“Hire people who play at what you work at.”
- John Assaraf

I see that quote posted a lot in the Twitterverse. And I don't see it as just another catchy slogan from some life-business guru. This makes total sense when shaping your creative career.

When people look at your portfolio, what does ... << MORE >>

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I'm looking on the horizon, and I see several conferences and business-related events I would like to attend. Question is, will the company send me? Between budget slashes and layoffs, who's going to fund a trip? If you present a valid argument, the company just might. Your agency is still in business. So if these conferences have been valuable in the past, they may be of some value today. So how do you get in on these getaways?

• You need to be a valued member of the staff before asking. If the boss doesn't know your name, it's unlikely you will be approved for the trip. First, you need to work on that anonymity. If people don't know you, they don't know your value. I'd be more worried about keeping my job.
• Demonstrate how the event is beneficial to your performance. Write an email or submit a report explaining how your work and the agency can improve by attending this event.
• Pick the most convenient location. If the conference is on tour, pick the most convenient spot. Sorry, you can't expect to go to Cancun, if Cleveland is closer.
• You BETTER show up. If I leave Detroit to attend a conference on a sandy beach, I better comeback with more than sand in my shoes and drink umbrellas in my pockets. Sometimes the conference does not live up to the hype — boring speakers, unorganized, etc. Then it's up to you to find the goodness in the garbage. If they aren't great speakers, they are still experts in their fields. Take great notes. Make their work seem more interesting than the way they presented it and give it value.
• Come back with plenty of contacts. Get to know attendees who may be valuable resources on future projects.
• Share with the team. Our staff is required to present their findings to the agency. If you aren't, offer to do so anyway. Create a multi-media presentation you and others can refer to when needed.

        

        

        

During the drive home yesterday, I'm listening to NPR . Wieden + Kennedy is talking about the social media extension of their Old Spice campaign on Twitter/YouTube, where spokesperson Isaiah Mustafa responded to posts. Lately, every time you hear "Old Spice," mentions of  "Wieden + Kennedy" or "Mustafa" are not far behind.

I love the Old Spice stuff, so I'm not begrudging the agency, nor the actor. For those not in the industry, the Wieden + Kennedy name is becoming more recognizable. That's going to translate into more business. And after becoming a pop culture icon, Mustafa's acting career will most likely surpass his athletic one.

I guess the jury is still out if people are buying more Old Spice.

        

What's up with the evil rants?

People throw a fit, post it on the web and they're shocked that people haven't rallied to their sides.

Of course the most recent, infamous rant comes from Cleveland Cav owner Dan Gilbert, who posted an open letter about LeBron James' lack of loyalty. (Funny, just recently Gilbert tested the loyalty of Michigan State coach Tom Izzo by trying to steal him away.)

On a lesser known scale, there's Marvel President Kevin Fiege vs. actor Ed Norton dispute . Both sides couldn't come to an agreement concerning Norton reprising his role as Bruce Banner/Hulk in the upcoming Avengers movie, based on the Marvel comic. Apparently, the cast was supposed to make an appearance at this month's Comic Con (over the years, this has been a big buzz generator for action films). When talks fell apart, Fiege announced that they'll recast the part with someone “who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members.”

Both Gilbert and Fiege sounded off like they are expressing the sentiment of the fans, but it didn't ring true. As a corporate head, you have to accept the fact that you are not "one of the guys." You lost star players, so you're losing money. James' signing show was a fiasco. And as much as fans hated it, Gilbert received an ample amount of criticism. The letter was removed from the Cav site. And if you search "Fiege" on Twitter, the fan boys are ready to lynch him at Comic Con.

If you want to share your side on the story using social media, be social about it. Express your disappointment, but why turn it into an attack? Generate discussion and debate. Let the readers take sides, without you looking bad. Both Gilbert and Fiege could have just wished them well and not generated the bad buzz. If Norton was at fault for the Avengers breakdown, you'd never know it from him. On Facebook, he posted, “I sincerely hoped it could happen and be great for everyone, but it hasn’t turned out as well as we hoped."

There's a reason why they call it "taking the high road." Going for higher ground betters your chances of coming out on top.

Baby pic courtesy of stock.xchng .

        

After a great interview, you want to eliminate the competition.

The thank you letter is the weapon of choice.

On my last post I stated that creatives are obligated to rise above just sending the standard thank you note. Your thank you needs to reflect the creative person you claim to be. The next step is knowing when to send it. Normally, you should always send it 24 hours after the meeting, but sometimes it pays to wait. For example, if you know when other candidates are being interviewed, time it so your thank you arrives around that date. So when employers are interviewing someone else, your memorable thank you letter still keeps you on their minds.

Image courtesy of nkzs at stock.xchng.

        

I've talked about the importance of the thank you letter in the past. It's so important that it needs repeating. Why? Because it's surprising how few people actually write them and it's still the best way to leave a lasting impression after the interview.

Emails. I don't care how witty you are with words. I think some of the warmth can be lost on a glowing electronic screen. If you think you can make up for it by sending some animated file, the recipient may not open the file. I practice safe text and never download anything from someone I don't know well. Plus, if they receive lots of emails, it may get lost. The only time I feel emails are okay (and I mean that marginally) is after a phone interview. If it's pretty informal, you can save the more formal thanks for the face-to-face interview.

The Thank You Letter. A great tangible thank you letter may sit on someone's desk long after they read it, reminding them of you. To guarantee it, be creative. It sounds like a no-brainer, but a thank you note never strikes anyone immediately as a creative task. You're in the business of creativity. So make that letter memorable.

Tips:

• Make it personable. Focus on areas where you really connected during the interview.

• Make it simple. Meaning, don't lose the message in a gimmick or make the reader work for it. Ex: Sending your thank you note in the form of a jigsaw puzzle — even if it's a puzzle company. (You don't think they've seen that one before?)

Image courtesy of stock.xchng.

        

Have you ever pitched an idea where you start off saying, "It's a little like (insert name of commercial here)."

So you're willing to admit your idea is similar to something that's already out there? That should have been the first concept to be pitched into the garbage can.

The saying is true: there are no original ideas left. You can look at any ... << MORE >>