TG Madison

By Jim Spruell, EVP, Chief Creative Officer

From someecards.com

Having been in this business for roughly a million years, I’m always astounded how the holidays sneak up on me every single season. I promise I’m not an idiot. I know the holidays are coming at the tail end of the fourth quarter and yet, upon their arrival, I develop a ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ visage reminiscent of a guy about to be hung in the public square. Why the long face?

It means that the ad agency holiday card (or worse yet, the holiday video) is due.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually love the holidays, especially at TG Madison. I love the festive lights, the buoyant effect of decorating a tree and I especially love the free booze from our vendors. It’s just that the card/video is a big, hairy chunk of pressure placed lovingly on a Creative Director’s shoulders at the worst time imaginable. And unlike the work we do for our clients, the card/video is judged by everybody in the agency. And, at times, it feels like everybody in the building has the right to approve or kill it. Some of my favorite critiques over the years include:

“I like the concept but the font might be offensive to the Mormon community.”
“Why aren’t we all wearing Snowman sweaters? That would step it up a notch.”
Or my favorite, “I thought Jim was supposed to be funny.”

And now, even Adweek throws valuable editorial space against it, adding yet another layer of judgment and the inherent threat of national embarrassment.

It’s all too much. Too many opinions to consider, too many people to satisfy and, now thanks to Adweek, too damn much pressure.

God bless us, everyone. And pass the free vendor booze.

By Alexis Rhodes, Senior Account Executive

As an SAE, I have a long way to go before I join the ranks of those who know how to deliver the perfect business pitch, consistently strategize incredible ideas, and project manage like a pro. I’m still evolving in this wonderful world of client relations, but in the time I’ve spent in account service, I’ve noticed a few patterns consistent with client retention – and some pitfalls to avoid.

Perhaps what’s most interesting about these insights is how they are not rocket science. These doctrines are timeless, cross-generational, and media-agnostic. These are the basic tenets of client service that bridge decade and discipline.

Let’s visit each as it relates to marketing today, and let them serve as a reminder to sometimes step back to the basics of client retention.

Keeping Clients Loyal

Develop a Great Relationship

I know, I know: It’s Account Service 101. But it’s easy in busy times to focus on all the tasks at hand rather than the lives of the people you are working with, as well as their wants, needs, and would-love-to-haves. What’s stressing them out? What can you do to help? My supervisor Taylor is fabulous at this. Very quickly, she’s able to form a trusting, genuine relationship with her clients, and as a result, they love working with her and the agency. It’s just a part of who she is! I strive to be more like that as I continue to grow.

If you’re turning down opportunities to help your client out when they’re in a pickle because it’s “not in your SOW,” you’re missing a chance to develop a mutually-reliant relationship that will benefit both of you long-term. It’s a balance, but one you must learn to strike.

Be Dependable

This Mashable article notes dependability as the #1 most important quality for businesses. Think about it: Are you going to re-hire a plumber who shows up 6 hours late, even if he’s the cheapest guy on the block? Probably not. The same carries over to your relationship with clients of your marketing agency: In every circumstance you can, deliver what you say you will, in the manner you said you would, on time. It shows that you respect your client and your word to them, and that means the world when it comes a time for a potential review.

Keep It Light

Here in Atlanta at TG Madison, we work our booties off to make sure campaigns are strategic, well-executed, and timely. Our clients have hard jobs, too, and we respect that. But at the same time, we set ourselves apart from other advertising agencies by knowing how to have fun with the people we work with. It’s one of our agency’s greatest strengths: we’re people other people love to work with. Crack some jokes on the phone, send a silly picture here or there, or Tweet a photo of an employee “planking” – your clients want to know you’re human like they are, and that makes them want to continue working with you.

Do Your Job Well

You’re not going to get anywhere if your work is shoddy or badly thought-out. Put your best foot forward every campaign, every day, and share your passion with your clients. Excitement over the success of, say, a new display campaign is contagious. Highlight the points of a campaign that will matter most to your client and make sure you’re working hard to hit their goals. Your dedication will shine through.

Learning from the Mistakes

Being Over-Confident

Believing an account—and your agency in general—is indestructible creates problems for both you and your client. Over-confidence that your client will always be there positions you to turn a blind eye to signs of unhappiness, and could lead to your lack of investment in the account because, hey, they’ll be around forever. Bad move!

Sustaining Status Quo

You’ve been hired to breathe a new life and ideas into your client’s business. Consistently great results are fantastic, but if you’re not seeking new ways to test and improve what you’re doing, you’re setting your client up to take things in-house or transfer the “status quo” campaigns on to another agency that will push them to another level. Always stay one step ahead, and bring an innovative spirit to the table. That’s why they’ve hired you!

Focusing Too Much On the Bottom Line

This seems counter-intuitive, but there’s a fine line between being results-focused for both your client and your agency, and being ROI-driven at the cost of all else. The issue is two-fold: if you’re focused solely on ROI on the client’s behalf but pushing strategic ideas that compromise their brand, you are doing your client a disservice.  On the agency side, recommending ideas that benefit your P&Ls more than your client’s is one of the fastest ways to develop distrust and, ultimately, an account loss (justifiably!).

Nobody’s perfect, whether you’re on the marketing agency side or the client side. But what’s most important when it comes to keeping a relationship strong is the power of mutual respect and understanding. If you get along with your clients, work hard for them, and seek to deliver the results they’re looking for, you’re well on your way to keeping a satisfied, flourishing account. There are no guarantees in advertising, but the best you can do is keep your clients happy, and that’s worth all the ROI in the world.

by Paige Bryars, VP, ACD

The Brickyards came to life last night in Marietta.

And so did a dated brand. The Cobb County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau sought our help to revitalize their identity, website and communications. And when we unveiled their new look during their annual gathering, the room lit up with excitement.

They’re now Cobb Travel & Tourism – Atlanta’s Sweet Spot.

It’s fresh. Progressive. And authentic.

Our research told us that potential leisure travelers and convention planners are attracted to everything Atlanta has to offer, but not the hassles. They want convenience, affordability and a place that’s family friendly.

We gave Cobb a new name, a tasty look, and we went right to “Atlanta’s Sweet Spot.”

From the reception the idea received last night, sounds like more visitors and meeting goers will too.

Check out the video we produced for their web site here.

By Jen Weil, Director of Production Services

Whether you want to be tricked or treated, there’s a little something here for everyone. Happy Halloween!

TRICK

Catch the new season of “The Walking Dead.”

TREAT

Join a Walk to End Alzheimer’s – there are still walks happening across Georgia.

TRICK

Watch Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”

TREAT

TRICK

Ghost hunt at the Georgian Terrace hotel.

TREAT

Stay a night away in a Marriott resort and spa.

TRICK

Read about the Legend of  Sleepy Hollow’s Headless Horseman.

TREAT

TRICK

Dress up as the Bride of Frankenstein.

TREAT

Style your hair with “It’s a 10″ Miracle Leave-In.

TRICK

Watch “Cujo.”

TREAT

Stop by Adopt-a-Golden‘s adoption day, every first Sunday of the month!

By Brendan Hackett, Account Supervisor

Useful: able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways.

Asprin is useful; bookmarks are useful.  Can brands be useful?  Seems like the obvious answer is yes, of course they can.  Especially in today’s 24-7, constantly plugged-in and connected world.  But are brands (and the advertising professionals and agencies who try to build those brands) really asking themselves, ‘What can I do for you?’

Brands are beginning to reach people where they are – at the market, walking the city or on the run; rather than simply where they expect them to be – at home, at work, or at school.  Smart brands are moving freely and easily with mobility.  They are present 24 hours a day and they have become (forced themselves to be) more useful.

Brands are looking inside themselves and finding a fit between their product and their customers.  They ask, ‘How can we make your life easier?’  For some brands it’s offering free delivery, a mobile app, tips on how to lower your handicap or reduce your power bill, etc.

While it seems like the most logical fit, the idea of ‘brand utility’ doesn’t only apply to the mobile/social/digital world.  Even in a good old-fashioned TV spot, demonstrating how your brand is useful to your target is still the most important thing you can communicate – and conversely, not communicating it can be your biggest mistake.  The new FedEx TV spots about shipping your golf clubs to your next vacation destination are a prime example.  While it might be dead-on in terms of capturing the mindset of the avid golfer – nothing matters more to them than their clubs – it’s not very useful.  Unless you tell me that you can ship them for less than the $25 I’m going to pay Delta, you’ve pretty much wasted my time.

Also, engagement should not be confused with usefulness.  It seems every marketing objective these days, no matter the initiative, is to ‘increase engagement.’  Brands need to be careful here, that they aren’t engaging just for engagement’s sake, especially at the expense of communicating their usefulness.  Domino’s Pizza may ask me to go to their website and submit a review of the last pizza I ordered, but come on, is that really necessary?  We’re talking about Domino’s Pizza, not the French Laundry (or even my local neighborhood pizza joint, for that matter).  I couldn’t imagine too many customers are that impressed, or unimpressed, with their latest pepperoni/mushroom from Domino’s that they feel the need to go online and write a review.  I’d rather you just offer me a $2 discount on all pies ordered during football season.  That would be much more useful to me than me telling them my last pizza tasted exactly the same as the first one I had 15 years ago.  I mean, isn’t this the equivalent of reviewing a Big Mac?

Brand utility: Burger style!

So, how can you increase your ‘brand utility’? At TG Madison, we believe it starts with an insight – can you make something simpler, faster, easier, more available, more inspiring, nicer, effortless etc.  Identifying that insight is key, and then focus your messaging strategy there.  It can be something simple: remember, it’s the little things that count.

Relate how your brand utility supports your core products and services.  Once your customers recognize your brand as useful, the sky is the limit.   Your brand will be seen as one that enriches lives and goes beyond expectations—all because it became useful.

By Julie Adams, VP, Account Director

The 19^th annual Atlanta Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s™ was this past Saturday, October 8, at Atlantic Station.  The morning was cool and sunny, and the atmosphere was festive.  Central park was awash in purple, with Promise Garden flowers popping up everywhere to honor, support and remember loved ones with Alzheimer’s.

Previously called Memory Walk, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s™ is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research.  Since 1989, this all age, all-ability walk has mobilized millions to join the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, raising more than $347 million for the cause. Events like the one at Atlantic Stations are held in the fall in nearly 600 communities nationwide.

TG Madison is, and has been, the agency of record for the Alzheimer’s Association for five years. We are proud to have aided in the rebranding of the Walk this year, and the excitement and energy that has created in more than 70 Alzheimer’s Association local Chapters across the country.  But that is not why we participate in the Walk every year.  We truly believe this is a disease that can be cured in our lifetime, and the funds raised by the Walk move us one step closer to a world without Alzheimer’s.  We invite everyone to unite in a movement to reclaim the future for millions and put an end to the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death.  The end of Alzheimer’s could start with YOU!  Go to alz.org to learn more about what you can do in your community.

The TG Madison team representing the cause!

By Kate Gunning, Account Executive/Planner

Kate finishes up her TEDx series today, recounting the discussions of Atlanta’s TEDx event featuring Rita Charon, Bill James, Radcliffe Bailey, Greg Best, and Hugh Acheson. A lesson on balance became both a learning experience and pimento cheese heaven for Kate. Kudos to her for bringing innovative ideas and food for thought back to TG Madison! Although we would have also liked to try the sandwiches.

RITA CHARON:

Rita Charon created her own field: The field of narrative medicine.

Rita initially came to medicine because she was a lifelong reader. As a reader, she understood that what patients paid her to do was to pay attention to their words, stories, faces, and pauses.

After becoming a doctor, she approached the English department at Columbia and asked if they would take her in as a student. She told them that she wanted to learn more about narratives so that she might be able to improve her medicine and practice. After getting a Master’s and PhD in English, Charon went on to pioneer the field of narrative medicine, which she describes as clinical medicine fortified by storytelling and listening. The purpose was to teach doctors the importance and power of a story. Doctors were taught how to absorb every hint, pause, and detail of a patients story so that they could better interpret and serve them.

Storytelling is one of the biggest elements in hospital life. From the chaplains to the nurses to lab technicians to interns, everyone is involved with storytelling on a daily basis and few truly understand the connection between human stories and medicine.

Charon’s challenge was to bring people hardened by medicine to open up to the power of receptivity in patient interactions.

She found that an amazing transformation took place in her practice. She stopped asking a million questions and learned so much more when the patient spoke from the heart.

In the end she was able to see the true purpose of medicine.  Medicine allows us to find meaning in health and life. Doctors guide us through the story and gift of mortality.

BILL JAMES:

Bill James was our next live speaker. James described his vision for the future of transportation, a network of ‘Jpods’ that run entirely on solar power. Through the use of roller coaster mechanics James invented Jpods as a solution to the increasing energy crisis.

“We cannot survive if oil continues to be the lifeblood of our economy. We are running out of affordable oil.”

Jpods are the ultimate oil free solution to many of our oil and financial woes. These ultra-light computer-controlled vehicles suspend from rails and run off solar energy.

James has a goal of getting us all on a solar budget by 2020.

As he put  it, “The solution is self-reliance.”

RADCLIFFE BAILEY:

Radcliffe Bailey is an internationally-known artist that explores American history and memory through art. When it comes to art, Bailey can do it all: installations, paintings, sculptures, mixed media, photos and more.

Bailey began by explaining what he called the “7^th Layer” process. When he first started created art, he had a hard time knowing when a piece is finished. So he created a process called the “7^th layer:” He stops his work at the seventh layer. This could be the 7^th layer of thought, layer of paint, or the layer of clay.

Bailey was one of the most unique and moving speakers of the day. Clearly nervous and not comfortable in front of a crowd, the cadence of his words often changed unexpectedly from fast and loud to almost painfully slow and restrained. His confidence seemed to cut in and out depending on the moment and the topic. At times he seemed timid and shy, almost embarrassed to be there. And then he would close his eyes, almost in a trancelike state, you could see a hint of a smile and he would get into his rhythm and go into an eloquent explanation of one of his pieces. The vulnerability in his speech and his art work was so touching that you could hear a pin drop the entire time he was on stage. At the end of the event I spotted him in the middle of the crowd, his head drooped down on a table, exhausted, as if the 15 minutes on stage had taken everything out of him.

GREG BEST:

Greg Best has been named of the top 10 mixologists in the country. As the bartender for Holeman and Finch, he was one of the most surprising and shrewd speakers of the day.

The dynamics of a bar are unique, fragile and constantly changing. Bars are a mini microcosm of society and a pulse on modern celebrations and dilemmas.

Bartenders are a strange breed of social chemists. Their method is part intuition, part catalog and part psychology. They do more than mix drinks. Bartenders are witness to the mixing of personalities – and all personalities are amplified by alcohol. Best asked us all to be conscious of the personality you bring to the balance of a bar and next time bear witness to the personalities around you at the bar. It’s a unique atmosphere that can’t be found anywhere else.

Best concluded his talk with this awesome piece of advice:

“In conclusion, a good drink is well balanced and tasty.” Brilliant.

HUGH ACHESON:

Hugh Acheson is one of the biggest names in southern cooking today, except he’s Canadian. He is head chef at Empire State South in Atlanta, Five and Ten in Athen’s and a Top Chef Master from Bravo’s reality cooking show (my favorite show).

And now, the best part: Hugh Acheson's food.

Hugh was a perfect finale speaker. He was another one of those passionate, rambling speakers, jumping from topics like sustainability to his farmer friend Tom, to organics, to community. While it wasn’t always clear what his point was or where he was going with his sentence, his knowledge and passion for food was infectious. He had an energy and enthusiasm that revitalized us all. And the second he showed us a picture of one of his famous pimento cheese sandwiches, we were hooked. As we listened to stories about his local farmer, his fresh breads and cheeses, and his unwavering commitment to only the freshest vegetables I think everyone began to anticipate and salivate over what was coming next (his food tasting immediately following the talk). I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a crowd of people move so fast for a pimento cheese sandwich, but it was oh so worth it.

The event ended with a food/drink tasting and me hovering around the pimento cheese table for far too long, eating more than my fair share. It was a delicious end to an inspiring day.

After hours of absorbing the rapid succession of stories, memories, theories and ideas with strangers, I walked away from TEDxAtlanta with a newfound sense of community, energy and optimism. And a belly full of pimento cheese.

By Kate Gunning, Account Executive/Planner

Many of us woke up Monday morning to an email from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings:

“I messed up. I owe everyone an explanation,” was how the email began.

At that point I think most of us thought, “Yes! You certainly do! You can’t double the price of Netflix without an explanation!”

But as I continued reading, I realized he wasn’t apologizing for the pricing fiasco or even explaining why–he was telling us that the company was now 50% Qwikster (don’t even get me started on the name) and officially split into two entities. Um, excuse me… what?

This is a company that’s lost half of its market value in just two months. With consumers outraged at the new price barrier and quickly losing faith and trust in the company, Neflix has made yet another fatal mistake: They didn’t listen.

The post didn’t address the customer’s issues and complaints; in fact, it blatantly ignored them and just created new ones. Instead of listening to the real issues, Reed Hastings made an assumption as to why his customers were mad: lack of clarity and communication about the evolution of the company. But that wasn’t it at all. Consumers haven’t been given any incentive to pay 60% more for the same product. It was as simple as that.

An open, honest and transparent apology was a great idea, a smart solution to their PR debacle over the pricing changes. But if you can’t figure out what you’re supposed to be apologizing for, it will 100% backfire.

The customer’s opinions can be seen strong and clear in the 25,881 comments under Hastings blog post. For many who were considering canceling, this email was the final nail in the coffin.

-“You can’t just say, ‘Hey, we’re doing this, sorry we didn’t warn you sooner!’”

-“So basically the only reason for apologizing was that you weren’t forthcoming with the company’s evolution? The new pricing structure was dumb and this is dumber.”

-“You know what’s missing here? Recognition of the needs of the customer.”

After reading the entire “apology” post, the majority of Netflix subscribers were left feeling confused, betrayed and angrier than before.  Mr. Hastings left us to ponder why we have the same elevated pricing, an even more confusing customer experience, and something called Qwikster.

As competition from companies like Blockbuster linger, competitors are attempting to take advantage of Neflix and unrolled tweets that feature #goodbyeNetflix and #helloBlockbuster hashtags, offering special deals to new customers.

Netflix has a lot of clean-up to do, and advertising agencies like TG Madison are taking note of the lessons learned about branding and customer communication. We’ve watched brands like Gap make huge mistakes before (GAPGATE 2010: The Logo Fiasco) and come back from it. Consumers can be brutal but they are not irrational, and we are waiting with bated breath for Netflix’s next move.

Netflix, in my opinion, you must convince us of the value in your new approach. You must to be honest in order to regain faith, you must treat us (your customers) with respect and above all, you must listen.

By Kate Gunning, Account Executive/Planner

Kate Gunning’s tales of TEDxAtlanta, an incredible, thought-provoking panel event held last week, continue today with insights from visionaries Charles Riason and John McFall. Follow the journey each day this week for more fun from the TEDxAtlanta floor!

Charles Raison of Emory University ruminated on the nature of our relationships with our enemies.

DR. CHARLES RAISON:

Dr. Charles Raison is the clinical director of the Mind-Body Program at Emory and studies the ways in which compassion meditation can reduce stress, depression and serious illness. Dr. Raison opened with this quote.
“Our survival as a species will depend on finding better ways to deal with our enemies.”

We live in a world that has become more and more polarized. We are constantly faced with opposing views and opinions. This is not an accident. It is a reaction to us becoming more interdependent. But who is the real enemy?

One of the biggest discoveries in his research on compassion has been that enemies are inevitably drawn to each other. The nature of compassion and enemies is paradoxical.

Dr. Raison has found that there is very serious healing in meeting with your enemies. Vietnam veterans have traveled back to Vietnam to meet with the men and women they once sought out to kill. They find intense healing in this interaction and a transformation often takes place. The unique emotional reaction allows them to let go of feelings of hatred and the enemy soon becomes a compatriot.

Dr. Raison says that physical enemies are good for us. They offer a road toward overcoming our real enemies. Our real enemies are not those people who oppose us, but those feelings of rage and hatred. Feelings, not people, rob us of happiness.

Dr. Raison gave us one of the most insightful and timely speeches of the day. After experiencing the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 recently he left us with these thoughts on compassionate meditation and enemies.

“Picture Osama Bin Laden as a tiny, innocent newborn baby. If you had the chance to go back to when he was a baby and kill him, would you? Could you picture physically killing an innocent child?” It is a tough thing to think about but it tells us a lot about enemies and compassion.

JOHN MCFALL:

John McFall is the artistic director at the Atlanta Ballet. Known for his unbiased love for all forms of dance, McFall has put together creative ballet collaborations with artists like the Indigo Girls and Big Boi from Outkast.

He was one of the older speakers. As he approached the stage he seemed frail, careful and somewhat timid. But once he turned around and said the word “ballet,” everything changed. He delighted in the history of dance, the various types of dance, the power of dance. His joy for ballet was undeniable as he waved his hands in the air and as his eyes lit up with excitement.

In the middle of his talk, he jumped up in the air to do an “entrechat.” He had the focus of a 10-year-old child who couldn’t wait to explain every aspect of their day, jumping from one detail to the next. But in the end his message was clear and his passion was even more apparent through one simple story.

“Dance is about connection.“

John took 24 “problem kids” from an inner city school in metro Atlanta and just simply allowed them to dance. He let them choreograph their own numbers, create costumes, sets and eventually put on a whole production. The experience was transformative. The behavior issues disappeared and the children realized they enjoyed the learning process. Dance gave them a process to express themselves.

Hungry for more? Come back tomorrow for more of Kate’s TEDx exploits and learnings!

The TG Madison team got in the spirit of action today for Alzheimer’s Action Day! This week has been incredible for one of our favorite clients, the Alzheimer’s Association.

TG Madison was so excited to bring exposure to this important cause. For the second year, the Alzheimer’s Association is being featured all this week on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”. Alzheimer’s celebrity Champions, such as Carson Kressley and bachelorette Ashley Hebert, are playing on the game show every day this week to raise funds for the organization. The shows have already raised more money for the Alzheimer’s Association than the last year’s event, which we’re all thrilled to see! In addition to the show coverage, the Alzheimer’s Association was featured on Good Morning America and on the mammoth Supersign outside the ABC building in Times Square… for which we pioneered the world’s largest-ever QR code.

Moments like this make us proud to be in the business we’re in. We are so lucky to have opportunities to try fun and exciting new things, and we are honored to be a part of raising awareness and funds for such an important cause. As the 6th leading cause of death and the only one of the 10 top causes without a way cure, prevent or slow its progression. Alzheimer’s affects more than 5 million Americans and 10 million caregivers, and if it goes unchecked, the costs to care for those with the disease could cripple Medicare.  It’s so important we continue to work toward a way to end this disease.

We are all so passionate, many of us are participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Atlantic Station in Atlanta on October 8 (like others in more than 300 Walks all over the nation). We love the folks we work with, and we are thankful every day for the rewarding work we can do for such amazing organizations.

As we’ve said all day on Twitter, let’s all #EndAlz.

Brooke Breaks Out Her Purple!

The TG Madison Team is Proud to Support Alzheimer's Action Day!