USADREVIEW /// 17

LOOKING LOCAL

MINNEAPOLISOLSON ::: MARTIN / WILLIAMS :::

Advertising agencies spend their lives telling the stories of their clients.

Each issue of US Ad Review turns the tables, hands over the mic, and hyperbole-be- damned, agencies describe themselves,

their work and their philosophies in their own words. In this issue: Olson and

Martin/Williams, two creative powerhouses central to the

Midwest’s advertising identity.

Local Focus

Phot

o by

Kar

en O

’Bry

an

22 /// USADREVIEW

MARTIN/ WILLIAMSwww.martinwilliams.com

Agency: Martin/Williams, Minneapolis, MNClient: Finnegans/Irish AmberExecutive Creative Director: Tom MoudryGroup Creative Directors: Randy Tatum, Steve CaseyAccount Executive: Erika Collins

Martin/Williams: Agency OverviewBy Laura Terry

Martin/Williams is a creative-based agency that believes brand actions speak louder than words. Our mission is to activate brands through 20-ton ideas that invite and inspire participation, because in today’s economy, you

can’t buy engagement, you have to earn it.

We bring our mission to our clients everyday by living the philosophy that hangs on our lobby wall: Be a partner with our clients…Treat others well… Do great work… Don’t be crabby. They may seem like simple principals to work by, but they are extremely important to our culture, as well as our clients.

“BY MAKING PARTICIPATION OUR GOAL, WE ARE ABLE TO THINK OUT-

SIDE OF WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY, AND FOCUS ON WHAT WE HAVE TO GIVE “

USADREVIEW /// 23

LOOKING LOCAL : MINNEAPOLIS

The Importance of Language

Hopefully by the time you are reading this the world will be a bet-ter place, but I doubt it. As 30,000, er, more like 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day plumed into the Gulf of Mexico this summer, it

was interesting to listen to the responses from the people most affected. From Tony Hayward, CEO of British Petroleum, to Transocean the drilling contractor responsible for building the off-shore rig, to environmentalists, to politicians, to Our President and his staff, to Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana, to Independent real estate agents with “ocean view” properties throughout the gulf, to Katie Couric and her nightly news, to third genera-tion seafood fishermen, to the Starbuck’s barista in my office complex, to, and most importantly to, the Pelican, drenched in toxic crude oil on the cover of Time magazine – there’s nothing like a catastrophe to empha-size the importance of language.

But there may be an interesting lesson here. While media, corporate and government spinsters were busy doing what they do best, distanc-ing themselves, there seemed to be an inconceivable ignorance on their part that led them to believe they could still manipulate our perception of things. Unfortunately, or maybe finally, the court of public opinion is now officially in the hands of tightly woven social capillaries of friends, family and trusted bloggers. These circles use to be much more visceral, and easier to discount. You could walk away from your brother-in-law at a barbeque, or pay your tab and leave the overly opinionated (and served) stranger at the end of the bar. But when things are posted from a source that’s been blessed into your biosphere, it’s digested differently, and picks up momentum quickly.

Of course, most language is conjecture. So how does this affect the per-sonalities of the Brands we manage? Well, like any relationship it’s as much in the delivery as the timing. For example, President Obama raised more than an eyebrow when he told 60 Minutes that he’s got to figure out “whose ass to kick.” That may have been an appropriate message, but his delivery could have been better. Tony Hayward telling the world that he’d “like to have his life back,” was not only a poor choice of words, but ill timed.

The immediacy of how conversations now happen within social networks affects the way brands are judged. Whether a brand is communicating a crisis or a clearance sale, transparency and tone are important.

Relationships end from things that are too small to mention but too big to forget. Never has that been so relevant to clients and their agencies than now. Consumers haven’t become more jaded, just more righteous. They want to know more about what a company stands for, and the composi-tion of its DNA before they will consider a relationship.

There’s a great quote from Naomi Klein, Canadian author and activist that says, “We are looking for brands for poetry and spirituality, because we’re not getting those things from our communities or each other.”

This might make our jobs more difficult, because it takes more work to find what language will invite, and hopefully inspire people to become advocates. But it’s the most exciting time in our industry as well, for those of us who can tell an authentic story. In times of social and economic misbehavior, consumers may actually feel more comfortable with a brand that simply speaks their language, and leaves everything else – well, to the rest of us.

Tom Moudry is CEO & Chief Creative Of-ficer of Martin/Williams advertising. His work has been recognized in CA, The One Show, The Clios, Addy’s, New York Art Director’s Club and Cannes. In his spare time he enjoys raised, sugared donuts.

Martin/Williams is a creative-based agency that believes brand actions speak louder than words. Our mission is to activate brands through 20-ton ideas that invite and inspire participation.

We are inquisitive, interesting and fun to be around. In short, we are people who are engaged, and we’ve found that em-ploying this level of talent and creativity attracts the best kind of client – those who want a true partnership with their agency. Clients who believe in the power of an idea, the importance of bringing that idea to life through brand activism, and the value of finding ways to continuously engage with their consumers.

Because today, engagement is more than a one-way con-versation. Brands can no longer tell people what to think and how to behave. By making participation our goal, we are able to think outside of what we have to say, and focus on what we have to give. It is in nurturing this brand advocacy that we are able to make a difference, and partner with brands that people will want to engage with, advocate on behalf of, and get more involved with. This creates a momentum that gives brands’ energy.

And that, in a nutshell, is what we are about here at Martin/Williams. 160 talented people with expertise in advertising strategy, creative ideation and execution, media and digital engagement, public relations, and multi-cultural marketing and translation.

Cheers, www.martinwilliams.com.