Insights

Coaching as a Tool for Better Career Development The advertising industry has long had a reputation for not investing and developing their employees leadership and management skills. In an industry that requires demanding client workloads and long hours, the quick fix has typically been for companies to place their focus on culture as a one-size-fits-all solution. Too often companies pluck creative superstars from one organization and expect them to reproduce the magic in a completely different environment. Many struggle going from their comfortable creative roles to being catapulted into a new job with new teams, sometimes as a promised savior…

  We had the privilege of speaking to Ingrid Otero-Smart, who is not only the President/CEO of Casanova//McCann, but the new acquirer of its majority ownership stake. We thank Ingrid for her time, her answers and for being an inspirational leader in the advertising industry. If you could attribute one other person or life event to your success, who or what would it be and why? I don’t think I could pinpoint to one person or event, as there have been so many that have influenced me. Being the oldest of four children always pushed me to be responsible and…

  We talked to Nkanyezi Masango, the Executive Creative Director at King James Group and the founder of Blackboard, an initiative that exposes teenagers (16-18) to the advertising and creative industry that normally would not have such access. Here are his words: If you could attribute one other person or life event to your success, who or what would it be and why? There’s a series of events and a variety of mentors that have shaped my career. But since you’re asking me to pick just one individual, I’ll have to go with my mom. She set me up in a…

Where the Advertising Industry will see Economic Growth Next The long-time dominant U.S. and U.K. advertising centers are in an unfamiliar position. Though they seem to be stabilizing, they are not currently pacing to return as the global leaders we’ve always known. In their place, Asian businesses and Asian agencies stand to bounce back stronger. In recent weeks, we’ve seen the U.S. ad industry show signs of recovery. Following an unfortunate wave of layoffs, agencies are now resuming hiring, brands are holding reviews, and new business is being won. During a year that seemingly just won’t end, there’s a general…

  Auro Trini Castelli is the Chief Strategy Officer at creative agency, Elephant. He has worked on campaigns for iconic brands like Apple, Beats by Dre, Audi, Oreo and HP. We spoke with Auro as part of our ongoing series that highlights talented individuals across the advertising industry. What is the number one quality you look for in talent? Eclecticism. I look for interesting and interested people, with a deep and wide variety of original passions. What is something the industry isn’t paying attention to that they should? We need to create more sustainable outcomes. If a new product, platform,…

Why the Time is Now to Make Remote Offices a Permanent Structure The past four months have been a crash course in the work-from-home format for companies across the globe. It is still too early to know exactly how the pandemic will shape the office of the future, and to what extent in-person collaboration will bounce back. But, by and large, remote workers have proven to be sufficiently productive from their home offices. I spoke with many firms who previously had not offered remote options, and the majority reported that WFH was operating smoothly. Teams have risen to the occasion…

As more and more talented people are entering the job market, the new reality is that interviewing will be taking place from home for the foreseeable future. Many employers will turn to video calls to interact with prospects, and while many job seekers may be decently familiar with the technology, the fact is that there are many platforms to master – from Skype to Zoom to Google Hangouts. Mistakes often happen because people expect the video chat to work the same way each time, which we know isn’t the case. What’s frequently misunderstood is the level of sophistication needed across…

Why the U.S. Immigration Policy is Crippling Creative Talent in the Advertising Industry The collapse of the U.S. labor market has been severe and sudden. In the advertising industry, agencies that had seemed poised for banner years have announced mass layoffs leaving many stunned and surprised. The only reference point for most people is 2008, and that doesn’t even come close to what we’re experiencing today. In the years to come, new startups will rise from the ashes of this global recession, meeting new consumer and business realities. Dynamic talent will fuel those engines. Companies and the agencies that support…

When it comes to worker protections, American policies just don’t stack up First came the shutdown and then the flood of layoffs. According to AdAge, 36,400 agency employees lost their jobs in April alone. In the advertising industry and beyond, the unemployment rate is soaring and the future for many is uncertain. In times like these, when the struggle feels universal, I’m not even sure if American workers know just how bad they have it. The challenges that unemployed Americans face are amplified by a system that doesn’t provide protections or support beneficial programs at the same rate as the rest of the…