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Flexibility, Fluidity & Innovation in Sports Marketing

Posted by Joseph M on Thursday, December 3, 2020, In : Marketing 
As a member of the board of directors for the American Marketing Association's Atlanta Chapter, I had the opportunity to interview the Chief Marketing Officers of the:

We talked about the pivots that these marketers had to make once COVID-19 rocked the sports and overall world and how they worked through those difficult early days. We also covered ...
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The (Only) Time I Almost Got Fired

Posted by Joe K on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, In : Professional Development 
In late 2007, I was hired as VP of Business Development and Marketing by a small digital agency called Spunlogic that would soon be acquired by Engauge. I got called into a meeting with my boss and three of my peers (VP of Client Services, VP of Strategy, and VP of Research and Innovation). They told me to learn how to do my job or GET OUT! Here is the story recounted by four of the people who were in the room:

 

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Recent Press For Joe Koufman

Posted by Joe K on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, In : Publicity 
Today was a big "press week" for me:

  • I served as a guest on two marketing podcasts:
It was fun to show up in so many places all in the same week!
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Podcast guest - Bret's Chat Corner

Posted by Joe K on Sunday, September 1, 2019, In : Setup 
I enjoyed being interviewed by my former (Engauge) colleague Bret Gunter on his podcast - Bret's Chat Corner. At 9:48 I begin talking about Setup and the transition from AgencySparks.

Here is the link the podcast:

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Our Time Is The Most Precious

Posted by Joe on Saturday, January 5, 2019, In : Professional Development 
This is a REALLY excellent perspective:

 We must defend our time because it is the only thing we CANNOT get more of...
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Marketing Career Paths - Mine and others'

Posted by Joe K on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, In : Marketing 
I was asked to speak at the Georgia Marketing Education Association (GMEA) Conference to 100+ high school marketing teachers about my career path and the more general marketing career path.

Here is the video:

The post I reference in the presentation is here: http://TheMarketingCareerPath.com
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Helping Aspiring Atlanta Marketers Find Jobs

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, In : #JobSeeker Series 
For many years I have enjoyed connecting job seekers with their dream jobs. We even added recruiting as a nice little side business for Setup. In fact, I wrote a series of content designed to equip job seekers with knowledge that will help them find their dream gig:

https://setup.us/blog/jobseeker-series

Also, this post is by far the most popular on all of AgencySparks.com:

https://setup.us/blog/the-marketing-career-path

In fact, if you Google "marketing career path" or "evolution of a marketing ...
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On The Radio on The Dana Barrett Show on biz1190

Posted by Joe K on Thursday, March 2, 2017, In : Publicity 
I love hanging out with my buddy Dana Barrett, but particularly together with her on the air on the Dana Barrett Show on biz1190!



Here is the segment I did with her on her radio show earlier this week where I talk about AgencySparks and some of the changes we are making in 2017 to further grow the business:



Best,
Joe
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A Plethora of Podcasts

Posted by Joe K on Wednesday, November 16, 2016, In : Publicity 
I have had the distinct pleasure of serving as a guest on several podcasts and radio shows in the last year. Recently, I was able to participate in podcasts hosted in four different countries (US, Canada, UK, and Australia). During each interview, I try to talk about different topics related to AgencySparks and my entrepreneurial/business journey. I have attempted to capture all of them here, so you can give them a listen:
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Celebrating the Second Anniversary of AgencySparks!

Posted by Joe on Thursday, February 4, 2016, In : Setup 
It is hard to believe that today is the second anniversary of AgencySparks! It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating the first anniversary.

Two years ago I acted on my dream to build a company that connects brands to specialist marketing agencies, and it is hard to comprehend how much it has grown in the past few years.

We have had the good fortune to work with some amazing agencies:
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Dare Mighty Things - mantra for all entrepreneurs and creators

Posted by Joe on Friday, December 18, 2015, In : Professional Development 
One of my favorite quotes is quite apropos for all entrepreneurs and creatives:

It is not the critic who counts; nor the one who points out how the strong person stumbled, or where the doer of a deed could have done better.

The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually strive to do deeds; w...
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Cialdini - The Science of Persuasion

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, October 13, 2015, In : Professional Development 
I love being involved with the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business serving on the Marketing Executive Board. As part of my involvement there, I agreed to be the first participant in professor Jennifer Osbon's book club with marketing students. Tomorrow night I will be discussing Cialdini's fantastic book:

Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini (affiliate link)

Here is a cool illustrated video that explains the concepts in the book:



Hope you enjoy,
Joe
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48in48 - Making History For Non-Profits In Atlanta

Posted by Joe on Sunday, October 11, 2015, In : Events 
When my friend, former boss, mentor, and now client, Jeff Hilimire told me about his idea many months ago to build 48 websites for 48 non-profits in 48 hours, my immediate response was "I am in". Most non-profits are more focused on doing good, than looking good, so the strong digital marketing community here in Atlanta could pitch in our talents to help them attract, convert, and retain donors and volunteers.

So much planning and preparation went into the 48in48 weekend. Over the course of th...
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Active Atlanta #JobSeekers - August 2015

Posted by Joe on Monday, August 10, 2015, In : #JobSeeker Series 
Note: This post is the seventh in a (#JobSeeker) series that I am publishing to help those who are seeking their dream job. There are several tips that I feel incrementally increase your chance of being hired. These tips require hard work to implement, but the "sweat equity" will pay dividends when you land the job you have been coveting.

I thought it would be good for me to highlight candidates here in Atlanta that have approached me because they are interested in finding their next challenge...
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Community Engagement - Get Involved!

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, July 29, 2015, In : Personal Life 
When our twins were born in 2010, my wife, Michelle asked me to reduce the number of activities in which I was involved. It was a very reasonable ask since family was important to us both, so I resigned from a few boards and focused on family and work. Now that the kids are headed to kindergarten and AgencySparks is going well, I have slowly gotten back involved in a number of initiatives which are important to me.

My goal for this post is to spark some interest from YOU in getting more invol...
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Asking for Referrals

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, July 8, 2015, In : #JobSeeker Series 
Note: This post is the sixth in a (#JobSeeker) series that I am publishing to help those who are seeking their dream job. There are several tips that I feel incrementally increase your chance of being hired. These tips require hard work to implement, but the "sweat equity" will pay dividends when you land the job you have been coveting.

Asking for Referrals

We’ve all heard that in a job hunt, who you know is more important than what you know. Without a personal referral to pass your (hopefull...
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3 Awesome (Free) Tools Every Job Seeker Should Use

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, In : #JobSeeker Series 
Note: This post is the fifth in a (#JobSeeker) series that I am publishing to help those who are seeking their dream job. There are several tips that I feel incrementally increase your chance of being hired. These tips require hard work to implement, but the "sweat equity" will pay dividends when you land the job you have been coveting.

3 Awesome (Free) Tools Every Job Seeker Should Use

While there are hundreds of websites that offer tools and advice for job seekers and those looking to advance...
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Campaigning for your Dream Job

Posted by Joe on Thursday, June 4, 2015, In : #JobSeeker Series 
Note: This post is the fourth in a series that I am publishing to help those who are seeking their dream job. There are several tips that I feel incrementally increase your chance of being hired. These tips require hard work to implement, but the "sweat equity" will pay dividends when you land the job you have been coveting.

Campaigning for your Dream Job

You’ve tried to contact your dream employer for months; you sent LinkedIn requests and emails, reached out to the C-Suite, sent your portfo...

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3 Tips For Building A Strong Online Personal Brand and Footprint

Posted by Joe on Friday, May 29, 2015, In : #JobSeeker Series 
Note: This post is the third in a series that I am publishing to help those who are seeking their dream job. There are several tips that I feel incrementally increase your chance of being hired. These tips require hard work to implement, but the "sweat equity" will pay dividends when you land the job you have been coveting.

3 Tips For Building A Strong Online Personal Brand and Footprint

Everyday more and more recruiters are leveraging the web and social media to source new talent. A strong onl...
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Honing interviewing skills

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, May 19, 2015, In : #JobSeeker Series 

Note: This post is the second in a series that I am publishing to help those who are seeking their dream job. There are several tips that I feel incrementally increase your chance of being hired. These tips require hard work to implement, but the "sweat equity" will pay dividends when you land the job you have been coveting. Getting a call for your first interview is half the battle in the job hunting process, but that phone call is only the beginning of a new phase of the search. Interviewi...
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Inspiring Resume Designs That Will Get You An Interview

Posted by Joe on Saturday, May 9, 2015, In : #JobSeeker Series 

Note: This post is the first in a series that I am publishing to help those who are seeking their dream job. There are several tips that I feel incrementally increase your chance of being hired. These tips require hard work to implement, but the "sweat equity" will pay dividends when you land the job you have been coveting.

Inspiring Resume Designs That Will Get You An Interview

Recruiters spend an average of just six seconds reviewing an individual resume before deciding if the candidate is wo...
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Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association - Personal Branding event

Posted by Joe on Friday, May 8, 2015, In : #JobSeeker Series 


Wednesday morning I had the pleasure of serving on a panel discussion moderated by the infinitely talented UGA Digital Marketing professor and fellow AIMA board member - Jennifer Osbon. Joining us were long time friends Teresa Caro, Brian Rudolph, and Adam Naide. It was a lively discussion about the power of personal brand as it applies to both the physical and digital worlds.

Here is a picture of the entire panel:


Here is the Storify that I put together to capture many of the Tweets that happ...
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Featured on the Leaders in the Trenches blog

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, In : Publicity 
My friend Gene Hammett runs the fantastic site: LeadersInTheTrenches.com.



When he asked me to talk to him about how to hire a great sales person, I was excited to talk about the years of marketing and sales experience that lead me to founding AgencySparks. I have insight into what works and what does not, with regards to sales talent.

Please check out the podcast to learn more about what I shared with Gene:

http://leadersinthetrenches.com/148-hiring-and-managing-sales-rep-series-2-of-3-with-joe...
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Judging the American Marketing Association - Atlanta - AMY Awards

Posted by Joe on Monday, March 16, 2015, In : Events 
(Fantastic logo designed by AgencySparks partner agency - Brand Fever)

I was so honored to be asked to serve as a judge for this year's AMY Awards, which was the 58th annual gala hosted by the American Marketing Association's Atlanta Chapter. The other judges that joined me included:

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AgencySparks' First Anniversary TODAY!

Posted by Joe on Monday, February 2, 2015, In : Setup 
Today is the official first anniversary of the incorporation of AgencySparks!

To celebrate, we have launched a shiny new website:



Please check it out at AgencySparks.com and we would love to get your feedback!

Here is the blog post I wrote last week celebrating some of the highs and lows from the first year.

Special thanks go Lindsay and Ben at Bright Fox Agency for helping us with our new brand, logo, business cards, infographics, collateral materials, and website!

Thank you again for your suppor...
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One Year with AgencySparks!

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 27, 2015, In : Setup 
It is so hard to believe that it has been a year since I founded AgencySparks! Here is the blog post that I wrote in February 2, 2014 announcing the company launch.



I have learned so much in the last year!

Here are a few insights:

1. Being an entrepreneur is hard work. Someone asked me early on what is was like not having a boss anymore. My response was quick: now I have many bosses (the agencies with which we work) vs. just one. Also being counted on by others for their paychecks is a great re...
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Top 10 most exciting happenings at AgencySparks so far in 2014!

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, November 18, 2014, In : Setup 

There are so many exciting things happening for AgencySparks! I will not bore you with all of the details, but here is a quick list:

1. Several of our agencies have closed deals from the introductions we made to potential clients. This is the most important of any of the points on this list.

2. We got a new logo/brand and are working on a new website and marketing materials:

    

3. AgencySparks was mentioned in the Atlanta Business Chronicle along with a quote from me:



4. Our fourth employee join...
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Why I Am Bringing The AgencySparks Team To TEDxPeachtree

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, October 14, 2014, In : Professional Development 


I wrote a brief piece that appears on the TEDxPeachtree blog last month:

I am a firm believer in lifelong learning as a way to constantly evolve ourselves by feeding our minds with new ideas and experiences. TED Talks and more specifically TEDxPeachtree, offers me the opportunity to put away my mobile phone and laptop for a day to learn, mingle, and share with like-minded individuals from other professions.

As the founder and CEO of AgencySparks, I have built my company culture on the ideal of ...
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Venn Diagram and AgencySparks Venn series launch

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, August 6, 2014, In : Marketing 
I am a big fan of clever Venn Diagrams.  Yesterday Google celebrated the 180th birthday of John Venn in one of their famous homepage doodles.  

A few weeks ago I came across an excellent Venn diagram posted by LinkedIn CEO - Jeff Weiner:



I reposted the diagram on my LinkedIn profile, and as of today I have received over 150 Likes and a bunch of comments and re-shares.  

The concept of a Venn diagram is so simple, but can be an effective way to explain how different ideas can be connected.  Kati...
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Giving Thanks to the "Sparks"

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, July 22, 2014, In : Setup 
AgencySparks has been rapidly growing and for that I am thankful.  We have been having conversations with many, many brand marketers and connecting them with the, now seven marketing agencies that make up the AgencySparks Network.  We have comfortable office space and two excellent employees have joined our team.  Startups have plenty of challenges, but this has been the most rewarding experience of my life, so far.

Of course I could not have built this company alone.  Along with the great tea...
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Insight, Objective, Strategy, and Tactic - Trojan War As An Analogy

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, June 24, 2014, In : Marketing 
I have been spending a lot of time talking both to both clients and agencies about Insight, Objective, Strategy, and Tactic. It seems that a lot of people confuse them, so I have suggested the Trojan War as an excellent analogy to explain the differences:

 

By the way, if you want to see a hilarious rendition of the Trojan War story, check out this video.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Best,
Joe
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Adding to the AgencySparks Team Again - Welcome Katia Herrera

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, In : Setup 
We are so pleased to welcome Katia Herrera to AgencySparks!  




Katia joins Stephanie Peterman and me as our third employee and a valuable member of our team.  We were thrilled to have Katia join us due to her enthusiasm, stellar intellect, and strong work ethic.

Katia will be graduating from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia in August 2014.  She will be receiving her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing with a Digital Marketing area of interest.  

During...
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AgencySparks featured on Smart Agency Master Class - What can you do better in your Agency’s Business Development?

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, June 4, 2014, In : Setup 
Jason Swenk has built a nice business advising marketing agencies on how to be more successful.  His experience comes from running a digital agency for 12 years before selling it in 2011.

Jason asked me to participate in one of his Smart Agency Master Classes.  When I saw his A-list of other participants (including good friends Del Ross, Jeff Hilimire, Richard Warner, Simms Jenkins, John Waddy, Rich Wilson, and Raj Choudhury), it was a no brainer for me to get involved:



Here is a link to the po...
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New Business in the Modern Age - Atlanta Ad Club event recap

Posted by Joe on Friday, May 30, 2014, In : Events 
I had the good fortune to moderate an EXCELLENT Atlanta Ad Club event entitled New Business in the Modern Age.  There were over 100 people in attendance and they were delighted by the all-star panel:


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New Business in the Modern Age - Atlanta Ad Club - May 28th

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, In : Events 


On May 28th, I will be moderating an outstanding panel of experts for the Atlanta Ad Club on the topic New Business In The Modern Age. (REGISTER HERE)

We will be hearing stories from different sized agencies - large (Razorfish), medium (Sparks Grove), a small (breen★smith advertising) and a client (Cartoon Network).  Each panelist will be delivering a 10 minute presentation of stories about the good, bad, and ugly of agency business development and then we will open it up to questions from t...
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AgencySparks First Hire - Stephanie Peterman

Posted by Joe on Thursday, May 1, 2014, In : Setup 
I am extremely proud and excited to announce that Stephanie Peterman has joined AgencySparks as our Director of Business Development. 

Stephanie left Engauge/Moxie a few months ago to join a small digital agency, and I immediately began talking to her about the idea of joining AgencySparks.  In case you do not know about Stephanie's very interesting career path, here are a few of the highlights:

  • Stephanie was a Journalism major at the prestigious Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syra...
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First look at the AgencySparks offices

Posted by Joe on Monday, April 21, 2014, In : Setup 
Many have asked me about our new offices.  I wanted to give you a glimpse into our space.  We are very fortunate to have an amazing location right where the Buckhead and Midtown neighborhoods of Atlanta come together.

Here are some photos (in order of how you move through the space, when you visit):















Here is the floor plan:



Looking forward to having you visit us at AgencySparks!

Best,
Joe
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AgencySparks and me featured on Jeff Hilimire's blog!

Posted by Joe on Friday, April 18, 2014, In : Setup 
Long time friend and colleague - Jeff Hilimire (CEO of Dragon Army and former president of Engauge) has been writing a series of blog posts in which he asks a CEO five questions.  Today he featured his questions for me and my answers:

http://jeffhilimire.com/2014/04/5-questions-for-a-new-ceo-joe-koufman-agency-sparks/

What fun!  

Thanks Jeff!



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AgencySparks - Major Momentum

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, In : Setup 
Big things have been happening for AgencySparks since I announced the company launch on February 2, 2014.  

Between February 2nd and 5th, AgencySparks:
  • Received our first signed agreement from an agency
  • Got our Tax ID
  • Formed our corporation
  • Received our business license from the City of Atlanta
  • Set up our checking account and accounting system
On February 6th, Michelle and I jumped on a plane to Peru where we experienced one of the most amazing trips of our lives.  While on that trip, I received the...
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The Value of Mentorship

Posted by Joe on Saturday, March 1, 2014, In : Professional Development 
I have been fortunate to have some excellent mentors over the course of my career.  

Here are some of the pieces of advice they have given me in recent years:
  • Keep your knees bent (skiing analogy to be prepared for change). (MW)
  • When considering your next opportunity, remember to weigh the intangibles. (KG)
  • Join an organization where you know what you do well will make a big impact. (KG)
  • Don't jump into your next career.  Take some time to reflect and make a sound decision. (DW)
  • Take a trip or othe...

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Peru - Culture and a Break

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, February 19, 2014, In : Personal Life 
Before I made the decision to start AgencySparks, I decided that it was a perfect time to take a break from the last 20 years of continuous employment.  My wife Michelle and I embarked on a 9 night journey to and across the country of Peru (without kids).  I highly recommend our travel company and our specific trip.

Here is a link to the 100 or so best pictures we took - all on my Google Nexus 5 phone.  

Here are a few highlights from this incredible trip:




























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AgencySparks - A New Company Is Born

Posted by Joe on Sunday, February 2, 2014, In : Setup 
I could not be any more excited to announce that I have launched a new company - AgencySparks!  



AgencySparks provides business development and communications consulting services to marketing agencies.  

I want to share the story of how the company was born:

Very soon after I left my agency of the last six years, in early January of 2014, I felt VERY fortunate to have several excellent opportunities.  Most of them were with small-medium sized agencies looking for me to help them grow, like I ha...
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Taking a Break - Peru here we come!

Posted by Joe on Friday, January 24, 2014, In : Personal Life 
As mentioned before I am taking a mental and physical break from work since leaving Spunlogic/Engauge/Moxie/Publicis at the beginning of the year.  My wife and I are heading to Peru to see Lake Titicaca (hehe) and Machu Picchu by plane, train, and foot.  

Here is a map of our itinerary:




Here is the trip description from G Adventures: 

Spend eight days exploring the "land of the Incas" including Lima, Lake Titicaca, Cusco and two unforgettable train journeys. Take a tour of the highest lake in th...
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We Live in a Mobile Dominant World Now

Posted by Joe on Saturday, January 11, 2014, In : Mobile 
For years we have joked that NEXT YEAR will be the Year of Mobile.  This is a shock to no one, but I can now tell you from personal experience that the tipping point has already occurred, where people are using mobile devices/tablets more than desktops/laptops.

On January 2, 2014, I announced via this website that it was my last day with Spunlogic/Engauge/Moxie/Publicis, after six years with the agency.  I posted the announcement on my primary social networks: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and ...
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Facebook Year in Review

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 8, 2014, In : Personal Life 
There are so many moments and relationships that I have to be thankful for in 2013.  Until now, I did not realize what a great job Facebook did of capturing many of those moments for me:


Facebook recently presented the option to post a Year in Review (you can make your own here).  It is a very cool feature that takes the content you have shared throughout the year that has received the most interaction, and then compiles it into one individualized timeline.  I was thrilled to be able to remini...
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Choosing a Spouse or Career

Posted by Joseph M on Monday, January 6, 2014, In : Agency Life 
Today was the first time since college that I woke up on a Monday without a job.  For some, that might be a terrifying experience, but I have to say that I am actually a bit relieved.  

After leaving the comforts of my big agency job last week, I think the best path for me is to take some time (maybe a few weeks) to decompress and think about what I would like to do next.  I am fortunate to be in the position that I can support our family without immediately taking my next job.

For many of us, ...
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Saying goodbye to Spunlogic/Engauge/Moxie

Posted by Joe on Thursday, January 2, 2014, In : Agency Life 
Saying goodbye is never easy.  It has been a brilliant six year run at Engauge - now known as Moxie and part of the Publicis Groupe.  I have been very fortunate to have formed some relationships that will last throughout my life.  

I have been very proud to have been given the opportunity to represent the hard work of many exceedingly talented people to some of the top brands in the world including: Cisco Systems, Newell Rubbermaid, AMC Theatres, Chick-fil-A, AT&T, SweetWater Brewing Company, ...
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The Power of Empathy

Posted by Joe on Tuesday, December 17, 2013, In : Marketing 
Improving my own empathy is something that I have been working on for some years. It does not come naturally to me, like for others that I care about and respect. I recently came across this very brief video (by RSA Short and narrated by Dr. Brené Brown) that does an excellent job of explaining empathy and gives some guidelines for people like me trying to improve out empathetic responses and connections with people:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw

From the video I gleaned these 4 ...
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BtoB vs BtoC marketing

Posted by Joe on Wednesday, December 4, 2013, In : BtoB vs BtoC 
I am often asked about the differences between business-to-business marketing and business-to-consumer marketing.  While BtoB has its nuances: nurturing leads along a pipeline, buying teams vs. individuals, slower sale cycle, and more expensive products there are many more similarities than differences.  

At the end of the day, you are trying to move a person to take action...  The context of the engagement is different.  Getting a consumer to buy a candy bar (often an impulse purchase) is dif...
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