tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post6351765315889786977..comments2024-03-17T03:15:14.033-04:00Comments on View From Madison Avenue: Category Experience Is Limiting Agency HiringView From Madison Avenuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-57103189075423515442012-12-10T23:27:45.955-05:002012-12-10T23:27:45.955-05:00Wow! Thank you for your wise response, Paul. Yeah....Wow! Thank you for your wise response, Paul. Yeah. Perhaps it's ready for agencies to rather invest in "category managers" - people who stay on top of client's business and industry trends, so that they can update the current team, and educate new hires. Just a thought!DKhttp://www.brandathon.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-4583837541592135312012-12-06T08:38:53.079-05:002012-12-06T08:38:53.079-05:00DK, much of what you say is true. However, I do h...DK, much of what you say is true. However, I do hear stories all the time of clients who will not share information with agencies, which prevents them from really getting to know their business. The reason for this, sadly, is that it is easier (and safer) to merely have agencies execute. <br /><br />There is a another side to this as well. Procurement has cut agency staffing to the bone, View From Madison Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-29190737753596498892012-12-06T03:05:34.682-05:002012-12-06T03:05:34.682-05:00Honestly though, having seen many agency folks, wh...Honestly though, having seen many agency folks, whether in management or non-management, no matter how long your category experiences are, I feel that most don't really have a deep knowledge of the category. Yes, there may be some stories to tell of a great campaign that was handled at a previous agency... But these are antiquated stories. A successful campaign from 5 years ago does not DKhttp://www.brandathon.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-78547630957499805202012-12-05T15:46:58.980-05:002012-12-05T15:46:58.980-05:00@Anonymous: That is my point about fear.@Anonymous: That is my point about fear.View From Madison Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-59840981624045380562012-12-05T15:45:26.127-05:002012-12-05T15:45:26.127-05:00:-).:-).View From Madison Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-37821003050482762262012-12-05T15:44:05.175-05:002012-12-05T15:44:05.175-05:00Paul, I think it also a function of the agency bei...Paul, I think it also a function of the agency being afraid of the clients...the client doesn't want to have to "train" a senior level person on their business...and then vice-versa, the agency wants this person to walk right into the situation without any guidance. It sucks and I've been a "victim" of this as well. I know how to sell, I know how to work with clients Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-26208397626199544572012-12-05T15:33:27.984-05:002012-12-05T15:33:27.984-05:00Don't you understand the difference? MOIST CAT...Don't you understand the difference? MOIST CAT FOOD IS NOT DRY CAT FOOD! Totally different products. <br /><br />What is wrong with you, sheesh. Next thing you know you'll be sending someone with rum experience to work on vodka. Lizhttp://mom-101.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-20115183805089677322012-12-05T15:31:09.675-05:002012-12-05T15:31:09.675-05:00@Rachel: I have been wrestling with this for many ...@Rachel: I have been wrestling with this for many years trying to figure out why this exists. I have come up with two reasons: fear and laziness. The fear comes because it is far easier to tell a client that you have a candidate who has category experience. The laziness comes from not spending the time to define the issues and problems that they want a new hire to resolve. If you think I am View From Madison Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-76567038931052524162012-12-05T15:15:31.134-05:002012-12-05T15:15:31.134-05:00Great post. As a "newish" recruiter myse...Great post. As a "newish" recruiter myself, but a past account management person, I completely agree how crazy it is that there are so many mandatories when getting a new job in. When I was looking to get out of healthcare advertising to the general side, I was looked over by so many because I didn't have XYZ specifically listed on my resume; however, the transferable skills were Rachelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-55842384567015218062012-12-04T22:44:33.643-05:002012-12-04T22:44:33.643-05:00Appreciate your insights as usual. I think we cand...Appreciate your insights as usual. I think we candidates are trying to work within meeting checklists, or "I'll know it when I see it" approaches. (Scott Frary)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-42424071395605474632012-12-04T22:41:30.266-05:002012-12-04T22:41:30.266-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.invictushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14512158411048601259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-55503976972886070482012-12-04T15:30:46.339-05:002012-12-04T15:30:46.339-05:00ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE AGENCY BUSINESS IS SL...ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE AGENCY BUSINESS IS SLOWLY SINKING INTO THE GROUND IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESCRIBE ...A LACK OF INVENTIVE THINKING ...IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE WORLD HAS CHANGED AND MOST OF THE HOLDING COMPANIES FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THAT TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED THE GAME...THE LINE HAS BLURRED BETWEEN MEDIA PLANNING AND BUYING ..MARKETING...CREATIVE RESEARCH....PR..CONSULTING..AND THE BOB SCHMIDTnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-70610824714180254722012-12-04T14:43:08.889-05:002012-12-04T14:43:08.889-05:00@Anonymous: Amen.@Anonymous: Amen.View From Madison Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-23379014034353380922012-12-04T14:34:42.592-05:002012-12-04T14:34:42.592-05:00Anonymous: Very stupid. See my response, above, ...Anonymous: Very stupid. See my response, above, to Livingston Miller.View From Madison Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-51318010807899258282012-12-04T14:34:04.423-05:002012-12-04T14:34:04.423-05:00Interesting post. As a CMO client, the biggest bee...Interesting post. As a CMO client, the biggest beef I and other clients had with our agencies was that they are not prepared to think outside their well-trodden boxes. It's true that clients want to interview people working on their business because agencies do such a bad job of identifying talent. It's a good bet that the rules around "category experience" are made up by Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-84831804470621533482012-12-04T14:34:01.339-05:002012-12-04T14:34:01.339-05:00Livingston: I actually had one of those at the old...Livingston: I actually had one of those at the old Ted Bates. Got an assignment years ago for an account supervisor. Had to have moist cat food experience. I found someone with dry, but almost immediately. HR would not see her. I called the EVP who was a friend and actually got my candidate hired. But I paid the price - for about a year HR was angry with me for going to the EVP. I View From Madison Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-48857990159181627582012-12-04T12:45:38.716-05:002012-12-04T12:45:38.716-05:00I once was speaking with one of your competitors w...I once was speaking with one of your competitors who was equally stunned about a agency who was looking for specific category experience. It seems the agency was looking for a SENIOR executive with CEREAL experience(alright, there may be 100-200 senior executives in the country with cereal experience). But that was not enough. The Agency really wanted someone with PRESWEETENED CEREAL experienceAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-49089732975355697102012-12-04T12:09:52.305-05:002012-12-04T12:09:52.305-05:00Paul, there's an old joke along these lines. A...Paul, there's an old joke along these lines. Agency looking to hire an art director.<br />"You've got cigarette experience, right?"<br />"Yup, lots."<br />"Filter or unfiltered?"<br />"Filtered."<br />"Every work on Menthols?"<br />"Yes, sir"<br />"Excellent, how about Menthol, Filtered 100s?" "No, sir, never Livinston Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07195459581550524949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-67667481353462114592012-12-04T12:07:23.113-05:002012-12-04T12:07:23.113-05:00Claudia and Rachel: You are both right, of course....Claudia and Rachel: You are both right, of course. Would love your opinion as to why this happens, especially at big agencies. I am thinking of writing a follow up post on why.View From Madison Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-38242826843516378462012-12-04T11:55:42.689-05:002012-12-04T11:55:42.689-05:00I would say every single one of my best hires were...I would say every single one of my best hires were people who were qualified tangentially, or in wacky/creative ways. They beat down my door, brought loads of energy and creativity, were grateful to learn, worked overtime to catch up on their deficits and brought a new perspective. I have ALWAYS seen people my recruiter wants me to see in that category, because I know they 'get' me. SmallRachel Gellerhttp://www.liminalresearch.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-43189172417688485832012-12-04T11:47:04.341-05:002012-12-04T11:47:04.341-05:00Paul I couldn't agree more. I spent many year...Paul I couldn't agree more. I spent many years working in a very labor intensive category producing literally pounds of scripts and producing at least ten spots a year plus radio, collateral etc. After a few years, I was fried. I had more category experience than you could possibly imagine and no desire to work in the category. While it makes sense to me to look for people with experienceClaudia Caplanhttp://www.rp3agency.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-85769619969697591682012-12-04T11:37:57.531-05:002012-12-04T11:37:57.531-05:00Thanks, Steve. Nice way of putting it.Thanks, Steve. Nice way of putting it.View From Madison Avenuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133010500698814644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8575334444752638591.post-67816658718172286652012-12-04T11:32:04.179-05:002012-12-04T11:32:04.179-05:00“Learning” energizes and creates relationships. “C...“Learning” energizes and creates relationships. “Collaboration” is a business fundamental that ties employees together and creates loyalty. “Sharing” is human and creates openness. <br /><br />Hiring someone with category experience can derail all three. This is a peeve of mine too. Bold post, sir. Steve at whats the idea <br />Steve Poppehttp://www.whatstheidea.comnoreply@blogger.com