Advertising/Media Agency CEOs in New Business Book Get Battle-Tested Lifeboat Lessons to Buck Current Chaos

CEO insider lessons for confronting current Adland chaos including "Beware of Old Competitors Bearing Gifts," "Common Sense Trumps Research" and "Early Mercy Killings Are Usually Best" are provided in new lifeboat business book "But Wait! There's More! (maybe)."

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 2, 2008 -- The much- troubled global advertising/media business has been thrown a much-needed life preserver by a new irreverent business book that provides 35 "battle-tested insider lessons for the model agency CEO."

Lessons for Model CEOs

Beware of Old Competitors Bearing Gifts

Early Mercy Killings Are Usually Best

But Wait! There's More! (maybe).

battle-tested insider lessons for the model agency CEO.

Beware of old competitors bearing gifts

Charming zeros don't pick first class teams

But Wait! There's More! (maybe)

such everyday phenomena as insider mendacity, total loss of common sense, major client stupidity, smoky euphoria and unbridled flim-flam.

But Wait! There's More! (maybe)

Hi, whatever your name is

But Wait! There's More! (maybe)

calibrated for accuracy, refined under fire and proven by success.

Unlike the current TV pornflick

where the problems of a dysfunctional alleged ad agency result simply from excessive libido and great thirst, the congenital challenges facing CEOs of real advertising agencies and other businesses which the book addresses are far more subtle and complex

The standard executive memoir business school pabulum is rigorously avoided. The usual suggestions to CEOs that they be considerate of subordinates, have clear goals and communicate well are nice but not a major revelation.

The Great Free Enterprise Gambit;

But Wait! There's More! (maybe)

The "Lessons" including such sage counsel as "Believe your 'lying' eyes," "Beware of old competitors bearing gifts" and "Charming zeros don't pick first class teams" are extracted from "But Wait! There's More! (maybe)," a candid, rollicking dissection of current chaos in Adland by Ad Golden Age Veterans Donald E. Creamer and James Baar.

The coauthors said the "Lessons," many of which the book suggests could be useful to all corporate chieftains, address a variety of potentially toxic executive challenges that include " such everyday phenomena as insider mendacity, total loss of common sense, major client stupidity, smoky euphoria and unbridled flim-flam."

Real world applications for all 35 "Lessons" are documented throughout "But Wait! There's More! (maybe)" as the book tracks Adland history from its Golden Age past to its current global chaos. Among the "Lessons" considered most important by Creamer and Baar are the following eight:

Beware people who report permanent sunshine - The cemeteries of Adland are crammed with the congenitally hopeful and those who took their advice.

"Hi, whatever your name is" doesn't work - When the Great Slobbering Apes come up the client's tower walls, an executive of zero talent with a Hollywood smile and a beautiful suit will not save the account.

Common sense trumps research - If the product really makes the account team throw up when they eat it, don't bet the ranch on the six hungry strangers in a focus group who said the canned kangaroo pate was pretty good.

Yesteryear's supermen may no longer be able or willing to leap over buildings in a single bound - Hiring of historic heroes laden with dusty awards may not bring in new business or create great advertising no matter how loud the drums roll and the trumpets blare.

Mediocrity has its uses -- Do cherish those who sweep the floors and count the magic markers well, but stay alert: don't confuse proper gratitude for long term routine service with potential genius. The Bell Curve has not been abolished.

Beware of old competitors bearing gifts - Wise leaders have been wary of attractive wooden horses outside the city gates ever since the unpleasantness at Troy.

Early mercy killings are usually best - Few things improve troop morale more than letting the good players be aware by timely, well-deserved severances that the boss can indeed spot a loser.

Decide! Before one knows everything, one is dead - It may feel smart and cautious to order up still one more study, but most times action is better than letting the water rise to desk level.

Creamer and Baar contend that all of the "Lessons" in "But Wait! There's More! (maybe)" have been "calibrated for accuracy, refined under fire and proven by success."

"Unlike the current TV pornflick "Mad Men" where the problems of a dysfunctional alleged ad agency result simply from excessive libido and great thirst, the congenital challenges facing CEOs of real advertising agencies and other businesses which the book addresses are far more subtle and complex," the authors said.

"The standard executive memoir business school pabulum is rigorously avoided. The usual suggestions to CEOs that they be considerate of subordinates, have clear goals and communicate well are nice but not a major revelation."

Creamer was founder, Chairman and CEO of HBM/Creamer, world's seventh largest advertising agency when he sold it in 1986 to WCRS of London. At that time, it was headquartered in New York with major operations in Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Providence, RI.

Baar, a former Washington journalist and corporate and agency PR executive, was president of HBM/Creamer's largest PR company. He is author of two satirical business novels, "Ultimate Severance" and "The Great Free Enterprise Gambit;" a dictionary of language pollution, "Spinspeak II;" a spin dictionary blog, a score of short stories, and four books on the Cold War and advanced

("But Wait! There's More! (maybe)" -- the Golden Years, Present Chaos, and Iffy Future of the Global Advertising Business -- is now at bookstores and online: www.amazon.com www.barnesandnoble.com www.borders.com )

###

Post Comment:
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/Q291cC1TaW5nLVN1bW0tVGhpci1IYWxmLVNpbmctWmVybw==

advertising business book chaos mad men spin spinspeak business school ceos advertising agency media

Bookmark -  Del.icio.us | Digg | Furl It | Spurl | RawSugar | Simpy | Shadows | Blink It | My Web

• New Book Forecasts Financial Disasters, Mega-agencies Implosions, Radical Restructuring of Global $500 Billion Advertising Business 2008-08-21