Hot off the press (The Pioneer Press that is)

The Pioneer Press gave us a big gift to welcome 2012

By: Joshua Fedie | Principal, The “Adholics”

The “Adholics” would like to extend a big thanks to the fine people at the Pioneer Press for yet another incredible article.

We were honored when they covered us around time of launch (click here to read original article) and were even more thrilled when they decided to revisit us and check in on business as we start 2012.

I am happy to report as you will read in the article that business is good. Very good.

Without the support of our incredible clients, or “Sponsors” as I like to call them, and the drive and hard work of the dedicated “Partners” in The “Adholics” we would not have made it past the first 6 months.

I thank everybody that helped make this possible.

So, as long as the link is live, here is a direct link to the Pioneer Press website where you can read the article online.

If you have stumbled across this blog post late, fear not, I have scanned the article in for you;) Just click on it to expand it in your browser.

As always, Thanks for reading.

If you are a business looking for a talented agency to assist with your next marketing or advertising objective, do not hesitate to contact us. We are always looking for new sponsors;)

Cheers,

Joshua Fedie

The “Adholics”

Getting the most out of your creative person

Getting the most from your creative person.

A much needed look into the creative mind.

Joshua Fedie | Principal, The “Adholics”

BNET recently published a study on Creative People and how to get the best out of them, you can read the article here: http://bit.ly/creativepeople

Here’s brief summary from the article about the study:

The experiment involved more than 500 computer programmers, each of whom had a TopCoder ranking. Each programmer was paired with the programmer closest to their ability level. In each pair, one person was asked how they preferred to work: Alone, competing against 19 other people, or as part of a five-person team. The programmers were split almost evenly in their preferences. The second programmer in that pair was given the same work environment as the first person. The result is two equally-talented groups of programmers. The only salient difference between them is that one group is working in an environment of their choice, while the other group has had their work environment decided for them. Some of the participants were eligible for cash prizes, while others were not.

What were the findings?

Teams vs. Individuals

The results underscore how important it is to let team players play on a team and to let loners alone:

• The programmers who got to choose how they worked produced algorithms that scored, on average, 83 percent higher than those who could not choose. That’s about the same improvement as the researchers got by offering a $1,000 cash prize.
• Programmers who got to choose their work environment worked harder. The researchers measured this by counting the number of algorithms the programmer submitted. Programmers often submit more than one version of an algorithm, since there is no cost to doing so and having each version ‘scored’ provides valuable feedback.
• Those who got to choose their work environment worked longer. Without a cash prize, those who got to choose their work environment spent about seven more hours working that those who did not get to choose. If there was a cash prize, those who were in the work environment of their choice put in almost 11 more hours than those who had the choice made for them. The fact that folks who got to choose how they worked put in more hours accounts for almost all of the difference in their performance compared to that of their peers.

My response: No S#!t!

The “Adholics”, having just reached the all-important 1-year milestone are a true testament to the fact that creative people need to be allowed to work when, how and where they want.

I’ve managed creatives at “Traditional” agencies for years where you put people valued for their creativity into boxes and expect them to be their best between the normal business hours of 8 to 5.

Does this work?

For some it can, I’m not saying you never get good creative from inside a cubicle….here comes the but:

But what I’ve found since launching a company that embraces a remote “work where you want” philosophy is that the creative is better more consistently. Furthermore, the people working on the assignments are generally happier to be doing so and have a more “get it done” attitude; many times working through the night to get something done knowing that the reward is a decompress day.

What’s a decompress day? You must work for the man:)

My message to the team of “Adholics” has always been I don’t care when you work on it or where as long as you stay in budget, on-time and produce something you are happy with.

Among other things not looked at in this study that I think worth mentioning is dress code.

Creatives don’t dress like bankers.

I can’t tell you how sad it makes me to see a designer huddled over a desk at 8am in a suit and tie under the fluorescent glow of the office lights in their little cubicle.  It’s akin to buying a minivan, it’s that much of a throwing-in-the-towel moment. No offense to any minivan owners, but you know what I mean right? It’s not the Porsche you dreamed of is it.

Allowing a creative mind to really produce takes embracing all the uniqueness of the individual.

Do you work best while listening to James Taylor or Tom Waits? Fine, do that.

Do you work best at 11am or 3am? Fine, do that.

Do you work best with me hovering over you watching your every move or staying out of the way until you’re ready to share? Fine, I’ll be over here when you want me.

It would be great if this article caused business owners employing creative people to take a step back and reexamine their own management style. But like a wise man once said, you can wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which gets filled first.

Until that day that may never come, The “Adholics” will be continuing to do what we love, where we want to, when we want to and we’ll still be doing it better.  Was that a bit arrogant?

Try us. We prove it every day.

Cheers,

Joshua Fedie

Principal | The “Adholics”

Does Corporate America Sponsor The “Adholics”?

Does Corporate America Sponsor The “Adholics”?

Written by: Anonymous

It’s been quite awhile since something came to my in-box that made me laugh like this has. With the request of the author I’ve been given consent to post this on our company blog. It’s an interesting observation for sure. Who knows; maybe Corporate America is an “Adholic”?

I wish I could give the author credit but it has been asked  for obvious reasons that they remain anonymous.

So thanks to you Anonymous blogger of the day for the chuckle, the insight and the kind words about our group.

Cheers to you my friend.

Joshua

Does Corporate America Sponsor the Adholics?

I’m a public relations guru, working directly for the man in Corporate America. I fight rush hour traffic in to and out of downtown Minneapolis daily for my 8:00 to 5:00 job, breaking the law en route by reading and emailing from my company-owned Blackberry while driving. The “perk” of my technology upgrade quickly turned into officially signing my life away to be “on call” 24-7, but unlike an Adholic, I still have to set foot in Cube Land on a daily basis. Speaking of, I’ve continued to show up to labyrinths of beige-colored half walls with faux oak chairs under the guise of “gainful employment” for going on 10 years now because… I have to… right?

The guy next to me comes in at 10:00. He leaves at 4:00. He’s here 3-4 days a week. He doesn’t document his off days. Doesn’t have weekly 1 on 1 “check in” meetings with bosses. Staff meetings are optional. He doesn’t wear a suit (ok, I wear a suit by choice… or did the “man” subconsciously make me think it was my choice?). Oh, and instead of working here today, he’s taking a longer weekend up at his cabin where he’ll work from his laptop by the fire a bit before going out snowshoeing.

How did I miss that boat?

Sure, I have stability the guy next to me lacks – a contractor hired on a three-month basis while a co-worker is on maternity leave. Or do I? Since joining my current Fortune 500 company I’ve reported to four bosses in three-and-one-half years. I’ve had 13 “dotted-line” relationships to bosses in other departments that I somehow report to sometime for somethings but not all the time for everything (try saying that five times in a row… yeah, that’s how I feel when trying to work effectively in this environment). My employer cuts people at will and hires sparingly. And each new micro-managing boss represents an “opportunity” for me to re-interview and re-prove my worth semi-annually for a raise and promotion that will never come. Some stability, eh?

A quick check of office floor shows that one and five cubes amongst the maze are occupied by a contractor. A small business owner, working in various marketing and communications-related roles on a part-time basis, making twice my salary, while us employees continue to brown nose for scraps that fall under the table.

Ah, so its true … even Corporate America sponsors The “Adholics”. Or is at the very least embracing adholicism.

My point is, take this shout out from a corporate insider… Adholics, your business model is working and is needed here. To you top-level free lancers, don’t work for the man, but come work with us – and enjoy the rest of your time working in your slippers. And to Corporate America who hasn’t embraced the trend – find an agency like The “Adholics” and hire their talent immediately. Creative contractors not only can help a conservative company like mine push forward in this ever-evolving social media environment but they possess the balls to present an objective view without being influenced that the man will fire them on Monday.

And if you’re in a position like me, get out before the next soothing ray of that buzzing, fluorescent light bulb above your head in Cube Land is medically proven to cause insanity.

NOTE TO SELF: Read this blog and follow your own advice before it’s too late. But excuse me first… I need to go buy a “Jeans Ok” sticker from my admin before the man sees me sporting these Levis.

Super Bowl ads are brain-dead

Super Bowl ads are brain-dead

By: Josh Anderson

Copywriter The “Adholics” | LiveWire Copy

I was one of the millions who wondered if Christina Aguilera made a prop bet on how long the National Anthem would last.

I was one of the millions hoping for a wardrobe malfunction during the Black Eyed Peas Half Time Show snoozer.

But I may be one of the few who think Super Bowl ads have gone way of the leather helmet.

They’re historic. But now the majority just look stupid and are no longer useful.

Viewing behaviors have changed
It’s true that nearly 2/3 of the U.S. population gathers around the television for this single football game, with beverage and deep-fried-anything in hand. But that doesn’t change the way we watch the boob-tube.

For years now, many of us have been conditioned by TiVo, Apple TV and/or Netflix. So you’re telling me that for one Sunday night, those habits are just going to magically disappear like the beer in my fridge? No way.

Even if fans say, “I can’t wait for the commercials.” What they’re really saying is, “I can’t wait for the commercials so I can load up on more wings and leave that pig Bill with the celery sticks.”

The thrill is gone
Not so long ago Super Bowl commercials were simply enjoyed. Viewers looked forward to the next Pepsi commercial like the next episode of “He-Man: Masters of the Universe.”

Now we stuff ourselves over-analyzing them.

We dissect them at the party. We discuss them on Facebook. We comment on them over Twitter. We no longer allow ourselves to be entertained.

Part of the problem is advertisers are chasing the thrill of cowboys herding cats, lizards talking with east coast accents and babies trading stocks. But instead of innovating, they’re regurgitating ideas. And paying more to do it.

Viewers aren’t helping. Now we expect the unexpected. It’s like we’re watching the fourth installment in a slasher movie franchise: Of course the girl who walks into a dark room without turning on a light is going to get butchered.

Move forward by looking back
What should be done? The answer might have been offered a few years ago when Go Daddy first started advertising during the Super Bowl.

Sure the commercials were raunchy (and still are). But they were perfectly targeted to the audience and the call to action was spot-on. In fact, their web site crashed as a result of the traffic generated from a single ad. A great return on investment for the fledgling company.

Today, companies need to reconsider the role Super Bowl commercials play in their overall strategy.

Is their commercial a single showcase of the company? If so, then it needs to be more than amusing. It must be groundbreaking. For many advertisers, that’s an impossible expectation.

But what if a Super Bowl ad was a vehicle designed specifically to send viewers somewhere else like a web site, Facebook page or other online location? Once there, they could be treated to something truly unique, entertaining, even innovative.

Helmets are still needed in football. But they were re-engineered when the game changed. It’s time for advertisers to stop banging their heads against a wall when it comes to Super Bowl commercials.

Josh Anderson is one the many partners that make up The “Adholics”, a full service marketing & advertising collaborative based in Minneapolis Minnesota.

Do you have a problem with your current marketing?

You’re not alone.

Let us be your designated advertiser in 2011. www.TheAdholics.com

Contact Joshua Fedie to start the process of recovery today.

I think we’ve become a trend.

david vs. fallon

Appeared in Metro Magazine’s February 2011 issue

Written by: Drew Wood

The following article was pulled out of Metro Magazines February 2011 issue.

Though The “Adholics” had no contribution to the content of the article, nor do we received any mention as one of the smaller agencies entering the Minneapolis space, I found it affirming that the concept we work within continues to gain validation as a structure that works.

If you read our pioneer press writeup last October you’ll notice some very consistent themes to handling creative execution in the current marketplace.

If I notice they include this article on their site, I will attach a link. For now I apologize, this scan is the best I can do.

Cheers.

Joshua Fedie

Principal | The “Adholics”

New Year. New Budgets. New Optimism?

New Year. New Budgets. New Optimism?

By Joshua Fedie

Principal | The “Adholics”

12/28/2010

I think 2010 was a great year.

Sure there was a lot of fear, budgets cuts, layoffs, questions without answers, anger, depression, uncertainty…alright maybe not a great year.

However what all this did cause was some business and personal examination for many, and what does that equal in the business world?

Innovation.

I have seen some incredibly innovative companies shoot-up out of this mess and I think it was good to have a little hustle mentality injected into America.

So far signs are looking good for companies responding to the needs of their customers in 2011. I know I’m hearing the word budget being used as a positive more lately.

Business as usual has become a thing of the past and creativity is king. The same principles applied to our grocery list has been pulled into our workspace and has forced us all to look at getting the most we can get for less than we had in the past. That is a good thing.

Can you imagine applying what you have learned with your current budget to your old budget, imagine how much more you could have done.

I don’t want this post to be a list of companies doing it right, what I want this post to be is a touch of inspiration for 2011.

To the company executive or marketing director that just might stumble upon this message, Be Optimistic. Challenge your staff to try new ways. Challenge your vendors to invest in you.

To the employee feeling like there are more barriers than doors, don’t be afraid to speak up in 2011. Many times the best ideas come from within the trenches; you might have the solution your company needs. Keep your mind alert and take ownership of your future in your current company.

To the job seekers, don’t stop looking, we want you back in the workforce and we are getting there. Don’t be too proud to beg, don’t lose sight of your goals and don’t be afraid to let a little hustle in.

Lets start the year with the confidence we had just 5 years ago and really show what we are made of.

It’s time to take back a little ownership, lose the negativity and become inspired.

I can’t wait for the ball to fall.

I look forward to meeting my new clients of 2011 and continuing my relationships with the great clients I had in 2010. This last 6 months has been quite the rush for me and The “Adholics”, I had no idea how much fun this group would be.

With the most sincerity, I want to wish everyone a happy New-Year and a great journey back to a better time and place.

Cheers,

Joshua Fedie

Principal | The “Adholics”

The Changing Agency

The Changing Agency

By Joshua Fedie | Principal, The “Adholics”

Do you want to see what we have done, or what we are positioned to do for you today?

In prospecting for my new collaborative agency I have not heard many obstacles in making inroads to new clients. Most companies are really getting the concept of reduced overhead, bigger talent.

It’s a pretty easy sell.

But the one fear I have come across is how new we are as an agency. “We are looking for an agency with more experience” is something I have heard a couple of times now and I thought it was about time to respond to this objective.

Yes, The “Adholics” are a new agency this is true; but we are anything but unproven.

Does this “Work” section look unproven?

Do these “Partners” with collectively over 200 years of real-world experience in the marketing and advertising game look unproven?

In this economy it is important to look past the flashy presentations of larger agencies and instead look inside at the talent sitting in the desks (or in our case home offices).

Layoffs and unemployment have not escaped the creative community. In fact, we have been one of the hardest hit.

When you are searching for a new agency keep this in mind. In many cases the creative guru that designed the flashy work you are reviewing is no longer employed at said company. Many highly paid designers have been replaced by cheaper recent grads at agencies where the thought is still more is better.

So why are they showing this work?

The agency still has a right to place these works into a capabilities presentation. They were handled at the agency.

But do they have the goods to deliver again with their new recent grad staff?

Next time you review a new agencies portfolio don’t be afraid to ask “so who handled this piece, are they still with your agency?” you might be surprised by the answer.

So what are you paying for?

Having 100+ employees sure looks great from the lobby seats, but will it still look that good when you see your first concepts on your new rebranding campaign?

I decided long ago I would rather have an agency small in size but big on talent. I thought future clients would appreciate lower costs in a recession. I still think that the “Big Agency” is a dinosaur and I am happy to be in a position to compete.

The “Adholics” may not have an espresso machine (yet) or a company BMW (I prefer SAAB), but we have talent.

I handpicked each of my 17 partners for being both the kind of people I wanted to sell and the people I would want working on my projects.

I can charge you more if you want, just ask. I’m happy to accommodate any request. I’d rather give you killer creative within your budget.

Cheers,

Joshua Fedie | Principal, The “Adholics”

Step 1.

Step 1.

(Our first piece of press)

Today is an exciting day for The “Adholics” because today we received our first piece of press. Upon landing our first account (to be more formally announced at launch) I was contacted by Dan Haugen at The Line Magazine www.thelinemedia.com who asked if he could interview me for an article for the online publication. Being a subscriber myself to The Line, of course I was thrilled at the chance. Below is the text from the article, but feel free to read on The Line as well here: bit.ly/9ixA5p

Innovation + Job News

The Adholics freelance collective admits that it has its first client

The Adholics have taken a step toward proving their business model.

The freelance advertising collaborative last week signed up its first client, a local web startup company, which they don’t plan to name for at least a couple more months.

The Adholics is the brainchild of Josh Fedie, a new business and account manager for various small and mid-sized agencies over the past decade.

The advertising industry is increasingly relying on freelancers. What’s bothered Fedie in recent years is the lack of transparency around that trend. Clients are paying top dollar for an agency’s work and often don’t realize the work is being farmed out to the least expensive freelancers on the market, he says.

“That’s not what’s being sold to the client,” Fedie says.

About six months ago, Fedie started scouting for freelance professionals to join a virtual agency. The result is a 17-member, full-service advertising and marketing shop. Its members’ expertise covers most of the major disciplines, from web and graphic design to copywriting and social media strategy.

What separates The Adholics from other collaboratives, Fedie says, is its transparency. All of its partners are listed on its website. It has a photography studio and one partner has donated office space, but the model eliminates most of the overhead associated with running a conventional agency.

Fedie believes the model will allow The Adholics to compete with any agency in town. He says the goal is to win business that would be out of reach for a solo freelancer:

“That’s the number-one goal: to go after dream accounts,” says Fedie. “We want to work for enthusiast brands. We want to go after those accounts that all of us have always wanted to work for and it’s been hard to get to on our own, but I think with a group like this it’s definitely in reach, and definitely within our capabilities.”

Source: Josh Fedie, The “Adholics”
Writer: Dan Haugen

There’s no crying in marketing

There’s no crying in marketing
By Josh Anderson
Copywriter | The “Adholics”

Baseball fan or not, by now you’ve undoubtedly heard about the blown call on Monday, June 2 that cost Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga from throwing his first perfect game – which also would’ve been the first ever for the Tigers franchise and only the 20th in Major League Baseball history.

With two outs in the ninth, Cleveland Indian shortstop Jason Donald hit a grounder that was cleanly fielded by the first baseman and tossed to Galarraga for the out. Only umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe. Replays show the throw beat the runner and that Joyce blew the call. Galarraga proceeded to get the next batter out to end the game with a one-hitter.

“I just cost that kid a perfect game,” Joyce said to the Huffington Post. “I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay.”

The fallout has been nothing short of pandemonium. Demands have even been made to reverse the call so Gallaraga could be awarded his perfect game after the face. Fortunately the commissioner of baseball refused to give in to the madness. And Gallaraga was rewarded with a Corvette.

So what does this have to do with marketing?
Like Joyce, marketers make numerous calls on the messages they create and how they deliver them. Consistently making the right ones can lead to years of success for both us and the companies we serve. But what happens when we blow it?

Just ask Joyce who has been a full-time Major League umpire since 1989. Up until Wednesday, perhaps a few die-hard fans knew his name. Today he’s recognized around the country as the screw-up who cheated one pitcher and millions of fans out of their chance at history.

Like Joyce, marketers make their living in a high-risk, high-reward profession. Just when we’re being praised for our brilliance, we’re slapped upside the head with a rolled-up newspaper.

Every mistake we make gets picked apart, though hopefully we’ll never face this same level of scrutiny. But the experience to make the tough decisions, whether it’s creative, strategic or analytic, is why companies hire us. And the good marketers make the right decisions many more times than not.

Making mistakes is part of the game
Hindsight is always 20/20. And it’s easy to forget that in a split second Joyce had to determine that the first baseman fielded the ball, that the pitcher had his foot on first base, that the ball wasn’t juggled on the catch and that the hitter runner beat the throw. In the end he got it wrong, but what he did next made it right.

Joyce admitted his mistake, got up the next morning and came to work, confident in his ability to make all the right calls. (Sure he shed a couple tears, but it’s probably because he didn’t get a Corvette.)

That’s what we do as marketers (admittedly maybe even the crying part). For every 10 decisions we get right, there inevitably will be one that we regret. But we remain brave, steadfast believers in our services and skills. You will never find a marketer shutting the blinds and curling up in the fetal position, unless it’s a brainstorm session.

Owning up and moving on
Being brave also means taking ownership for our mistakes. As professionals, we’re committed to being perfect. But only God is perfect. And though we try, it’s really not fair trying to live up to those expectations.

So we say, “#$%&!.” Work our tails off to make it right. And we all agree to move on. Because tough decisions are written in pen and not pencil, the best we can offer is a do-over.

Mind you this is not an indictment of marketers. Nor is this an admission of guilt. It’s just my attempt to ensure that we all go into this whole creating-killer-marketing-communications-to-help-you-sell-lots-of-product-and-generate-lots-of-revenue endeavor with our eye on the ball.

Mistakes are bound to happen. But there’s something much worse than making the wrong decision. Passing on the chance to hire The “Adholics” so we can provide the perfect marketing solution for your company would be a real goof up.

Make the call. Contact The “Adholics” to learn more about how we can help you get it right.

Creating The “Adholics”

Creating The “Adholics”
Joshua Fedie | Principal | The “Adholics” LLC

The idea for The “Adholics” has been a personal dream of mine for years, but one I never thought I’d have the courage to actually act upon.

To quit a perfectly good job with one kid and one on the way in the worst recession of my lifetime is admittedly crazy, yet it seems like the right thing to do. And not just for me and my family who would love a little more quality time together. But the right thing to do for my future clients with budgets, not needs, that have been slashed.

Watching as marketing directors cut important and desired items because “I just can’t make all these items fit into our budget” has become all too common at far too many companies. Agencies aren’t helping. Instead of cutting prices to help companies meet some of their marketing needs, the agency world is fighting to hold on to that all-important $200+ hourly rate.

Can you blame them? Keeping the agency doors open requires a lot of money to cover rent/payroll/benefits/heat/phone, to name a few.

The concept behind The “Adholics” minimizes the generation of these expenses. In fact they have become nearly non-existent.

But will prospective clients embrace the concept of a virtual agency? They most likely already have, whether they know it or not.

Agencies of all sizes are struggling, especially in this economy, to bring in enough work to employ in-house talent. Instead they have been “hiring” freelance creative on a project basis when needed.

The freelancer gets his/her hourly rate from the agency, the agency passes on their $200+ hourly rate to the client, everyone gets paid and everyone is happy. The problem here is most times this is an undisclosed expense to the client who is paying for more than what they are actually getting.

The “Adholics” is built on transparency, willing to be up front and honest with the money you’re spending. We are freelancers with one big difference – our creative collaborative is a group of the best out there, not the cheapest available. And these uber-talented people have the experience to prove it.

Being a salesman, I can’t help but turn this post in to a pitch.

I apologize, I’ll stop now, I just can’t wait to sell this group!

What I really set out to do with this post is thank some people.

To the people out in the web who have been following the creation of this group on our Facebook, twitter, blog or various other social channels, Thank you. I’ve tried to keep these pieces updated with information on the group’s growth and journey to launch, and I hope you have enjoyed following. Keep watching. It’s only going to get better.

I want to thank my family for the support and not committing me when I presented the idea of quitting my job and starting a business. Anyone who’s married knows spouses are really good at putting a fast stop to stupid ideas. So thanks Wendy for giving me the green light.

I also want to thank my group, The “Partners” in The “Adholics”. You have made this scary time in my life one of the most exciting. I can’t believe the enthusiasm, talent, drive and helpfulness I have found in each one of you, and I look forward to the future successes we will all soon have. Without the support of my team, it would be nothing more than a good idea, and that’s about as far as it would have gone. I know this, my appreciation is sincere, and I thank you all. Welcome to the family.

So with that, it is time.

Today is the first official first day for The “Adholics” Marketing & Advertising Group.

Today is the realization of a dream.

Today is the end of two years of planning, wishing, questioning and second-guessing.

The website will continue to undergo some changes as we grow, as will the portfolio. But I see no better time than today to kick things off officially. The partners have been added to the site, and their work will follow soon, but for now if you are curious please visit our social media channels, these should give you a good grasp on the size and talent of the group.

Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/channels/theadholics
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theadholics
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Minneapolis-MN/The-Adholics/276466962727?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheAdholics
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/companies/974919

Let’s do this!

Cheers,

Joshua Fedie | Principal

The “Adholics” LLC
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