A decade ago many “digital agencies” were primarily production shops sub-contracting out to the big agencies in big cities. It was a profitable business for several years, but many clients were not fully satisfied. Something was missing. According to Joe Olsen, CEO of Rova, that something was the strategy that would wed digital production to their business goals. This unmet need introduced consultants into the …
Digital Agency Model Struck By Lightning
PORTLAND—Agencies with digital capabilities are a dime a dozen today. On the other hand, an agency with digital DNA that also creates compelling retail experiences, new products/companies and traditional advertising, is rare indeed. Ergo, I feel like I may be in the presence of an albino gorilla here at Struck's Old Town offices. John Gross, Strategist/Account Director, says, "We do killer websites, but we get …
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The AdPulp Interview: Steve Harrison, Howard Gossage’s Biographer
When The Book of Gossage was first released in the mid-90's, I was a student in ad school. I'd never heard of Howard Gossage or seen his work, but his philosophy about advertising and his work clearly had an influence on many ad professionals. Still, he remained a bit of an enigma, a sort-of cult favorite among ad people. Thankfully, British author and veteran adman Steve Harrison has written a wonderful new …
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The AdPulp Interview: G.B. Veerman
Greg Veerman is an Astronaut, unafraid to sail into the outer reaches of Adlandia in his quest for a higher plane. In other words, he runs an agency in Sioux Falls, SD with a focus on serving clients in the clean technology and sustainable goods and services sectors. "Our job is to advance the cause of sustainability through the engine of the marketplace," he says. That's a mission I readily identify with, and …
The AdPulp Interview: Ernie Schenck
Rhode Islander, Ernie Schenck, is one of our industry's brightest stars. He's been writing copy and hauling in hardware for decades. He's also an author, a columnist and he's active on Facebook. Like all great writers, he also has an ear for what will and what will not resonate (see his Liberty Mutual work below). It's my distinct pleasure to present a small slice of his nutrient-rich thinking here. Enjoy. Q. In …
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The AdPulp Interview: Bob Knorpp
As editor of AdPulp, I get to meet a fair number of smart and talented people (which helps explain my long term commitment to the project). In the best cases, these people become friends and that's what happened last October in Boston when I met Bob Knorpp, host of The BeanCast, the finest marketing podcast in the land. Bob and I had been talking on Skype, and I'd appeared as a guest on his show a number of times, so …
The AdPulp Interview: Ad Contrarian Revisited
Bob Hoffman, also known as The Ad Contrarian, has written two books about advertising. His first was self-titled and his second is 101 Contrarian Ideas About Advertising, which has been getting a solid reception since its release in eBook form last November. I had the opportunity to catch up with Hoffman over beers in Portland recently. He said he enjoyed making books more than blogs, and that he's putting his …
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The AdPulp Interview: David Wilkie
Dave Wilkie is a copywriter, and like all many copywriters he has a novel in his drawer, and another one on the way. Wilkie is also a retired ad blogger, having shelved Where's My Jetpack last February. Wilkie's novel, Random Scratch, is set in and around one of America's most prominent and media-savvy megachurches, the fictional Oak Canyon. This is how the book begins: He had no license to do so; still he …