Welcome to loud and clear on this.
Now, the fourth episode of the second season of the larimar
podcast podcast, created for people who give a shit about
advertising. Today.
We have Christopher Farrell who needs no introduction.
He was one of our guests on previous episode, the role of ad
agencies in the time of open them.
This time Chris is accompanied by another Chris, but Owens who
is a brand strategist at the richest group, and I think
ending for the group in general, delivering I open and inside for
Brands and inspiring talks to the rest of us from time to
time. I remember a couple of really
good talk that I came out inspired by for those of you who
follow the podcast. Mr. Owens is responsible for
bringing Michael fan. Well, to talk with us about his
stop making sense. Book a couple of episodes ago.
Thank you. Uh, Chris for that.
And thank you both for being here.
We are still recording this from the distance of our homes.
And this time, exploring a new technology, which now allows us
to see each other. Welcome guys.
Thanks for having us. Yeah.
Thank you by back. No, thank you.
It's great to have you the last time it was the first week that
the country was shutting down because of covid-19.
And now, we're just looking back.
I can't believe that it was just yesterday that two months ago.
When, when this episode came out, we've been on lockdown for
two months. And this week, think seems, at
least here in Texas, during the starting or intending to open
up. There's been many covid industry
reports. There's been brainstorms.
There's been povs and some surviving campaigns that we
could opening things up partially at least here.
And we did promise that we were going to be back.
And here we are. We know what's going on the
world, somehow somewhat, but do we know what's happening in?
Sizing. What have we seen?
Do we have a better definition of the role of Ad Agency after
two months of being stuck into this.
I think the only thing we know for sure is that nothing is the
same as it was pre-pandemic crisper and I have talked a
bunch about this. I think we have to fully Embrace
just how significantly businesses our customers and
people have changed because of this whatever you thought was,
right. Or upside down or left or right
about your customer before the pandemic.
There's a good chance that it's totally different now and we'll
be Christopher. I don't know if you want to
touch on but this notion of pre-pandemic and post pandemic
marketing might be an interesting starting point,
regardless of what time it is, or what era we've been in there,
you're always going to find a group of people, whether that be
consumers or clients who just for whatever reason, nostalgic,
Lee loves the way things. Is to be and assume that there
were some kind of stasis or normalcy that they could rely on
and patterns that they could just kind of draft off of and
always hope that things can just always be that way.
And then there's always another group of people who are, like,
sort of a creative destruction assists, who can't wait to say
everything's different. And we need to rebuild
everything right now and, and then Anna, and you know, how how
many times have we seen the book, you know, the end of
advertising be published or something like that?
Us and the death of this and the death of that and things up
every generation wants to be the author of that book, right?
The same kind of I don't know tribal Tendencies or ideologies
are just representing themselves here in the pandemic and that
there's a lot of clients and consumers who just can't wait
for things to get back to quote unquote normal.
And they're willing to try and pantomime as much normalcy as
possible in order to convince themselves.
That things are normal and there's There's another group
who just can't wait to hit the reset button and get back up
into his kind of startup mentality, but they were always
that way, you know, and this is just gives them a new excuse to
kind of play out these different ideologies that they have.
And I think what Chris and I have talked a lot about is
really where most everything then lands is kind of in the
messy middle somewhere in-between those two opposite.
Polar valence is never really play out to the degree or to the
Fidelity in which these people want them to but there's always
Something, you know, in the middle, I think perhaps for a
lot of people listening to this, you've on the left side of this,
I kind of think. Well, not really left or right.
I shouldn't put it that way, but on the side, who wishes things
could get get back to normal. You'll find that they're they
have this kind of stop drop and roll approach to what to do
right now, which is kind of like cut cancel or hold your media in
your messaging, right? And they do.
So the whole piece is the one that Sends me the most because
hold waiting for what. Well, then they have to come up
with some kind of metric or rash.
Chanel's to win. That might be when inevitably
the whole country didn't shut down all at once, the whole
country won't start back up all at once.
So you're need to be more flexible and more Dynamic.
And more adaptive has never been tested more than right now.
Yeah, I think that's a good point.
Right? Like when you see something
coming in and I think we discussed this was like, dear.
And a headlight, you don't know, really what to do when the
sentiment of people in general is.
We know we've stopped because we have to, but there are certain
things. We're still consuming, right?
We're still consumers, were still leaving.
We're still consuming entertainment.
We're still having breakfast lunch and dinner.
We're still laughing. We're still loving.
What's the role of Brands there, right and agencies, how can we I
think the biggest challenge at least for me has been putting up
in a very Rational way for clients that, it still makes
sense to have an approach with consumers and that life goes on
regardless and how do we reinvent if necessary their
brand? But continue with the plan that
probably was already there and just a lot of things have just
accelerated like, e-commerce and certain things.
Yeah, feels like we're, we talk. So often about at least in the
marketing world, the impact that covid-19.
It has had on businesses, but I wish and perhaps the role of
agencies is to push the conversation about People and
just how significantly, this is impacted customers and consumer
Behavior because the level of need that someone has today
versus 10 weeks ago, is radically different.
The things that they want, more of the things that they want,
less of the things that they want from businesses and things
that I want less from businesses.
That's a really good important starting point, because I keep
be crisper brought it up this sort of desire to go back to
normal, but I don't think there's any going back.
What it was before the pandemic, I think they're certainly we're
going to be human. We're still going to have all of
the needs Francisco that you laid out.
But I think there's a new way of approaching how Brands can be
most meaningful to people moving forward.
And that's kind of this messy middle that that I think we need
to embrace and figure out because, you know, if this is
uncertain and chaotic, I mean, the natural tendencies.
I want order in to want to restore some semblance of
predictability. We see it everywhere.
But I think right now they're just so many new places and
spaces that people are trying to figure out.
And on top of that health and safety concerns, that just
didn't exist in many pockets. At least in America eight to ten
weeks ago. I wish we talk more about more
about people is kind of, I think the role that agencies can do a
lot more of. Yeah, I think that's almost all
responsibility, right? Like to as agencies.
You know, we tend or the conversation is to look at
Brands, but it's almost like we should be shifting or
conversation of like you're saying to people so that were
able to come up with Solutions and bring to the Brand's
Solutions of what we're seeing as far as how people are
behaving. A lot of this.
I'm curious to see what you guys are thinking, but we save The
New Normal how things have changed, but a lot of this our
behaviors that we had with technologies that were already
available like, you know, the conference that we're now.
Having or e-commerce or click and pick their certain things
that were already there that with this, just kind of
exponentially took took it to adoption in human behavior.
What are you guys thinking there?
There's a ton of stuff that's accelerated.
Adoption that, you know, we're already the seeds of we're in
the making. I mean this exact meeting that
we're having face-to-face on Microsoft teams, and we do it on
zoom and it's just fascinating. See the rise of Technology.
That's existed for years. Now all of a sudden Fully
Embrace out of necessity. And I think on the other side,
there's a rapid acceleration of cracks that already existed in
various systems that are now even more apparent.
But I don't think many of the symptoms that the pandemic has.
Highlighted our new there, just now more apparent, both both
good and bad. Yeah, we always talk about
particularly a strategist, you know, how about the importance
of cultural relevancy and cultural currency?
And Adding the Top Spin on this and that and you know that this
is a cultural moment. I think that should go without
saying but you start to find out how variable that is take.
For example videoconferencing. I mean, it's always been
relevant for a number of reasons whether that be oh you can't pay
for air travel or how do you stay more kind of ambiently or
remotely connected to people? It's kind of some semblance of
one-on-one but the cultural relevance when the culture
shifts to pandemic culture. The relevant skyrockets.
And so then there's also culturally relevant sites.
Where there are certain things that in fact had a lot more
utility and usefulness pre-pandemic, and as that
culture has shifted, then the amplitude of the relevancy is
either gone up or down on things as culture.
It goes to kind of shelter in place culture, you start to see
these, you know, interesting little anomalies lets, you know,
let's bake bread baked bread, all day and watch.
Ouch, you know, docu-series and Animal Crossing and all this
stuff and things. Don't necessarily kind of hit
that level at the amplitude. In free roam culture.
Meanwhile, when you've got free roam culture, you see people
almost like want to leave the home for home sake and just
drastically want something different than what their what
their yesterday was. Whether it's good for them or
not. And thus, then other things
start to kind of pop up and down and so these things are always
changing. It just so happens that culture
has shifted so dramatically. At certain aspects of business
technology client wants and needs products.
And services, have either like totally benefited in ways that
you would have never imagined or have just completely depleted
past the point of efficacy or usefulness or profitability in
ways that you would have never imagined.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, I think that so I highlight that.
I don't know if you guys saw the Rene redzepi and Noma his
restaurant in Copenhagen Michelin star.
Number one, restaurant in the world.
Old for the past several years. They reopened but as a no
reservation Burger Bar open to all individuals in Copenhagen
that just need a burger and a beer.
And so like I think just think about that for a moment, a 300
dollar a plate restaurant on top of the world reopens as a burger
bar, those to me are the types of decisions that are actually
the most meaningful and Powerful.
Of like, reimagining your brand and your business because the
consumer need is different now, right?
Talk about recognizing the perhaps you are now irrelevant
and people thing the way you do business to become, you know to
go from the relevant to relevant and the question of being
irrelevant or being disruptive by tone-deaf, right?
The sphere of actually putting your voice out there and not
kidding. The Mark on tone and and just
being afraid. But what is the risk of being
silent to write if this restaurant in Copenhagen, but
mostly say, okay. Well, let's just wait and not do
anything. Would it mean that the people
they did right now with a burger and a beer that in the future?
When things look at better and you have a better sense of where
things are going, that they could not be.
But again, to be that high end restaurant.
Yeah, and I think what I admire most about that decision is they
didn't think about Starting. They thought about starting like
they thought about launching a brand-new concept.
Like it wasn't opening at limited capacity this and trying
out their old price point and trying to figure out ways to fly
in people that otherwise would be visiting their reservations
in the past is like, no, we're going to be a very different
concept right now, and I don't know.
The business was also that like, I don't know if it's been
successful or not, but I think it's it takes Like that level of
bravery and courage right now to, to help to move the world
forward Francisco to your point. It's something.
I thought of my team a bunch about but this is a time of fear
and uncertainty and that's okay. That's totally normal, but fear
and uncertainty does one of two things that forces a choice, you
can either let it feel you or let it paralyze you.
And I think that's kind of the binary decision to be made right
now. Yeah, it also kind of exposes
some of the paralysis that already pre-existing.
Whether they knew it or not, I mean, these giant monolithic
companies with John and upfront, inflexible, media buys, or all
contractually locked in with no agility whatsoever.
And it exposed just, I think some of the inherent in
flexibility of the old ways of going to Market.
If you don't learn the lesson from having much more flexible
planning and being much more adaptive, with regards to, when
and how to adapt your media and your message.
I mean that should be one of the big takeaways and hopefully make
a lot of these more. Inflexible companies, a bit more
yogic in their ability, to stretch our one of our media
principles said the other day, you know, all media is local and
this really exposes that given that every single dma and Market
is at a different level of reopening and are closing or
shut down based on all sorts of inevitable.
Epidemiology. There's reasons as to why
they're doing what they're doing.
And then there's irrational reasons as to why they're doing
what they're doing. But all those things in affect
the culture and those markets. So then if you're a brand who is
important in those markets, what are you going to do to adapt to
Market a versus B versus C? When all three are approaching
it differently, culturally, or systematically, or
governmentally? And if you only had one approach
to them all together in aggregate, will, you can't turn
that on across all of them now, right.
So, you know how, How do you then?
Adjust and become much more flexible to adapt?
So as opposed to just kind of waiting for things to get back
to business, as normal for you to kind of Hit the same button.
You've always hit to turn things on.
It's it's that nice analogy with that, you know, that
Scandinavian restaurant he referred to is that how do you,
how do you reset certain aspects of your business?
And you know, the ideas of like being agile and Nimble?
It almost had become cliche and just how advertising agencies
and marketing plans kind of presented themselves.
But now, that is kind of acutely out on point as to what
companies and clients can and can't do right now.
Yeah, we talked about the companies and clients.
And normally we're like, well, they're not Nimble enough or
they're very traditional in their media approach.
But I think that has also kind of, we have got adopted that as
well. Right?
Like, we've with adopted the passiveness, a like, waiting for
a brief or things like that. And right now I think the
approach is With them, especially that we have a point
of view from the outside. Going back to the consumer on.
How do you write a brief and how do you reinvent yourself?
Right? We see ourselves at Lerma trying
to have conversations with clients of the opportunities.
We see in the short future and in the mid and long-term future,
right? Like if at least, speaking of
povs, as we were talking at the beginning of the podcast,
sending out povs, or actionable items that we see are
opportunities. That, that could come to us.
We've talked about Cinco de Mayo for the Hispanic.
The Multicultural Market was right in the middle of the
shutdown, right Cinco, de Mayo and some Brands took advantage
of its own Brands. Didn't some Brands did it right?
And some Brands didn't do it as good, but nobody really burned
themselves for having some sort of action out there and speaking
to the consumer. While they're at home, trying to
keep living and keep being happy with what they have, that side
of Brands and companies of being kind of like trying to figure it
out. I think.
Need to play and super Vigor, roll on us, having conversations
with them and showing those opportunities.
Do you guys see that also happening?
I mean, from a brand planning perspective.
I think that must be huge, right?
Like, this is what consumers are doing and the opportunity and
where you where we see you going.
Yeah. I mean, I think kinds always
appreciate whether they know it or not in the moment, a good
sparring partner, a good Devil's Advocate to come in and kind of
stress test their ideas. Has.
I think we act as a check and balance to a lot of the things
that they want to do and we see in the absence of checks and
balances. You can kind of convince
yourself that this is what you need to do.
And clients are using their agencies that way right now are
perhaps getting far more value from those interactions than
they have in the past. Simply because the sheer amount
of options of what to do, almost seem endless, depending on who
you talk to. It's very easy to be the victim
of your last conversation and alas, Libor news b or conference
or whatever, you know, thing that you Picked up off the
ticker thus being able to have more conversations to than way
those different possibilities and realities because any one of
those decisions could completely make or bake or break your
tomorrow. We need to have those that
ability to kind of step in and we don't always know what's
right and wrong. I mean, that's it.
That's the one thing I can tell you that I've learned in 25 plus
years of agency experience. But what I can tell you is that
I would I would rather not try and strive to be perfectly,
right. I would rather be useful.
That's what filter right to put. Yeah, and so and trying to just
trying things and seeing what happens and learning from those
things as opposed to waiting, so long for some giant monolithic
solve and then enacting it by the time it's too late.
And then and then you don't don't really know what what
happened. So yeah, on my side, what I am
noticing which is, just absolutely.
Fascinating. Is for the past.
I don't know. 45. Years, at least in my career,
this warm blanket that we call data has been the thing that
drives a lot of decisions and that's perfectly understandable
and will continue to play a role.
However, in this moment right now, a lot of our data sources,
I would say three quarters to ninety percent of our data
sources. Are six to 12 months behind in
terms of the The data that's reporting on consumers.
So what that means is it is not reflective of the pandemic and
so we have we certainly do have some tools that let us see more
real time. But I think we have to help our
clients understand that they can't look at your every year
stuff for. They can't.
Look at you eight weeks ago was was day Zero, and that's kind of
the new Benchmark that you kind of need to work against.
And so, I think one other piece we can help our It's worth it.
Just help them understand which pieces of data are most valuable
right now and which stuff. Frankly we maybe just throw out
the window or set aside or at least just put in the back
burner to not drive decisions. Like steak.
For example, household income data that we might be getting
from various Partners based on the unemployment rate.
No longer good reduce wages. Like yeah, that that dated shit
right now. That's so like we have to help
paint that story. Like I attended it an awesome.
Even our yesterday on Zoom that the forays put on with Rashad.
Tobacco Walla and he gave a lot of really awesome anecdotes.
But yeah, his book you guys at restoring, the soul business
will plug that. It's a good read.
He he talks a lot of that book. Francisco about this need to
strike a balance between the story and the spreadsheet.
And we've kind of lean too far into the spreadsheet to bring
back that that Human Side. That's The the story side of
what we do. And I feel like we can't talk
about that enough because that's that's like such a huge machine
ingredient right now. That's great.
Yeah, there's going to be data points today that are like, you
know, it's like a wine. That's too young.
You know, it's we need to put that on the shelf for a couple
quarters or a year. And then only then can we go
back and Trend that against historical data to see where
these changes really happened. But right now it's just useless.
So, let's let's go put that in the cellar and we'll wait, you
know, what will give it a quarter bottle, turn every
couple of weeks. But but but but meanwhile this
thing right here is just kind of glowing red or blinking green.
And we really have to respond, you know, to this aspect of
what's going on. Yeah, one of the pieces of
research we did was look at Social conversation related to
covid-19. And as you'd imagine at least
here in the US, conversations fight massively.
In the last week of March and early April, but week over week,
since then it's actually decreased direct mentions of
covid-19 and coronavirus and all related sort of mentioned
shelter in place that sort of thing.
And so it's clear is that people are still thinking about
covid-19. But there's other things that
are filling their likes comments and shares and things they
talked about directly. And so there's this interesting.
A trend that we're seeing that, although it's clearly top of
mind. That's that's that.
It, datapoint doesn't suggest that it's not something that
people are thinking about everyday or every hour every
minute, right? It's kind of creating this new
opportunity from a conversation perspective about what does
grab. I mean we've seen, you know,
Tiger King in the early days of the pandemic and we've seen the
Last Dance more recently. I mean, there's just a hunger
for shared experiences. Right now, Travis Scott and
Fortnight. I mean, there's just these
massive moments that across the board whether his gaming or live
entertainment. We're seeing live streaming
records being absolutely smashed.
Incredible, heavy. Yeah, so there are data points
that are pointing this whole new world and that's kind of The
Perfect Storm of accelerate adoption of Technology.
This void that people have the need to connect.
We are Human After All and then just this shared experiences
that we can have, you know, Relations and whether that's
around the the virtual water cooler or in other places, but
that's just something really interesting that we're seeing
unfold and I think will continue to be so I guess, I guess from
from a human inside perspective, coffee is not immune to the fact
that we get bored. Right?
Right. And we want to move on.
Yeah. Yeah.
That's if if I were the virus
that's how I would want my host populace to think and believe.
How do I keep it covid? Is now thinking, how do I do
have to keep relevant, right as people?
Yeah, try to move on and forget them.
Yeah. They're they're their strategic
agency. Seems to be doing a pretty good
job. That's right.
How how do we see advertising agencies moving forward within
the model? Know we I think I've heard
several things like, obviously digital.
It's a huge thing. Like a lot of the resources that
humans are or consumers are jumping into our digital.
Put the model. Do you guys have any thoughts on
how it's going to look in six months, a year of how we
operate? And I think the best analogy
I've heard it's been shared by a number of folks, but I first
started from the governor of California.
He talked about how this is not a light switch.
This is a dimmer that will solely be turning up and down in
terms of level of restrictions placed with shelter in place.
And so I think that is our best model to look at.
And if we're being realistic, all the places that are quote
reopening, it's only at 25 percent capacity allowed
maximum. Most businesses can't sustain
their pre-pandemic operations at 25 percent capacity.
It's just not sustainable and even if we get to optimistically
from an My perspective, 50% capacity.
That's still not all that great. And so that's the next 6 8, 10
12, maybe 18 months and I don't think we'll see any of that.
Change until there is not just a vaccine, but a lot of
distribution of said vaccine before we see a different kind
of post pandemic. And so between now and then, I
mean, we're talking about, I don't know, 10 to 18 months of
this. What Kristen are calling the
messy middle. And that's what we're going to.
Just be Trying to figure out is because how do you help a brand?
If you're just talking about a business perspective and I'll
bring in the plug for meeting consumer needs.
But how do you find a way to provide an unmet need that can
help float your business for the next 10 days, 18 months.
We, that's the big question and something we should ask
ourselves as and they as a business ourselves, right?
Like, like as agencies, do we keep Nimble?
How do we keep flexible? How do we work with this dimmer?
Or as as Chris Owens was put in it, was I thought it was
interesting that Breakers, right?
Going up and down, shutting up and down.
And you know, you want to talk a little bit about that.
Yeah. I mean, I think getting back to
local store marketing and really appreciating the regional
differences that that different consumer behaviors and different
kind of marketplaces present. I think it's going to be
something a lot of agencies are We are focusing on right now.
Some of them have been forced to focus on it.
And I think, you know, that's where we will probably start to
kind of drive, you know, even more recommendations toward, you
know, whether it's the dimmer or the circuit breaker.
I think you know, dimmer is a great analogy if you think of
the country as a whole but I think when you get down to these
dma levels, there's going to be certain points where they decide
they can reopen based on some kind of criteria.
Huh, whether it's just the way they feel or whether it's
science-based. And then there's going to be
other breaking points where they're going to have to kind of
re instant reinstate, kind of new criteria.
And and these things are going to be going up and down.
Like I said kind of across the country at different intervals
and different places. And so your ability to turn on
One National message all at once.
You're just going to be, you know, super Irrelevant in
certain markets when you're saying, hey, come out and try
and get this new. Thing.
When in fact, you still have 70% of the population staying home.
I think relying on a lot of Mobility, indices and kind of
Geo locational data where you can start to see, literally
certain trade areas, open up and close down over time.
Just based on the data that's being collected off of mobile
devices in aggregate. You're probably going to see a
lot more planning that's going to be using that type of an of
an indicator to determine Determine when to go on and off
in the absence of that simply understanding what a government
is telling their local population to do, actually isn't
a good indicator of what that populations actually doing for
your point. I think this week, I was looking
at some more listening to some maths and they're already
speaking like this has passed, right?
The, the welcome back. And at least from my moods, I
didn't feel I was connecting with that, but it's exactly what
you're saying right as a consumer.
That's how I felt it. And I think those are the
decisions that get made over. Zoom calls in comfortable
shelter in place settings at without an appreciation.
For the individuals that are forced to go to work whether
it's because they're an essential worker.
They're working in healthcare or they just are simply trying to
find new ways to provide for their families.
So I think there's a lot of need to To have discussion about the,
I mean the trend that we're calling a shelter and privilege
but his talk a lot about how there's so many large pockets
and populations and individuals that are in very different
places that that their biggest need is not which office chair.
Should I task desk chair. Should I buy for my home office?
But you know, I just got laid off or I just lost half my
shifts, what I'm going to do now.
I mean, those are those are some very Very real needs that people
have right now and so many of our Brands provide products and
services that those individuals rely on or at least would be
receptive to. And so I think those yeah to
your point that the ads that make it seem like this is over
or so off there. So it's and that's why it's so
important. What?
Mr. Roland saying is really look at a local from a local point of
view and be able to be, you know, play with the reality of
Of that of that market, right? It's crazy.
Yeah, the shelter in privilege knowing that only 20 percent are
living this pandemic. Like probably owes three, right?
Like with some meetings and working from home and other ones
there. So most of the people really
have to go out there and hustle, and still risk.
That's, that's an inherent danger in itself.
If you think about, you know, are, you know, the penetration
of people are in that shelter, in privileged population?
It's a lot of our clients and guess what?
It's us. And so, you know, we're back in
our own little Echo chamber. Talking about, you know, what
the rest of the world is thinking and are feeling when in
a lot of instances, you know, it couldn't be more starkly
different and and guess what? It's always kind of been that
way. Anyway, I mean, yeah, agency
industry culture, and client, corporate marketing culture has
always in some ways, kind of obscenely prided the sense in
which it acts and behaves sort of differently.
Assuming smartphone versus people know it's an example.
Right? Right.
So so, you know again, it's just taking a, you know, something
that's already existed in Amplified, it and just kind of
kind of dial it up. So our need to try and pay
attention to what, you know, what's going on, you know, to to
mr. Farrell's point with with the
real people, you know, are are feeling, you know, consumers
have always been real people, you know.
Whenever we started to think of them as just some kind of just
wallet to robber or mouth to fill, you know, that's when
we've we've taken a step too far.
And I think the sensitivity to that right now is should
probably much much higher than than it's ever been, for obvious
reasons. Yeah, talk of national message.
Mr. Owens. You were talking about natural
message and help to local life at some point where you know
that YouTube video that has the analysis of All Brands, you
know, they I mean, of the covid, message with the piano.
What did you guys think about that?
And yeah, that's so, you know, was there an unmet need for
melancholic, you know, piano ballots that, you know, the
industry collectively tried to deliver against me.
That's been. Yeah.
It's been kind of the, we've been though sort of the, but of
the pop cultural, you know, washing machine cycle right now,
about how things are happening. And I think, you know, in terms
of sort of pallets of responses, whenever I go back to, you know,
what it was like working agency, post 9/11 to the recession.
Etc. There's always been this.
Well, do we become kind of somber and humble or do we
become, you know, uplifting and motivational and or do we risk
becoming Pollyanna all then we default back to the, to the
humble and and so, you know, that's that's something that I
think everybody wants it. A certain level.
It's just do you need it in Mass.
So carbon copied from one spot to the next while you're trying
to escape and enjoy your, you know, the voice or whatever it
is that you know, you know, you're watching.
I mean people need that true at a human one-to-one level and
they want to hear that from their peers and their friends
and their families. But when that becomes this, this
kind of giant shout from all the different National marketers
that you all at once, really does start to He'll disingenuous
very quickly. I mean American consumers in
particular of always had a love-hate relationship with
advertising in general and thus you know again just throw
another another wound or scab perhaps kind of made fresh.
Once again like Chris like, mr. Farrell said one time in the
presentation is nobody gets up in the morning excited about
what they're going to see that they, right.
Yeah. So do you guys have any closing?
Thoughts that you guys would like to leave the audience.
Well, I'll just, you know, I think messy middle has probably
a point that we made a quite well here, both in our
conversation and points. And it's clear that you know,
there is no certainty on a lot of things.
And and I think think we Embrace that and and and just recognize
we need to take it day by day and look at everything that we
have in front of us and make the best decisions possible, but you
know in doing so trying to resist the simple kind of bye.
Very responsive, just do it the old-fashioned way.
It's all really in in respect of that and knowing that we aren't
in control of everything. Never have been, never will be,
but our clients are paying us to be in control or some semblance
of control of how their budgets and creative resources are
spent. So to that degree are coping
strategies, really are looking in front of us and seeing what
what we think is right and and then presenting it and trying it
and then testing it and measuring it.
And proving. It and and just keep on
iterating. Mr. Farrell.
Yeah, I'll first answer your question about the covid-19
impact report. So it's our second edition.
If anyone's interested in it. I think the easiest way to get a
copy is to send me a message at my Twitter profile at Chris
Farrell. Chrisser71 copy there on
SlideShare. If you prefer a PDF copy I can
send you that link to the They'll think we're trying to do
is turn that into a newsletter. Again.
If you're interested, we'll give you the means to sign up for
that. Give a little more commentary
And Timely news and notes. And then, yeah, I guess closer.
No marks message. I left with our digital strategy
team last week against all share with the listeners right now.
There's been a lot of really tough unfortunate events that
have happened and you know, we've laughed during this
conversation, but I think to bring some seriousness to the
discussion that the changes that have happened across so many
areas of our world and has impacted individuals from a
personal standpoint, professional standpoint, you
know, it is cause understandably, a lot of
frustration, a lot of fear, a lot of uncertainty, but on an
optimistic note of how we might turn the page, my grandpa who's
no longer with us, but he I grew up in Nebraska where I'm from
has some words of wisdom to help help us.
Maybe turn a page and start to look forward.
And he said, Chris never let a hangover last more than a day.
That is excellent. And so I think in his sense
minute, I think the only way we can move forward is making that
decision that I kind of brought up earlier that choice really of
either. Let the fair fear and
uncertainty paralyze you or let it feel.
All you then. So I hope we have enough people
in our industry that that find Hope and inspiration and and the
only way we get better as a society is to help hopefully
make some positive decisions and meet those unmet needs of real
people of consumers. And that's the way that our
brand the business will get back to positive economic growth, but
more importantly, a better better World, hopefully, so I
guess I'll Even on that cool. No, I love it.
So you mentioned your social handles.
I think you also mentioned on the past on the past episode.
But mr. Owens.
Do you know do you have any any place where people can follow
you or reach out to you and social media in case they have
any further questions. Yeah.
I've been stuck super open on Facebook.
Actually, you don't just have to be my friend.
I have tons of students and Industry.
People have kept up with for, for forever and that's probably
where I'm most. Active.
And so in which then I'm fairly easy to find, Christopher Owens
and the one that's working at the Richard's group cool.
And so yeah, share things there, you know, that our had certainly
been pertinent to this to this conversation as much as people
can do if they can open up and talk about the situations that
they're in professionally or personally and realize.
And recognize that there are a lot of other people out there in
the exact same situation, and simply have a chance to You're
each other out on how you're dealing with that.
That one simple little little act I think provides as much
pain relief and hope and inspiration or I'd kick in the
ass as you probably need. You just need to be reaching out
for it and and listening, you know, nobody ever learned with
their mouths. Open something I once heard.
And so, you know your chance to be able to kind of listen and
take in other points of view and processing.
All I think now are probably if you can if you've always been
able to do that. Batman, you're ahead of the
game. But if you have it now is the
time to really exercise and practice that.
I think that's beautiful and I think it would be beautiful.
If Wireless company would take on that message of listening and
talking which is the greatest power.
They have a lot of them are focused on networks right now
and 5 G, but that's just the such a simple message that it
could really come good for the world.
So thank you Kris Kris and Kris, Kristofferson and Chris.
This has been loud and clear the podcast, the for people who give
a shit about advertising. My name is Francisco Cardenas.
I am a digital strategist at Lerma.
Please listen to us on Spotify, Apple podcast, Google or
whatever. You listen to your podcast and
you can comment on up a apple podcast.
Subscribe. Tell us what you think.
And we'll be on the lookout. We have some special guests
coming from Nike to see how they have handled.
Add the pandemic from within the company and we're excited to
share that here soon. I really appreciate the presence
and I enjoy a lot working with you guys week over week.
So I thank you very much. Yeah, likewise having us.