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<moderator> Welcome Trina
<moderator> Moses is here and ready when you are.
<mosesb> Hello Boise
<tsego> Hello Moses & AEF. We have about 35 eager
students watching in.
<mosesb> great
<mosesb> my brain is here to pick.
<tsego> Can you tell us something about Miller Group?
How many people work there and what are their backgrounds?
<mosesb> we are a small agency, 6 people working
<mosesb> we have a full time copywriter, full time art
director (me)
<mosesb> some account people and Renee Miller, our creative
director and president
<mosesb> the account people come from a marketing/business
background
<tsego> How is working at a small agency different from
working at a large one?
<mosesb> I've worked in a large agency before....about
200 people
<mosesb> there are benefits in both, but the biggest
I think in a small one is that you get to do a lot more and
learn more quickly about the industry
<mosesb> you get your hands on everything in a small
agency
<tsego> Do you consider yourselves a "creative
boutique"?
<mosesb> definitely
<mosesb> we sell our creative thinking
<mosesb> and partner with other companies to fulfill
them
<tsego> What are the challenges of being with a small
agency?
<mosesb> The biggest challenge for me would be the different
hats I need to wear
<mosesb> besides coming up with the creative thinking
and layout,
<mosesb> I need to coordinate projects with the printers,
photographers, etc.
<mosesb> in bigger agencies, there are people that do
those day to day operations.
<tsego> We had the pleasure of viewing your print &
t.v. ads during our last class. Tell us more about the production.
Who did what? How long did it take?
<mosesb> we did the TV spots in a month....from thinking
up the ideas, to actually filming it.
<mosesb> myself along with another art director and
a copywriter took the creative brief, came up with different
ideas, and presented them to the client.
<mosesb> Renee, our creative director, made sure that
we stayed on strategy
<mosesb> once the client approved the concept, rick
rosenberg, my copywriter, wrote the script and also directed
the spots.
<mosesb> we hired a freelance producer to gather the
talent and hire a production crew
<mosesb> once the spots were shot.....all in one day....he
had a post production house edit them for us and got them
ready for stations.
<tsego> You have a degree in graphic arts, yes? Do you
think that is a good way to prepare for a career as an art
director?
<mosesb> for an art director you need to have some sort
of art degree
<mosesb> whether its graphic design, applied art, or
fine art
<mosesb> my degree is in graphic design
<tsego> Can you tell us about how you negotiate strategy
with the client? How many ideas did you present before you
hit upon a winner?
<mosesb> we take research from either a research company
or from existing data
<mosesb> we then formulate a plan with a strategist
to see what is the one thing that sets our client apart
<mosesb> we also talk to the client to see what their
goals are.
<mosesb> we then present that to the client and see
if they approve or disapprove.....most of the time, we are
on.
<mosesb> at the most we'll go back maybe once for the
strategy.
<mosesb> ideas are another story though
<tsego> So are most of your projects backed by research?
Do you do many focus groups?
<mosesb> we present to the client probably around 6-7
ideas
<mosesb> the creative strategy is backed by research
<mosesb> our bigger clients conduct focus groups and
occasionally we will adjust our creative.
<tsego> Why did you choose to work in the advertising
industry? Why not use your art background somewhere else?
<mosesb> because the advertising industry is always
changing
<mosesb> I get to use my creativity at another level....I
am not only worried about making it look good, but also thinking
of creative ways to
<mosesb> give a product a benefit, to make it stand
out.
<mosesb> advertising is never boring.
<tsego> Your website suggests that your agency specializes
in great ideas rather than big budgets. Some are wondering
what is a typical budget? What is a really small budget? Smallest?
<mosesb> in our agency, there are no typical budgets.
<mosesb> we have some pretty high/big budgets, some
are small
<tsego> How is the economy affecting the industry?
<mosesb> severely
<mosesb> we would normally have a lot more projects
going on
<tsego> How do you think the session is going? Do you
have any questions for us?
<mosesb> I think it's going great
<mosesb> what direction do your students want to take
in advertising?
<mosesb> creative or business end?
<tsego> Since we're marketing students, we're wondering
about the "severely" comment. Are people getting
laid off? Are career ops slim?
<mosesb> currently career ops are very slim
<mosesb> that wasn't the case 3 years ago.
<mosesb> some of the bigger agencies had severe lay
offs, but some are hiring again
<mosesb> our agency has stayed the same.
<tsego> Creative or business...it's a mix. Mostly business.
Acct mgmt. 1 Health promotion. Couple for research or acct
planning.
<tsego> Any advice for folks wanting to get a foot in
the door?
<mosesb> get it in the door anyway you can.
<mosesb> I got in as an intern in the creative department,
then did another internship in the account management dept.
<tsego> You majored in graphic design? Did you minor
in another subject?
<mosesb> nope, just graphic design
<mosesb> but I was aggressive.
<mosesb> to be successful in advertising, you must be
aggressive, type A personalities
<mosesb> that is what is going to get your foot in the
door.
<mosesb> you need to be passionate about what you are
doing
<tsego> What is your favorite ad of all time?
<mosesb> my favorite ad of all time?
<mosesb> that I have done, or that someone else has
done?
<tsego> Both
<mosesb> I did an ad for our candy client that was a
ransom note using the wrappers and cut out letters
<mosesb> I just like the way it looked and I had a good
time cutting up the letters out of magazines
<mosesb> I really like the stuff that Nike does.
<mosesb> also some of the international spots that IKEA
does.
<tsego> Why do you like those ads?
<mosesb> there is a lot of GREAT creative that happens
in Europe....it's a shame that we can't get away with as much.
<mosesb> mostly since they are strong both creatively
and in getting the sales message across. The Nike spot that
ran last year of the guy running
<mosesb> while the world around him was going crazy
is my favorite
<tsego> We viewed some European ads (Clios). We like
the Nike ad that featured soccer players from around the world.
Can you tell us more about how the European aesthetic differs
from U.S.?
<mosesb> Europe is more open to off the wall humor
<mosesb> not as much is taboo over there.
<tsego> Cultural taboo or legal?
<mosesb> cultural
<mosesb> legally they are bound by the same lawsuits
and such that we are here.
<tsego> Have you faced ethical challenges in your job?
<mosesb> not yet
<mosesb> the agencies I've worked at have always had
clients that I agreed with.
<mosesb> there are things though that I wouldn't help
in advertising
<tsego> Can you tell us about the creative process?
Where do you get them? Do you have a special technique that
helps you generate ideas?
<mosesb> the creative process starts with, as you know,
the creative brief.
<mosesb> I sit down with my copywriter and we just talk
all day
<mosesb> we try to think of uncommon ways to present
something that's common, or draw upon our personal experiences
and see how they can apply
<mosesb> the "sports" campaign is a good example
<mosesb> the print campaign I'm currently working on.
<mosesb> I'm a HUGE sports fan, so figured I'd try to
work that in.
<tsego> How about the 2003 Legacy ads? What is the concept
behind those? What work are you doing on them now? Sports
metaphor?
<mosesb> that merged from the creative brief
<mosesb> they wanted to show 3 things....
<mosesb> customer service, quality, and their manufacturing
capabilities
<mosesb> we thought of that "commitment to excellence"
sports idea and applied it to the ads
<mosesb> and picked sports and sports situations that
would fit it best.
<tsego> Since you're a creative boutique, who makes
decisions about media? Does the client have that predetermined?
Who does the media plan?
<mosesb> we hire a media buying service to come up with
a media plan.
<tsego> Sounds like a lot of relationships with outside
companies. Is that a challenge?
<mosesb> not really.
<mosesb> big agencies do the same thing
<mosesb> the only thing that we do not have in-house
is the media and research
<mosesb> we have relationships with companies we work
with all the time.
<tsego> Tell us more about full-service vs. boutique
biz. Do you think you lose something in that you can't offer
the media side?
<mosesb> I don't think so since the client gets the
same ideas for media.
<mosesb> the only difference is that they aren't down
the hall.
<tsego> How do you prepare for a pitch? How much work
do you do on spec? How do you mentally prepare for presentation?
Any stage fright ever?
<mosesb> I try to find out as much about a company as
possible. An example is that currently we are in the process
of pitching a sports club
<mosesb> so of course I'm going to go workout at one
this weekend.
<mosesb> most of our pitches involve spec work....mostly
because of the economy
<mosesb> because you want to show the client your thinking
and creative
<mosesb> stage fright?
<mosesb> not anymore, I got over that quick
<mosesb> otherwise I wouldn't be working
<mosesb> and this coming from a huge introvert growing
up
<mosesb> mentally I know the creative is good, and I
sell it
<mosesb> I try to convey the passion I have in creating
it
<mosesb> it's all dependent on the client though
<mosesb> some are more conservative than others, so
part of being good in advertising is reading people
<tsego> Do clients sometimes come to you with strong
ideas about strategy? How do you suggest changes to their
ideas?
<mosesb> oh yeah, all clients are different....some
I can just mention that it's wrong and they take my word for
it.
<mosesb> others are very headstrong and you try to sway
them
<tsego> Had any experience with conflicting accounts?
How are those handled?
<mosesb> we have in the past. we tell the client what
clients we already have.
<tsego> Where do you find new business? New prospective
clients?
<mosesb> we have someone in the office that does new
business.
<mosesb> she researches companies and sees what they
are doing with their marketing
<mosesb> talks to them, tries to set up a meeting to
meet and we take things from there.
<tsego> What is the culture at your job? Do you wear
a suit everyday? Or what?
<mosesb> I'm wearing tennis shoes, jeans and thermal
<mosesb> but the account people have slacks, dress shirts
and nice office clothes.
<mosesb> as a creative, I have that luxury
<mosesb> and of course when I meet the clients, I dress
up some, but see what the client is like.
<tsego> Has your website helped you win new business?
<mosesb> sometimes.
<tsego> Ever won a big account away from a goliath agency?
<tsego> Sometimes? Any details?
<mosesb> we get some calls from people that see the
site, but most are from us contacting them or the clients
being referred from other people
<mosesb> we had Kenwood Home auto for a while...we won
that from a big agency here in LA.
<mosesb> the loved the creative and how we worked.
<tsego> What are your future professional plans? What's
in store for you and Miller Group?
<mosesb> eventually I would like be the creative director
of some big agency...I say within 15 years
<tsego> Back to agency culture....Do you work 9-5?
<mosesb> I work from 9-6 on a good day
<tsego> Weekends?
<mosesb> yes
<mosesb> after-hours as well
<tsego> Thanks so much for your time. We enjoyed chatting
with you. Thanks to the AEF for hosting this!
<tsego> We are inspired.
<mosesb> thank you
<moderator> Thanks for a great discussion!
<tsego> Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<sharon> Hi Trina and Moses. I think this session went
really well. I'll be in touch with you soon.
<mosesb> thank you Boise
<mosesb> and to the AEF staff
<moderator> our pleasure
<moderator> A transcript of this discussion will be
posted to aef.com soon.
Content Master, aef.com
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