Noel Cottrell

LinkedIn AI asked me to answer: “Balancing multiple ad projects with tight deadlines in advertising. How can you maintain a work-life balance?” Here’s my response: When this happens, are is always one project that is more pressing than the others. The key here is communication: When that next deadline gets layered onto what you already have, you need to speak up right away. This might mean the timelines get adjusted on your new project, or it could mean that your other project deadlines can get pushed out to accommodate for the new one. This is where project managers meet to discuss how to manage their "resource". It might even come down to brining in additional creative resources in order to meet the deadlines. It's not realistic to expect quality work with no time to do it properly. Good agencies and good project managers understand that and they will advocate for time and resources to do it right.

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✨ Sapiens, Strategy, and AI 🪄 Ever wondered why some brands resonate deeply, and stand the test of time? The secret lies in their stories. 🧠 Inspired by Yuval Noah Harari's groundbreaking "Sapiens,"—and a profound reaction to the parallels between his work and my own—we're doing a deep-dive exploration of how ancient myths and Jungian archetypes shape the brands we love today. And, layering in the combination of the timeless wisdom of mythology with cutting-edge AI... This is the future of brand storytelling... Where Nike's 🦸🏻‍♂️ Hero archetype empowers us... and Apple's 👩🏼‍🎨 Creator archetype inspires innovation. Curious about how this fusion works? Our latest series, "Myths, Machines, and Meaning," dives deep into this fascinating intersection. Check out the full article, and discover how AI and ancient stories can supercharge your brand strategy. ⬇️ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gqYNxpMS

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The End of "Undifferentiated" Creative Studios... AI is disrupting the creative landscape. As it drives down the cost of creative services, studios that simply offer "skills for hire" are facing an existential crisis. Patrick 🏴 Kizny explains the shift from "supply-based" to "value-driven" creative services. The takeaway is studios need to evolve beyond just providing commoditized skills and explore other options. They need to: Build IP: Create unique products, services, or content that can't be easily replicated. Focus on business impact: Help clients solve problems and achieve tangible results. Offer a differentiated experience: Provide exceptional service and expertise that goes beyond just technical skills. It's time for studios to embrace a new model, one that focuses on value creation and strategic partnerships. "Undifferentiated" studios are on the endangered species list. Agree or disagree? Let's hear your take on the future of the industry.

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If you're still playing by the same rules, you're already losing. Corporate life taught me systems and structure. Entrepreneurship taught me that I can rearrange, dismantle, and reconfigure as needed! My transition from corporate to the creative space wasn't easy, but the biggest lesson I learned is this: Success comes from the courage to disrupt. To create something that no one else has. Don’t be afraid to unlearn, relearn, and grow. #EntrepreneurMindset #CorporateLessons #BusinessGrowth

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Currently reading Sam Walton’s memoir, "Made in America," and I loved this quote from former Walmart CEO David Glass describing Walton. These qualities have become so important to embrace over the years. Running an agency, growing with the team, and refining how we serve clients is a constant process of trial, error, and adaptation. It means showing up every day with a mindset of improvement, trying new things, and having the courage to pivot when things don’t work out. Like Sam, I’ve learned that failure and being wrong are essential parts of growth. Without that mindset, missteps or feedback could hold you back from progress—and sometimes, you’re on the edge of something great. It’s about asking: What’s the takeaway? How can we do better? This past year has had its challenges, but it’s been full of reflection and refinement. I’ve spent more time in one-on-ones with the team, gathering feedback, and figuring out how we can improve for both clients and each other. We’re experimenting, making educated guesses, and adapting from missteps and surprises. I know not everything will go as planned, but staying flexible is key. It’s equally important to instill this mindset within the team to keep morale and momentum strong. Having a vision and setting goals is important, but loving the process and enjoying the journey is what makes it all worthwhile.

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This is backward thinking. Of course, brands and marketers should seek to avoid backlash, but not by incentivizing persons of influence to stay "apolitical." What kind of society are we advancing if political ideas cannot be shared on free and open platforms? I submit that our goal should not be to keep brands away from political discussion but to require that those discussions be civil and responsible if brands are to be present. This is measurable, enforceable, and healthy for democracy. Brands don't suffer backlash because of adjacency to topics or opinions. They suffer backlash when those opinions are delivered in hateful ways or by hateful people. Remove the personal attack and you'll remove the controversy. It's really that simple to address brand safety for brands around political content. Let's help brands reward and celebrate responsible creators who help audiences better understand the most important issues of our day.

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🌟 New Article Alert: "Brand Narratives: A Word that Faded to Obscurity" 🌟 In the age of fast-paced marketing, have we forgotten the power of brand narratives? My latest article takes a deep dive into how this once-crucial concept has slowly faded and what it means for modern branding. Explore how to bring back storytelling as a core element of your brand’s identity. Let’s revive the narrative! 🎨✨ #Branding #Storytelling #BrandNarratives #MarketingStrategy #ContentMarketing #BusinessGrowth #DigitalMarketing

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Hawk... you know... Should brands follow trends? As tempting it maybe on the virality of said trend... 1. Only if it fits the brand image and values. 2. Only if it is relevant and also has some value for the target audience. 3. Only if you are not following all trends all the time. 4. Only if you have some clever idea that is different from what other brands are doing in following such trend. Of course the nature of the trend is that we get on and stay as close to it without infringing copyright or open ourselves for lawsuits - but a lazy copy paste is not a good way. Put some effort, come up with a clever idea that taps into the trend. And no, for this particular trend, it's not a good fit for most of the brands. Sure some brands could - I can see a condoms (you know with extra lube), cough medicine (or dry mouth medicine if there is any) or .. I can't think of more, but I'd keep my brand away from this trend - unless we have a clever idea!!! ADWEEK attempts to answer. Check it out.

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Read this piece on our own James Brownstein of Poster Child and Brownstein Group.

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As Election Day nears, the outcome of key races could set the stage for U.S. AI policy in ways that may soon hit advertisers and agencies close to home. With copyright, category-specific ad disclosures, and content provenance emerging as focal issues, AI regulation is looming for the industry. Will we see a patchwork of state laws or a unified federal approach? As the political landscape shifts, agencies should be prepared for a new wave of policy changes with potential implications for innovation and compliance. Explore the nuances here with an expert POV from Alison Pepper https://lnkd.in/gWVzv49d

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An interesting and insightful piece from Bobby Hundreds from The Hundreds posing the question - Is 'Brand' dead? Our relationships with brands have constantly evolved with changing consumer trends, technology and media. There is a link to a bigger piece on Bobby's Substack in his LinkedIn post. Another consideration that comes along with changes in the relationship between people and brands is the spillover effect when it comes to advertising and the types of creative ideas that can engage with the relevant audience and their perceptions of the brands they're interested in. I welcome any thoughts on this topic, if you have some, please hit the comments. #brand #marketing #advertising #creative

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If you ever struggled with any of these: - How to determine a good idea? - Defining clarity and simplicity in an idea? - What is a good creative brief? - Finding the right projects to work on? - How to find and hire good people? Have a listen.

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All good things come to those that wait... Finally, I can announce that I've 'signed' as a Label Mate at Label Sessions. "Label Sessions is on a mission to connect everyone to the best advice from the most interesting people." They have a curated and vetted bunch of Agent Provocateurs, Firebrands and Changemakers on board, from the worlds of business, design, tech and culture. My fellow Label Mates can mentor, advise and also help drive real change in businesses from the inside out. It's a hugely exciting business and glad that they found me interesting enough to sign me up. They must have asked 'why' a few times. #businessstrategy #changemakers #businessconsultants #creativeconsultants #expertnetwork #mentors #advisors

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Sunday Creative Book Club - the book club that's not really a book club, but maybe should be. In this installment a book I was introduced to when I was moving from the music industry into the advertising industry. Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono. Suddenly, some of the ways I was thinking made sense and it also opened my mind to more ways to come up with ideas. A classic that should be on everyone's bookshelf...and not just those with "creative" in their job description. #lateralthinking #creativity #creativethinking

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HOT TAKE INCOMING!! Look at Liquid Death. Started by an ad creative. Now a billion dollar brand most creatives in advertising wish they could do work for. (Kudos Mike Cessario and Andy Pearson) Jason G. started Illicit Elixirs. Jan Livingston started Gray Whale Gin. (Who else?) Imagine if MORE advertising creatives started a brand and showed the industry what advertising is supposed to be? Maybe then we could get back to making work that's fun and not marketing from a place of fear. We could raise our own creative bar and force clients to play on the level we all know they should. Here's an idea I came up with while writing this: What if we all pitched in $150 a year to help build a brand from nothing to Liquid Death status. (that's one less coffee a week in LA.) We'd all be owners and share in its success. We could call it "Go F This Biz" (Fund) It's a Go Fund Me platform for ad creatives who have ideas for companies and want to get out of advertising but still make great advertising. I'm in. Who's in?? If my network pitched in that'd be 1.3MM to start. Not bad. Just a thought. Have a great holiday weekend ya'll! #Stayhungrymyfriends

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📌"Free" Brand Exposure Brand exposure just doesn't happen. And it's certainly not free. That Boom Washing Powder branded T-shirt worn by a the local vegetable seller while on her sales route through the local township would have never happened if not for well-thought distribution and promotion. Stop banking "free" exposure from just anyone/anything- even 8 year old Kenyan pupil, Ricca Pokot knows exposure isn't free 😂 😂 ! #marketing #sales #contentcreation

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The question isn’t whether to invest in creativity—it’s how to do it in a way that maximizes impact. The answer lies in creative strategy. https://lnkd.in/d85WFYKZ System1 and IPA's recent research on Compound Creativity underscores the power of cohesive, long-term creative concepts in driving real brand impact. Brands that maintain strong, consistent creative foundations outperform their peers, achieving 27% more significant brand effects and even doubling their profit gains. At Above The Clouds Communication I specialize in helping progressive lifestyle brands in outdoor, sports, and fashion build long-lead creative strategies and concepts, that don’t just capture attention for the moment—they create distinctive connections over time. By focusing on strategic creative concepts that align with consumer insights, we lay the groundwork for long Lead creative consistency and activations. Let's Connect https://lnkd.in/g3A9sfGC #brandstrategy #creativity #strategy #consumer #insights #pr #ispo #ispomunich2024 #ispomunich

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Why do companies with successful brands evolve or adapt their logos over time? This video shares insight into how this can directly correlate with a business's growth trajectory and technology's changing role in our lives. lmno #LogoDesign #Branding #Marketing https://lnkd.in/gCiufbya

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🌟 In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, standing out is more crucial than ever. CGI videos are a powerful way for brands to cut through the noise and grab attention. Here’s why they’re so important: Visual Storytelling: CGI allows brands to tell their stories in creative and immersive ways, engaging audiences emotionally and making messages more memorable. Enhanced Creativity: With CGI, the possibilities are endless. Brands can visualize concepts that might be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional methods, bringing ideas to life in a unique way. Versatility: Whether it’s for social media, advertising, or even internal communications, CGI can adapt to various platforms and formats, ensuring your message reaches your audience effectively. Captivating Engagement: In an era where attention spans are short, CGI videos can quickly capture interest, keeping viewers engaged longer than static images or text. At Vexiam Studio, we’re passionate about harnessing the power of CGI to help brands create compelling narratives. With a decade of experience in digital marketing and 3D artistry, I believe in the transformative potential of visual storytelling. Let’s explore how CGI can elevate your brand's narrative! 🌈 #CGI #3DAnimation #DigitalMarketing #VexiamStudio #VisualStorytelling #cgiart

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