I am hoping that my current project working with Hallmark in the mobile platform will eventually become my greatest work achievement.
Until now, the project that gave me the greatest satisfaction was working on P&G's Rejoice in China a few years ago. The client and agency invested time and effort to get the campaign right and sales grew. Today, when I look at the ads we did, I am not asking myself, "What were we thinking?".
A brand where no one ever says you can't do that ... yeah, I know, I can't think of any either.
What would you do if you weren't in marketing?
Quit smoking, stop drinking, go to the gym and clean the tops of my cabinets.
What was your big break?
When my first boss in Asia, Tracie Carlson at Ogilvy & Mather, took a chance and hired me at O&M Hong Kong in 1995. I had no international agency experience and had spent the first years of my advertising life marketing frozen fish sticks and dandruff shampoo in the US.
Who was your mentor and how did this person influence you?
Andrew Bell and Yasmin Ahmad who continue to show me different perspectives on the world.
Is there a secret to your success?
A vivid imagination.
How do you handle difficult clients?
Fortunately, I never had any clients that were difficult per se. It comes down to understanding the other person, their objectives and thinking. If you can't find common ground you will never be able to work successfully together. From what I've heard, difficult clients are usually the ones who were working in ad agencies before and now seek revenge ... but that won't happen to me.
What advice would you give to the next person to do your current job?
Apart from learning Japanese, as Japan is where I spend half my time, I'd say remember, in marketing mobile greetings, not to let technology take precedence over the content you are creating for the consumer.
What are you currently reading?
'Emotion marketing, the Hallmark way of winning customers for life'.
Who is the business person you most admire and why?
J K Rowling, author of Harry Potter. She makes money from fantasy and seems to be having a lot of fun doing it.
