Oliver McAteer’s Post

🚀 The ad agency landscape is booming with new entrants! From laid-off employees to industry veterans, everyone's jumping in. But with nearly 14,000 agencies in the US alone, can the market handle more? Marla Kaplowitz president and CEO of 4A's weighed in on the shift: tech is lowering barriers and the entrepreneurial spirit is thriving. Niche specialties and smart branding are keys to survival in this competitive arena, the article by Ad Age's Lindsay Rittenhouse. notes. https://bit.ly/3xHwNDx #AdAgencyBoom #StandOutOrStepAside

A lot went into our submission that earned us Ad Age A-List’s #1 Agency of the Year as well as Creative Agency of the Year. Our 2023 story (and story from birth to date) is a fun one and packed full of tasty stats. Last year in numbers looks something like this: ⚡️19 new brands (all without a pitch) ⚡️+55 campaigns launched ⚡️31% revenue growth (67% of that being organic) ⚡️100% client retention ⚡️98% staff retention ⚡️+250 new biz knocks at the door What makes me most amped up, though, is how we’ve managed to stay true to what Mischief is. We’ve never wavered from our beliefs and mission to create work that makes a stir, because the riskiest thing a brand can do is be ignorable. Check out the full stories. And ask us anything—we’re not coy. #1 Agency of the Year: https://lnkd.in/enuwS73D Creative Agency of the Year: https://lnkd.in/e8pw4XX9 #creativity #agencyoftheyear Greg Hahn Kerry McKibbin Bianca Guimaraes Kevin Mulroy Jeff McCrory Serge Rancourt Dave Lafond Linda Colozza Anna C. Gomez, CPA Anne Caceres-Gonzalez Katie Newman Will Dempster

DDB ran this full-page ad in Time magazine in 1969. They were right then, and they're still right. As a CEO or CMO, would your company hire an agency with this kind of moxy (and intelligence)? Does your business have the kind of authenticity and transparency that wins the minds (and hearts) of today's consumers? What's stopping you from being the brand your customers want and need you to be? (thanks to Mark Copyranter-Duffy for the post).

DDB ran this full-page ad in Time magazine in 1969. They were right then, and they're still right. As a CEO or CMO, would your company hire an agency with this kind of moxy (and intelligence)? Does your business have the kind of authenticity and transparency that wins the minds (and hearts) of today's consumers? What's stopping you from being the brand your customers want and need you to be? (thanks to Mark Copyranter-Duffy for the post).

Temu’s ad strategy: bludgeon you into knowing its name.

What’s in store for advertising this year? Our sources say, more of the good stuff: lighthearted, funny creative that breaks through the dark and gives people everywhere a reason to smile — while still managing to solve business problems, of course.   Check out Adweek’s roundup of predictions to see what John Cornette, our chief creative officer, said about where the industry is headed 🔮  Plus, other predictions from: Paul Prato, PPK | Mitch Bennett, Baldwin& | Eric Kallman, Erich and Kallman | Harris Wilkinson, TMA (The Marketing Arm) | Natasha Zialor, RanaVerse | Katherine Schmidt, Hanson Dodge | Raquel Bubar, T Brand Studio (The New York Times) | Ben Hennes, Happylucky | Gary J. Nix, the brandarchist: a strategy, design + change consultancy | Victoria Jordan, My Code | Michael Girgis, DIVE Billboards | André Toledo, David NY | Chris Copacino, Copacino Fujikado | Warren Jolly, adQuadrant https://lnkd.in/eznaAtdk #advertisingservices #creativeagencies #marketingtrends2024

Our ears are burning, Ad Age! With our rebrand last year came the mental and literal switch from “agency” to “collaborative.” Why? Two reasons, really. For one, we realized “agency” was too limiting and, at times, inaccurate. Our solutions are often beyond the scope of advertising – and that’s okay. Secondly, collaboration is how we work, and have worked for the last 40 years. Strategy and creativity are far from separate departments here. But let it be known, we don’t see “agency” as a dirty word. It just didn’t fit us anymore. Check out Ad Age's article here: https://lnkd.in/esNnh7wm

Get your entries in

I had a lot of outreach from young creatives on my last post. Which only proves my post is happening in our industry. And I've had a few people reach out who sell programs they've created to help people excel at being the best the version of themselves. I'll be honest, I'm dubious of anyone selling anything that helps people get better and being creative or a creative leader. So when I see someone selling a book or system or a program, I immediately look at their pedigree. This is where things usually fall apart for me. How can you teach me how to do what I do better if you've never done anything that I aspire to do? I want to learn from someone who has experience, not someone who can write what they've heard or read in one of Simon Sinek's books. Look at Jason Bagley. He's done some of the most famous work in modern advertising. Work that people would literally kill for the chance to say they had a part in. So when he left Weidento start The Audacious School of Astonishing Pursuits, (ASAP) yeah, to me? That's a legit program. I would sign up. In fact, me and Brandt Lewis pay for a young female or POC creative to attend to his program every year. Because if more creatives could do that kind of work, our industry would be a happier place to work—again. But when I see someone who's never worked at an agency I would want to work at or never done the kind of advertising that I would want to do—selling advice on how to get better, I say, "Nah. I'm good. But thanks, my guy." Beyond that I think, "What about the younger creatives who desperately need mentorship and don't have thousands of disposable income to invest in a program or portfolio school? Do they just have to struggle to navigate this industry as they save up every extra dollar to pay for one?" For these folks, I decided a while ago to create a FREE series of videos that give you ideas, tips and Ad•Vice on how to get better, do better and be better as a creative or advertising professional. And until you can save up and pay for ASAP, this is a resource to help. Again, IT'S FREE. So don't be too harsh on it. But if it helps, it was worth the investment of time. It's a little all over the place, but it has all of the advice I find myself giving to young creatives all the time. So, I hope it helps! #Stayhungrymyfriends

Struggling with Ad Ideas for your brand? Here's the twist - your best ad ideas might not be new. They're hidden in the failures and successes of the past. History is not just a teacher but a goldmine for creativity. Dive deep into campaigns that fizzled out. Dissect them. Where did they stumble? Now, look at the legends. What made them tick? Innovation often sprouts from the soil of reflection. Break the cycle of frustration. Start with what didn't work, understand why, and then, reimagine. Your next groundbreaking ad idea could be a phoenix rising from the ashes of the old. #creativestrategy #dtc #adstrategy #facebookads