we had planned to do...and yet we hated the result. It was dull and felt preachy. After some time to reflect, it's clear that what we originally made was just a reformatted version of the old OAB posters and every other college marching band's strategy: Join us! We're big and awesome and rooted in tradition and you'll get experiences you never dreamed possible!... It was doomed to be lost in the noise.
So we threw it out and started over. Many a meeting we worked through pulling our own experiences and digging deep into the meaning behind them, enlightened by the research, not driven by it. What we landed on was a true AHA! moment. We looked deep into ourselves and others, and pulled out powerful human insights that led us to a bigger question: not how can we bring more people in based on the draws, but how can we tackle the issues that keep away the ones that don't join? The majority of high school band members don't continue their art into college because they get burnt out by the seriousness of their programs. In many instances, the penetration rate by the OAB into weaker programs is higher than the powerhouses. The goal was thus to convince high school band students that college band is not an extenuation of high school band: it's a whole new world. From there we came to the central idea of "This is Not High School." It could be applied to show those who disliked high school band that the negatives they knew didn't exist in the OAB. For those that enjoyed themselves, but needed that extra push, it meant that the OAB takes the best aspects and catapults them to new heights, even to the point where band is unrecognizable. I could go on all day, but I'll give you some examples and let you be the judge.
We were all very happy with the result this time around, especially the OAB administration. It's strange to think back and realize that as powerful as the research was, it almost killed the whole campaign. It certainly was used to augment our understanding of the problem, but the big moments came not from hard research but from searching deep in the world we inhabited and sharing our own stories. I certainly have a stronger grasp of how market research can destroy potential for great work in the ad world. I've witnessed how easy it is to get lost in the measurability of data. I have a story to share with clients to warn them about sticking to the safety of numbers and focus groups. Market research is a tool, and like any tool it can be misused and abused. It also has the potential for inspiration, justification, and guidance so don't throw it out just yet. This experience has been more than valuable, and it will undoubtedly influence my work on sustainable** projects through my career.
If you want to learn more about the OAB campaign and share your take, let's start a conversation.
*The competition was to not do anything.
**This was all very free....And very rewarding.
***Six is counterproductive I came to learn. Never again.
The plan had two sides: update the recruitment strategy, and build brand awareness with athletic event audiences. The brand-building aspect was a great journey in itself, but was far more out of my hands. Successful brands must live their persona to their core, not just speak it. Sometimes this requires massive cultural and organizational shifts, and mid-football season is no easy time to effect change from the outside. The group is heading in the right direction. The fuller story is for another day. It was in the recruitment strategy that I had the opportunity and backing to create something much needed.
The foundation for the need was that that recruiting results had plateaued. We recognized that our perception of the situation was swayed by our own experiences, and we weren't connecting with high school students as well as we probably could have. So we initiated a longitudinal study on the draws of the organization, comparing those of fresh recruits against veteran members and past strategy thoroughness. Some incredible, just eye opening things were found in the data. There existed topics that vets preached from their hearts yet held little interest by the audience (Oregon spirit, scholarships, Nike uniforms). There were topics that meant the world to high school bandos but didn't even show up on older members' radar (musical quality, large base of friends). There were even topics that both sides found incredibly important that were being neglected entirely in the recruiting and retention process (physical fitness/health). The implications of this information goes beyond recruitment purposes, and it will be interesting to see how it evolves with the organization.
An in-house creative team of six*** was assembled (plus me) and we got to work. We spent two weeks contructing a new print campaign true to the data findings. We did everyhting we had planned to do...and yet we hated the result. It was dull and felt preachy. After some time to reflect, it's clear that what we originally made was just a reformatted version of the old OAB posters and every other college marching band's strategy: Join us! We're big and awesome and rooted in tradition and you'll get experiences you never dreamed possible!... It was doomed to be lost in the noise.
So we threw it out and started over. Many a meeting we worked through pulling our own experiences and digging deep into the meaning behind them, enlightened by the research, not driven by it. What we landed on was a true AHA! moment. We looked deep into ourselves and others, and pulled out powerful human insights that led us to a bigger question: not how can we bring more people in based on the draws, but how can we tackle the issues that keep away the ones that don't join? The majority of high school band members don't continue their art into college because they get burnt out by the seriousness of their programs. In many instances, the penetration rate by the OAB into weaker programs is higher than the powerhouses. The goal was thus to convince high school band students that college band is not an extenuation of high school band: it's a whole new world. From there we came to the central idea of "This is Not High School." It could be applied to show those who disliked high school band that the negatives they knew didn't exist in the OAB. For those that enjoyed themselves, but needed that extra push, it meant that the OAB takes the best aspects and catapults them to new heights, even to the point where band is unrecognizable. I could go on all day, but I'll give you some examples and let you be the judge.
If you want to learn more about the OAB campaign and share your take, let's start a conversation.
*The competition was to not do anything.
**This was all very free....And very rewarding.
***Six is counterproductive I came to learn. Never again.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
17 | Takeaways On "The Art of Client Service
Whether in advertising, brand side business, consulting, etc. I want to go down the account management route (and I don't say "down" in a "I'm going to sell my soul" kind of way). I love solving problems through working them out with people and I appreciate the glue-like power of a strong relationship in rocky times. So at the recommendation of Deb Morrison and Brett Robbs in "Idea Industry," I picked up a copy of "The Art of Client Service" by Robert Solomon. It was a quick and painless read, but a valuable one. Most of the points in the book came across as potential "duh" concepts, but they speak truth. Solomon's personal stories were a bit short and dry, but that's also the name of the game sometimes. A responsible reader would use it to compare to his/her own career and make adjustments in one of fifty-eight suggested ways. Not everything was new, though it was a good clarifying tool from an accounts perspective, as opposed to creative or strategist viewpoints. Here's three broader points I'm taking away from the book:
Great work wins accounts, but great relationships keep them. Notice how selling is not the key to either winning or maintaining clients? I hope to be the trusted agent for both the agency players and clients to ensure that a superb environment for creating the best work is created. This goes back to what Tracy Wong spoke about in UO's Creative Strategist class: listening creates trust which kills fear. I have the best interest of both sides of the story at heart and mind. No single act of mind-blowing work is going to convince anyone of that. It takes dedicated time filled with diligent communication and striving for understanding between all parties. When enough of that is stockpiled, disaster can hit, but my relationship with working partners will be a major influence on whether the business will leave or not.
Don't make promises without consulting stakeholders. I am not the creative team. I am not the media department. I am not the countless other people working cohesively together to make a great brand come to be. But I plan to be in a role where my word will greatly affect their work and their lives. I cannot make those decisions alone. To do so would be self-centered and make many enemies out of my partners. This is not to mention, making business promises without knowing they can be kept runs a very dangerous course with a client. Failing to live up to a promise because I failed to consult the real experts and the people it affects will break trust and lose accounts. A phone call or email to verify not only may make or break the account, but shows people that you care about their input and well being.
I'm going to screw up. Take the heat and we may all live to see another day. Steve Gardner is quoted saying, "The best account people have such a profound sense of responsibility that they literally find a way to blame themselves for anything that goes wrong." I truly believe that most of the world's problems, big and small, stem from failures in communication. If I'm to be trusted with the critical link from client to agency, then damn right it's my fault if something goes wrong. I learned a long time ago that in the event of fault, admit your wrongs, fix them, and move on. You can't control the actions of the people around you. But you can influence their thoughts by showing your concern for their well being and accepting failures that got in the way. Humility (or the lack thereof) will define what level of respect you have for your client and their brand; and it will show.
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