What's the one thing you would advise someone who's just entering the ad industry to do that you didn't do yourself and what's the one thing you would advise that you did do?
When I first got into the business, I didn’t go talk to the other departments. I pretty much lived in the media department. I would advise new people to go meet there counterparts in creative, in account planning and account management. There is so much more to advertising than just media. Go build bridges. I didn’t build bridges until I was five years in the business.
I’d advise new people to learn everything they can about the systems at their disposal. I taught myself to use Excel when it first came out and it proved invaluable. Learn the resources and understand the methodologies.
Since BBH has offices worldwide, how independent are each of its offices or do all of your locations work together in some capacity?
It depends on the account. The agency itself feels like one agency in five places. Wherever you encounter BBH it’s the same brand. But different accounts need different resources so some accounts in some offices work more closely than others.
How do you juggle the many BBH clients and their various media needs?
I have an outstanding team.
How do you determine the best timing and placement for a client's advertising?
That’s a really big question. . .
- We subscribe to tons of research that help us evaluate different audiences.
- We do a lot of primary research where we talk to consumers about their attitudes to advertising and brands.
- We get a lot of information from our clients about what’s worked for them in the past.
How would you advise a business owner who's planning their own ad placement strategy?
To hire us.