We spend too much time doing exactly what the client wants and too little time actually listening to the client’s problems. If a client wants something a certain way, your first response should be “why do they want it like that?” Ask questions and find out where their head is. Ask the right questions and you’ll get to the bottom of it. Then and only then can you solve it the right way.

Think about it.

It’s easier for a college to recruit if it has a strong program. There are colleges that are known for business, medicine, art, science and everything in between. The idea of a strong college program is similar to an ad agency’s positioning and point of strength. An ad agency must stand for something if it’s going to attract the attention of prospects.

Colleges also need to overcome many of the same challenges as an ad agency. For example, a college in Springfield, Missouri will have more difficulty attracting students than one in San Francisco, California. And a small, unknown college will have more difficulty attracting students than, say, The University of Texas.

The key to both college and ad agency is to be great at something and the reputation will follow. If we were a college, which one would we be?

Officer, who took an oath to serve and protect, taking a nap at the Tampa
International Airport.

I am on a Sonic shoot in Tampa Bay, Florida.

During the lunch break, the production company delivered a birthday
cake to a member of the crew.

He was surprised. Not so much that they had made a cake for him. He
was actually surprised that it was his birthday. From the look on his
face, he had clearly forgotten.

In the world of self-absorption, I found this moment both touching and
rare.

Photo credit

Anyone who knows me knows I love the game. It’s a fun sport that can be played indoors, it’s great exercise and you can play it your whole life. What’s not to love?

The name is officially called “Table Tennis.” The less formal name is “Ping Pong,” which happens to be owned by Parker Bros. Serious players say they are playing Table Tennis, but I prefer Ping Pong for three reasons:

Ping Pong is what the game sounds like. The ball off the paddle and then off the table produces a sound that approximates “ping” and “pong”. The name that describes the sound, the feeling and vibe is the one I prefer.

Ping Pong sounds more fun than Table Tennis. I put a lot into the game but I like the looseness that Ping Pong connotes. I don’t want to dress in formal whites and concern myself with clearing proper inches of toss on serve. I want to put back a few beers and have fun.

It’s the name I grew up with. I never said, “Hey dad, want to play some table tennis before dinner?” No, I said, “Dad, wanna play some ping pong?” Nostalgia. Tradition. The legacy of the basement.

I also prefer Bob to Robert and Vicki to Victoria. But that’s just me…