Posts Tagged ‘clients’

Bye Bye Budgets

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

 

When the economy went south, marketing budgets were some of the first on the chopping block. So the story goes, lower sales mean less revenue equals scaling back on expenses. Fast-forward two years and we find ourselves still teetering on tough economic times. Is your company now viewing the marketing department as a mitigated expense or an investment opportunity?

Unfortunately, we all know too well that lesser budgets don’t necessarily mean fewer expectations. In fact, in trying times despite waning resources, many marketers are asked to do more with less. Play short-handed. Stretch their dollars. Continue as before but with one hand tied behind their backs. So what do you do? Rely on Twitter and Facebook to weather the storm? We feel your pain.

When business is not “as usual”, traditional marketing resources may need to be reevaluated. You may need to realign your strategy. And the full-service agency you’re currently tethered to might not be the best bang for the buck anymore. If this is the case, consider exploring 52 Limited. Whether sourcing senior freelance talent to fill a temporary void or activating one of our custom project teams to provide fresh creative horsepower, we can keep your brand moving forward without showing up on the CFO’s radar.

By Ryan Gallagher, Account Director @ 52 Limited

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“How Do I Put this Gently? THAT’S THE WORST IDEA I’VE EVER HEARD!”

Monday, August 16th, 2010

It’s hot.  For some reason, when it’s hot the “writer” section of my brain goes on hiatus.  But, while feeding a different section of my cabeza I stumbled onto this article after Googling “Creative Inspiration”.  Though it’s not exactly what I was looking for, it was something I felt should be shared. I read the original article on “A List Apart” a site for web designers/developers.

No One Nos: Learning to Say No to Bad Ideas written by Whitney Hess

No. One word, a complete sentence. We all learned to say it around our first birthday, so why do we have such a hard time saying it now when it comes to our work?

Guilt. Fear. Pressure. Doubt. As we grow up, we begin to learn that not doing what others expect of us can lead to all sorts of negative consequences. It becomes easier to concede to their demands than to stand up for ourselves and for what is right.

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Client vs. Designer: The Missing Feline Poster

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Reposted by Ashley Diehl, account manager 52 PDX  (Thanks Malia)

This post was recently forwarded to me by a friend.  She thought since 52 works and places folks in the advertising, marketing, design field it may strike a chord with us.  Generally I don’t take the time to read through longer forwards, but I did spend 5 minutes on this one… it proved absolutely worth my time.  If you’re in this field, and have ever had to deal with a difficult client or designer, it’ll be worth yours too.

Warning: If you’re prone to spontaneous weeping when forced to laugh hysterically,  you may consider scooting the Puffs Plus box to an arm’s length before beginning.

Here Goes:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.15am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Poster

Hi
I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got out and has been missing since then so I was wondering if you are not to busy you could make a poster for me. It has to be A4 and I will photocopy it and put it around my suburb this afternoon.

This is the only photo of her I have she answers to the name Missy and is black and white and about 8 months old. missing on Harper street and my phone number.
Thanks Shan.

________________________________________________________________________________________

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.26am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
That is shocking news. Luckily I was sitting down when I read your email and not half way up a ladder or tree. How are you holding up? I am surprised you managed to attend work at all what with thinking about Missy out there cold, frightened and alone… possibly lying on the side of the road, her back legs squashed by a vehicle, calling out “Shannon, where are you?” Although I have two clients expecting completed work this afternoon, I will, of course, drop everything and do whatever it takes to facilitate the speedy return of Missy.
Regards, David.

________________________________________________________________________________________

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.37am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Poster

yeah ok thanks. I know you dont like cats but I am really worried about mine. I have to leave at 1pm today.

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Not on Our Watch.

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

By Patricia Beasock, Senior Recruiter 52 PDX

Ugh.  Let’s face it. At one time or another, we have ALL been unemployed. For the general population, if you have had the misfortune of adopting this status, even momentarily, it is normally NOT a result of your own boneheaded action.

As a recruiter, the gal constantly pounding the proverbial pavement to find the best talent around,  the little hairs on the back of my neck stood up recently while reading an article on CNN.com that stated:  “Unemployed candidates will not be considered”. 

According to Lisa Chenofsky Singer, a HR consultant from Millburn, NJ, specializing in media and publishing jobs,  “most executive recruiters won’t consider a candidate unless they have a job, even if they don’t like to admit to it.”

Really? Um…. We’re calling bullshit.

Let’s look at the facts:  The Unemployment rate in Oregon is 10.4%.  That is 3rd highest in the nation and that sucks.  If executive recruiters aren’t looking at that 10.4% at all,  then they are doing a disservice for both of their clientele: their paying client, and their talent who are ready and willing to hit the ground running.

The Client: A large part of the qualified class could be unemployed… if you ignore them, you ignore a potential fit.

The Talent: Unemployment doesn’t designate a lack of qualifications.  In this economic climate, most of the unemployed class were laid off due to recession… through no fault or error of their own.

A good recruiter, a status I would proudly pin on my own girl scout scarf,  is going to vet talent based on an in person meeting, evaluate them as an individual, ask the right questions to get to the answers necessary, all this  in order to present that talent to a prospective client.   THEN (and only then), it should be decided whether or not a talent is a viable fit for the position that is open.

To assume that “you must have been laid off for performance issues” is indeed one of those myths that we should add to Snopes.com.

I agree with Judy Conti: “Making that kind of automatic cut is senseless; you could be missing out on the best person of all,” she said. “There are millions of people who are unemployed through no fault of their own. If an employer feels that the best qualified are the ones already working, they have no appreciation of the crisis we’re in right now.”

Here at 52 LTD, each talent is looked at as an individual. No matter what you do, 52 wants to learn more about you. Not by having you fill out a standard online form, but by actually getting to know you better.

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