Ozan Irturk’s Post

In your career, think of your employer or client as a "customer." They don't always (or don't usually) know what they're really looking for. Consider legendary ad exec David Ogilvy's admonition (substituting "employer" or "company" for "customer"). As a job/gig candidate, you have to think like a marketer. You have to look _beyond_ the job description. Don't take it at face value. Don't ask the recruiter or hiring manager what they're looking for and just accept their answer. Do your own investigation about the company, team, and ideally the hiring manager. Connect with other employees (or clients if you're up for a consulting gig). Search for every article. Read everything on their website. If you're not already tracking the trends, threats, or opportunities in your industry, get on it. If you can figure out what the _real_ issues are that the company/client is dealing with, you'll better understand the context surrounding the open position or consulting opportunity. Then you can be much smarter and strategic in your interview. Surprise them with some new take on how you could be more effective in the role than a candidate who simply wants to get hired. As Steve Jobs said: be one of "the ones who see things differently." Thanks to Ozan Irturk for posting and inspiring this reflection!

Advertising agency leaders take note! You should know that a daily challenge is having your account manager or executive build the relationship with the client while being able to fulfil the daily tasks. Getting caught up in the day to day work leaves very little room to build relationships. Want to learn more about perfecting this juggling act? DM us today to find out how! #clientservicing101

In the dynamic world of marketing, David Ogilvy's "Confessions of an Advertising man" stands as a guiding beacon for me. Having spent seven enriching years in the ever-evolving realm of marketing, this book has been more than just a read—it's been a career compass. Ogilvy's unwavering belief in trusting and empowering his team resonates deeply with my managerial philosophy. In my previous roles, where I led a talented team, I made it a point to create a space that fosters creative thinking and growth. After all, nurturing thinkers is key to pioneering ideas that break through the noise. What struck me most was Ogilvy's blunt assertion that the primary purpose of copy is to sell. It's a principle that has guided my approach to crafting compelling creative strategies. Sometimes, it's not about entertaining; it's about resonating with the audience and driving sales. If it sells, even if it's not the most exciting, it qualifies. Reflecting on my journey, the principles from "Confessions of an Advertising man" have been more than a set of rules—they've been the foundation of my approach to marketing. Ogilvy's wisdom, blended with my experiences, has shaped not just how I manage teams but also how I approach the intricate dance between brands, clients, and customers. As I continue to navigate the ever-changing landscapes of marketing and advertising, I'm reminded that some principles withstand the test of time. Ogilvy's insights, etched in the pages of his confessions, continue to be a compass guiding me through the dynamic seas of this industry. #Marketing #Advertising #DavidOgilvy #CareerReflections

David Ogilvy is an advertising legend who has shaped the industry but he wasn't on any '30 under 30' or '40 under 40' lists. Not even close. Why? His advertising journey only began at the age of 38, and it wasn't an instant ascent to success. This made me think that success is not solely determined by age or external recognition. It's about the consistent pursuit of excellence and honing your craft. Ogilvy's story serves as a reminder that it's never too late to start, learn, and succeed. Focus on continuous improvement, dedication to your work, and delivering value. That's the real path to making your mark in any field. So, no matter where you are in your career, keep pushing yourself, stay passionate about what you do, and success will follow. #marketer #success #ogilvy

Golden advice. This is not only something that I have done myself in the past 15 years — working brand side, agency side, in-house, and even in academia... But also something that I always recommended to people starting their career in the business, be it my fellow colleagues, my students or my mentees: regardless of the path you choose, include this mindset shift in your plan and switch sides at least once. It allows you to have a richer, more complete perspective of the industry and better understand the complexity of communication processes in all of their aspects. Also, it leads to better, efficient and impactful work from both sides, brand and agency altogether. It is all about raising the bar. In challenging times, the real masters of this craft, leaders with vision, ambition and audacity, understand that and resort to professionals with this unique capacity. Should be a no-brainer, but still...

Rory Sutherland is the most brilliant of speakers on the subject of advertising (as Vice-Chairman of Ogilvy it’s not surprising) and a TED speaker (well worth a watch). He is funny, engaging and most importantly thought provoking. Whilst much of his narrative is from the perspective of advertising working (which is a dubious assertion today and certainly isn’t true inn the B2B world) still much of what he says about the psychology of value and how your audience perceive value is spot-on. He says “Perception is leaky” meaning that the quality of what we are buying and our perception of what we are buying are intertwined. He gives the example “when I drive away after having my car valeted it seems to drive better than it did before” which seems to make people smile because we have all experienced exactly that sensation. It may well be that in your business you cannot control the innovation, the marketing, the product features or the delivery but you absolutely can valet the experience for the customer. You can make yourself as interesting, charming, funny and accessible as possible so that by association your product seems to be better than your competitors. So much of what we do when we try to market, sell and generally promote our products is based around the narrative “my product’s better than theirs” which is ludicrous because the buyer seldom has the experience to validate whether that’s true or not. Because you are an expert (and the buyer isn’t) there is a huge disconnect. You talk about these little differences that are outside the buyer’s experience and in many cases understanding. So, give them a differentiator that they do understand. You. So put your best foot forward. Dress your profile on the social channels to make yourself look interesting, approachable and generally “nice” and you will be amazed at how this facilitates more conversations with buyers. #socialselling #pipeline #digitalselling #salestransformation #sales