Happy Monday. “No, we don’t have a budget. Just send us a proposal, ok?” Has a client ever said this to you? Did you believe them? Don’t fall for it. Ever. Here’s why… Years ago over drinks I challenged a client of mine (a VP/Creative Director at Discovery Channel) and he laughed: “Of course, yes,…
4. Sales
What's it like to accelerate your creative firm? We asked several Jumpstart alumni to talk about their experience. Here is what they had to say (shared with permission): “It was a fantastic accelerator. We appreciated the laser-like focus on each subject in order to give us a clear path forward.” – Dave at Hank Mango...
Brands’ needs for “cheaper services” raise ethical questions around the ad industry But, in digital advertising, efficient may be more valuable than cheap The Digiday piece above, breaking down the increasingly “transactional” nature of agency-client relationships, emerged last week alongside side this AdAge piece arguing for ethical media buying, which asked “What would an ethical…
While onboarding a new client (a studio at the very top of their niche in the world), my spidey senses were telling me something. What came to mind was classic bit of RevThinking which I shared with them. It goes like this: The best firms charge the highest prices. Right. But why? Because they produce the best…
"The question is, 'Should I even charge by the hour?' To me it's a collective hallucination that this is the way professional services are bought and sold." – Jonathan Stark In this episode of the RevThinking podcast, Joel Pilger speaks with Jonathan Stark at Ditching Hourly as they join forces to eradicate the practice of...
“The demand for certainty is one which is natural to man, but is nevertheless an intellectual vice.” — Bertrand Russell Two weeks ago one of my clients (a motion design agency owner) was sharing her top goals with me and she let slip this zinger: “Oh, and I want us to generate more consistent revenue……
Earthquakes: Accenture Interactive and S4 Capital models point the way to next gen customer needs As CMO needs evolve to become increasingly digital, two new market entrants find wins I think this interview above should be read side-by-side with this Digiday interview with S4 Capital and former WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell. Accenture Interactive had…
The Video of the Week Nordstrom makes some fascinating creative decisions for a “top-of-the-funnel campaign” This two minute ad, “An Open Mind is the Best Look”, stars part-time actors and non-professionals and is built around ad-libbed dialogue from Carol Hickey, an acting coach. Nordstrom asks viewers to “Be receptive, be flexible, be present”, and wants…
"I've just given up on caring about looking stupid and/or failing... I have no qualms trying, and then adjusting." – PJ Richardson at Laundry In this episode in our Profile of the Creative Entrepreneur series, Joel Pilger speaks with PJ Richardson, ECD and co-owner at Los Angeles-based creative studio Laundry. In our ongoing Profile of the Creative...
