There are plenty of small business owners who know the pain of shutting down a brick and mortar due to high costs. But, if you’re Sarah Spitsen, founder and chief candle lady at Feya Co., you start a new company the very next day with a newfound mission: to do business “the right way.” In this episode of Marketing Then & Now, our special guest Sarah shares her journey from defeat to success. She talks us through how putting quality products over profit and letting your mission guide everything you do can create a loyal community of customers and lead to a prosperous brand. (And she even shares her story about how she got invited to promote her candles at The Oscars, which you won’t want to miss.) 

I recently read a Fast Company article entitled, “Three Essentials to Strong Agency-Client Relationship.” Its tips include:

1. Remember why they hired you.
2. Overcommunicate and anticipate needs.
3. Don’t neglect the relationship.

Close to the Customer: A Bozell Tradition

As I was reading the explanations for each, I realized that they all rolled up to one mantra that Bozell has been emphasizing for 100 years: Close to the Customer.

Do you hear that?

The year is coming to an end. And what better way to celebrate the holiday than to reflect on all the craziness we’ve endured? So scroll down, hit play and sing along to these traditional holiday tunes with a not-so-traditional 2021 twist.

Bozell is taking applications for its newly launched program for nonprofits. To further its vision of “empowering those who aspire to change the world,” the full-service marketing agency will aid 10 nonprofits free of charge each year starting in 2022 and establish matching partnerships with up to 10 more nonprofits.

The pandemic has made a substantial impact on the marketing and advertising industry, that’s no secret. But in this episode of Marketing Then & Now, we sit back down with one of Bozell’s owners, Kim Mickelsen, to get her take on the past couple of years, as well as her predictions for what’s to come. Having personally seen our agency survive three major crises during her 20 years of ownership, she offers a unique perspective on the matter. So listen in as she shares commerce stats, past experiences, and helpful insights on where we go from here. 

Nebraska PRSA bestowed Bozell with the Special Achievement in PR Award during the virtual Paper Anvil ceremony on Thursday afternoon. The award was given to Bozell on the year of its 100^th anniversary to commemorate a centennial of public relations work that started with the agency’s founders Morris Jacobs and Leo Bozell.

By almost all accounts, 2020 was a devastating year for the ad industry. According to Forrester, ad agencies lost nearly 50,000 jobs globally – that’s more than double what was lost in the 2008 recession. (Source) And while the industry is still working to come out the other side and find “the new normal,” one thing is certain – we must adapt or we die.

President and co-owner of Bozell Robin Donovan today was awarded the 2021 Enterprising Women of the Year Award in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Donovan is one of just two entrepreneurs from Omaha to earn this year’s award that recognizes women business owners in the U.S. and globally.

Rebranding a giant like Facebook is an impossible task – a no-win situation that will be examined by everyone. So that’s just what we did. Three Bozellers share their takes on Facebook turned Meta.

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.