As of November 1, 2021, I have been a business owner for 20 years. That is not something I ever expected to be able to say. I started my career as a secondary English teacher with no thought of ever owning any kind of business. Eventually, I found myself in an entry-level position in an iconic Connecticut ad agency with a legendary owner. Watching this man work his magic on clients, prospects and staffers alike, it would never have dawned on me that I, too, could command the respect and awe, and yes, there was a measure of mockery, that the great invariably draw.

Many people have worked for Bozell in our 100-year history. As we’ve gone from being an agency of two newspapermen to a national and global name and then back to being independent, many great marketers of the past and present have Bozell somewhere on their resume.

Update notice: For our 2023 advice, visit The Dos and Don’ts of Posting on 9/11.

The Dos and Don’ts of Social Media for September 11^th

The anniversary of 9/11 is weighing particularly heavy this year with the recent upheaval in Afghanistan and continued disheartening COVID developments. Whether you’re a Gen Z who was born after the Twin Tower attacks or a seasoned business owner who can recount where you were that day, you might be asking: “Should we post?”

With 100 years under our belt, Bozell has seen the advertising landscape change drastically. But throughout the decades, we managed to create one successful campaign after another. How? In this unique episode of Marketing Then & Now, you’ll hear a live podcast where we asked Kim Mickelsen, co-owner and CEO, and Dan Cooper, creative director, to share their experiences regarding two national brand awareness campaigns with which Bozell was involved. The first: Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom in the 1960s. The second: 529 College Savings Plans in the 2020s. Even though these campaigns were created six decades apart, Kim and Dan get to the bottom of what they have in common and why they were both so successful. 

So you want to write a press release. Or maybe you don’t, but your boss thinks it’s a good idea. No matter. Whether you’re announcing a new hire, sharing the news of a donation, or weighing in on an industry-related development, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s all you need to know (and probably more than you wanted to know) about press releases.

When it comes to connecting with your target audience, the more you understand who they are, what they want and why they do what they do, the better you can communicate with them. That’s why Bozell is excited to announce 360 Listening, our innovative new service that combines search, social and news listening to give you a well-rounded, real-time view of the conversation surrounding your brand, competitors and industry. Join us for this episode as we talk with Dan Cooper, Bozell creative director, about how 360 Listening works and how it can help you create more relevant content, boost engagement, predict trends and avoid landmines.

There has been a lot of conversation recently about the interconnectedness of profits and purpose – the idea that a business can do well by doing good for its customers, employees and community, not just its shareholders. For example, I recently read this statistic:

“Globally, 94% of consumers said it is important that the companies they engage with have a strong Purpose, and 83% said companies should only earn a profit if they also deliver a positive impact.” (Forbes, based on a study commissioned by Zeno Group, June 2020)

By now, you’ve probably heard about Clubhouse. You may have received an invite, maybe checked out a couple of rooms and some of you have even shed some insight to complete strangers — so brave! But for those of you who need a little more push as to why you should even download the app (currently only available on Apple), I have some ideas that will convince you to join the club, not for yourself, but for your business.

With a history spanning a century, as well as having been a top-10 global leader in the advertising industry, our agency has no shortage of fascinating stories. So, to celebrate our 100-year anniversary, we invited co-owner Kim Mickelsen to share some intriguing, never-before-heard memories. Over her nearly four-decade tenure with the agency, Kim has heard and seen it all. From making WrestleMania the success it is today to bringing the College World Series to Omaha to creating the iconic “Pork. The Other White Meat.” campaign to the comical tales of shooting Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom … and oh so much more … you don’t want to miss this month’s captivating episode of Marketing Then & Now.

Being a copywriter back in the Mad Men era was a lot different than it is today. Responsibilities now include anything from social content creation to guerrilla marketing to SEO. Join us in this episode of Marketing Then & Now as our senior copywriter, Kerrey Lubbe, explains the modern-day copywriter. She’ll talk us through brainstorming, how she stayed creative during the pandemic and, of course, the complex process of creating and implementing keywords and phrases that can help your website outperform your competitors.