At our end-of-year Holiday party yesterday, Brian Williams made this point while reviewing the state of the industry, our financial performance and our plans for thriving as we move forward…

“Advertising used to be about building brands.  Increasingly, it’s about building businesses.”

Marketing plans with longterm payoffs don’t really exist anymore.  The notion of building a brand through advertising and promotion is becoming an increasingly quaint and dangerous assumption.

That’s a hard truth for those who’ve thrived in the past.  Then again, it’s a new playing field for those willing to reinvent.

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By Dennis Ryan, CCO, Element 79

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