Podcast Summary
Creative industry: In the creative industry, learning on the job and seeking mentors can lead to success even without formal education. Adaptation and innovation are crucial in overcoming challenges and staying competitive.
Being dull in the creative industry comes with a high cost. Greg Hahn, the founder of Mischief and a renowned creative mind, shares his journey from being a journalism and psychology major to becoming a successful advertising professional without formal education. He emphasizes the importance of learning on the job and seeking out mentors. Hahn's career took off when he joined BBDO, transforming it from a traditional TV shop to a digital-era agency. However, he was fired during the pandemic, which he sees as a wake-up call and an opportunity to start his own agency, Mischief. Despite the challenges, Hahn's ability to adapt and innovate has led him to produce award-winning work and name Mischief as Ad Age's creative agency of the year for two consecutive years. Overall, Hahn's story highlights the value of determination, resilience, and creativity in the face of adversity.
Mischief USA founding: The founders of Mischief USA started the agency to inject fun and creativity into advertising, self-filtered clients with the same mindset, and emphasized emotional and interesting campaigns over rational ones.
Passion and creativity were driving forces behind the founding of Mischief USA. The name itself was chosen to represent the missing element of fun and mischief in advertising at the time. The founders wanted to build a place where they could be excited and passionate about their work, and the name self-filtered clients who shared that same mindset. Starting the agency was a learning experience, as the founders discovered they needed to focus on their creative strengths and hire experts to handle the business side. Their first client, Capri Sun, came through a connection and the agency quickly gained momentum with several projects in the first few months. They also emphasized the importance of being interesting and emotional in advertising, rather than just rational, and coined the phrase "the extraordinary cost of being dull" to highlight the financial impact of boring campaigns. Mischief USA continues to prioritize creativity and chemistry with clients, rather than just pitching for business.
Marketing risks: Playing it safe in marketing can hinder creativity and innovation. Effective campaigns often come from challenging the status quo and taking calculated risks, even if they fail. The fear of failure should not prevent us from pushing boundaries and asking provocative questions.
Playing it safe in marketing and advertising can hinder creativity and innovation, and as an industry, we need to make the case for rewarding risks, even if they fail. The fear of getting fired for taking risks is common in many companies, but the most effective campaigns often come from challenging the status quo and asking provocative questions. For instance, the campaign for To Be, a streaming platform with niche content, turned its perceived weakness into a strength by changing the conversation and going down an unexpected rabbit hole during the Super Bowl. The mischief mindset, which values asking good questions over providing good answers, can lead to groundbreaking ideas and campaigns. For example, the deepfake video of Kim Jong-un was a result of asking "who would benefit from our failure?" The fear of failure should not prevent us from taking risks and pushing boundaries in our work. Instead, we should embrace the unknown and trust that the questions we ask will lead us to innovative and effective solutions.
Opposition strategies: Recognizing and embracing the counterintuitive and using disadvantages to your advantage can lead to unique marketing strategies and unexpected success.
Identifying and understanding your opposition or the "wrong" thing in your industry can lead to unique and successful marketing strategies. This was demonstrated through examples like the deep fake video of Kim Jong-un and Putin thanking America for helping them, Pete's Coffee defining their target audience, and Capri Sun's noise-cancelling juice campaign. By recognizing and embracing the counterintuitive, brands can separate themselves from competitors and create new categories. Additionally, recognizing and using your disadvantages to your advantage, as seen in the example of launching the first government-approved drink for schools without a sales team, can lead to unexpected success.
Obstacles as opportunities: Embracing obstacles and reframing problems can lead to innovative marketing solutions and successful campaigns, such as Coors Light flashlight partnership and Tinder campaign.
Turning obstacles into opportunities can lead to innovative and effective marketing solutions. Whether it's transforming a school fridge into a business for kids or redefining the meaning of a hookup on Tinder, embracing restrictions and reframing problems can result in successful campaigns. The Stoics' principle "the obstacle is the way" was applied in advertising to create unique and memorable campaigns, such as the Coors Light flashlight partnership and the Tinder campaign. By using opponents' strengths against them and asking "what would you do if you weren't afraid?", marketers can push boundaries and create impactful marketing strategies. The founders of Mischief, an agency known for their unconventional approaches, have built their business on this very principle. Embracing fear and taking calculated risks can lead to groundbreaking and successful marketing campaigns.
Business Objective, Strategy, Execution: Having a clear business objective, strategy, and execution is crucial for creating innovative advertising that leaves audiences thinking 'Why hasn't anyone done that before?' Fear is natural, but maintaining focus and staying adaptable can help alleviate anxiety and lead to success.
Having a clear business objective, strategy, and execution is crucial. The ultimate goal is to make the audience think, "Why hasn't anyone done that before?" with a sense of inevitability. Fear is natural, especially when dealing with high-pressure situations like a Super Bowl spot, but maintaining a stoic mindset and focusing on what you can control can help alleviate anxiety. Building a strong network and practicing generosity are also valuable tools during challenging times. The speaker's experiences of being fired twice led them to embrace new opportunities, remain organized, and find joy in the uncertainty of the advertising industry. Ultimately, it's essential to stay adaptable and open to new experiences, even when faced with unexpected setbacks.
Execution and People: Execution is crucial, but surround yourself with positive, value-sharing people to bring ideas to life and define success and happiness in your business.
Ideas are worthless without execution, but it's essential to surround yourself with people who bring positive energy and share your values. The speaker shares his experiences of being fired twice due to his inability to execute as quickly as desired, but also acknowledges the regret of not taking some of his ideas with him. He emphasizes the importance of asking oneself "what would you do if you weren't afraid?" and encourages taking risks, even if they seem uncertain or risky. He also shares his belief that every business is in the recruiting business and that happiness and success are defined by the people you work with. The speaker's agency values include treating people fairly, respecting each other's strengths, and working together to solve problems. He believes in building each other up and not focusing on individual credit but on producing great work.
Employee engagement and retention: Creating a work environment that fosters employee engagement and retention leads to a successful agency with high client and staff retention rates. Hiring individuals with genuine passion and curiosity, focusing on insight and strategy, and prioritizing chemistry with clients are key to maintaining a 'hot shop' reputation.
Creating a work environment where employees are engaged, fulfilled, and want to stay contributes significantly to the success of an agency. This was highlighted in the discussion about an agency that had won "Agency of the Year" two years in a row, with a 100% client retention rate and a 98% staff retention rate. The importance of retaining talent lies in the value of relationships and consistency for both clients and the agency. When hiring new individuals, characteristics such as being genuinely passionate about their work and curious problem-solvers are sought after. The agency places a strong emphasis on insight and strategy, believing that these elements feed creativity rather than being a trade-off. To maintain their reputation as a "hot shop," the agency focuses on staying true to their beliefs and values, rather than seeking external validation. They prioritize chemistry with clients and are selective about the projects they take on, ensuring a mutually beneficial relationship.
Tough Decisions, Trust and Passion: Making tough decisions, building trusting relationships, focusing on strengths, finding complementary partners, seeking financial backing, and believing in oneself are essential for starting and running a successful agency.
Starting and running a successful agency involves making tough decisions and taking responsibility for the well-being of your team and clients. The speaker emphasized the importance of trusting relationships, being optimistic, and focusing on what you're good at. He also advised finding partners with complementary skills and seeking out financial backing from experts in your field. Drawing from his personal experience, he emphasized the importance of believing in yourself and learning from past failures. Despite the challenges, he encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to take control of their own future and start something they're passionate about.
Career setbacks: Maintaining a good reputation and building connections throughout your career can help you bounce back from career setbacks and potentially lead to greater opportunities
Getting fired or facing career setbacks can be a valuable learning experience and potentially lead to greater opportunities if you stay positive, maintain a good reputation, and continue to believe in yourself. Greg, a marketing executive, shared his personal experience of being fired and how it ultimately led him to success. He emphasized the importance of having a solid track record and building connections throughout your career to increase your chances of receiving support during difficult times. Despite the initial disappointment, Greg acknowledged that getting fired forced him to grow and adapt, ultimately leading to new and better opportunities. This perspective is a reminder that setbacks can often lead to unexpected growth and success.
