Biased research, caving to opinions, internal fatigue, and moving on too quickly—these four mistakes in marketing, at any point in the process, will hamstring the work, derail campaigns, and strain agency/client relationships. By learning from…
As seen in Fast Company. Every chief marketing officer worth their salt knows the importance of having a brand stand apart from the competition, to be unique in the eyes of the consumer and get recognized for it. After all, isn’t that the main…
Sometime in the late eighties, sifting through comics, I came across an old, worn copy of ‘Astounding Science Fiction’ circa 1950. On its cover was a robot, then-unfamiliar to me, offering a wounded man in its hand. Its eyes blank and red
Sometimes I feel like I’m running a huge con. I’ve fooled everyone into thinking I’ve got my stuff together. Any minute, everyone will figure it out, and I’ll be exposed as someone who has no idea what they’re doing. Enter imposter…
Here’s why and how to ensure it’s productive. Recently, we've been knee deep in some of my favorite work: conducting brand strategy workshops. It's not just my favorite work either; it’s been fun to see a younger strategist on my team light up
I have known Justin and Dustin for years. We all cut our teeth together at The Martin Agency, and I have nothing but mad respect for them. So when they started their own agency I was fascinated by how bold and daring they were to do so. I’ve…
Think small. What do I mean by this? I mean exactly that. Clients are looking for more transparency. Looking for more engagement on their business. And most importantly, looking at agencies to see who exactly will work on their business. Guess…
Leadership drives the course of an organization. But, I'd argue it's not the most senior leaders who have the largest impact on an organization's health, happiness and functioning. No, I'd argue it's that next tier of leadership who matter most.…
We welcome friend and collaborator Lisa Miller as guest author. Her firm, Lisa W. Miller and Associates LLC , has been tracking COVID sentiment since March 2020 and is using data and insights to help business leaders inform their marketing and…
One of the things that attracted me to Firehouse was its ethos and the values that appeared to govern the way the agency operated. Even then, more than 15 years ago, there seemed to be a clear sense of what was and was not Firehouse. But, it took…
It’s true for people and it’s true for brands. Every category has its habits, or conventions, that permeate the messaging consumers see every day. For instance, when was the last time you saw an ad for pizza that didn’t have a “cheese…
Being named to Ad Age’s 2022 Best Places to Work is something to be proud of. Only 50 companies get to have that honor and only 25 in the “200 employees or less” category. The fact that we ranked #6 in this latter group is especially…
