Never Too Busy for Courtesy

By Pam Hadder

The Blame Game
Some blame it on technology, some blame it on the fast pace of living, and some blame it on an uncertain economic future, but basic courtesy is falling by the wayside - on that point most of us can agree!  You will have your own examples, but maybe you can relate to some of these: no response to emails, voice mail hell versus living voices, and service people who begin talking before you can communicate your needs.  At SWJ, we still believe that basic courtesy is essential, so regardless of the underlying causes, we are never too busy or too jaded for basic courtesy.  Not only does courtesy assist with efficient use of time and resources, courtesy is noticed and appreciated and it builds collegial relationships; whether by digital communication, by phone or in person.  Committing to basic courtesy shows our respect for others and that we appreciate their time and contribution.  Basic courtesy is the first vehicle we use to acknowledge other human beings - it tells others that they matter.

Everything New is Old Again
It's not NEW - the trend began several years ago.  SWJ used to send out seasonal promo items to key suppliers and clients.  Although we sent thousands, we could count the thank you responses on one hand! After years of this we have opted to support a select number of worthwhile community causes instead.  For example, donations to a local theatre group working for social justice, a pizza party for a core area daycare or educational support for a single parent.  We find that these small gestures of support are always acknowledged with a sincere thank you.  However, when we mail out correspondence of any kind - supplier client, personal or service - we are somewhat mystified as to why people do not acknowledge receipt. It takes repeated follow up by phone or email to cajole, or sometimes extrude, a response. We hate to use the dreaded "Request a Delivery Receipt" or "Request a Read Receipt" but sometimes, in a critical business context, we have to resort to robotic insistence for some acknowledgement.

Bucking the Trend
I recently read in an online forum that if we are frustrated by the epidemic lack of basic courtesy, we can address the problem by: a) committing to basic courtesy ourselves; and by b) embracing random acts of courtesy every day - such as opening a door for a busy parent with kids in tow, taking out garbage for an elderly or infirm neighbour, letting a car merge into a busy traffic lane, or stopping to allow pedestrians to safely cross a street versus rushing to turn our vehicles ahead of them.

WE Still Matter
Yes, we are all working harder with greater uncertainty - and yes, technology is training us all to be knee-jerk reactionaries who sometimes confuse social media with in-person realities. Rather than normalizing aggression and rudeness, consider that basic lesson of leadership; we are each capable of influence and our actions affect others, whether or not we consciously connect to or buy into those impactful realities.

Women in Advertising - The Real Story (Part 1)

By Wendy J. Miller

Who said it wasn't until the 1960s?

For those TV viewers who think, as a result of watching the series Madmen, that women weren't involved in advertising until the 1960s, here's the real story.

The first ad woman (or Mad Woman) on record was Mathilde C. Weil. In 1870 she moved from Germany to New York, and not long after her husband died, leaving her with no means of support.  Ms. Weil thus began her career in advertising by booking magazine space for a friend, eventually starting her own agency - The M.C. Weil Agency in 1880.

What follows, is a list of other important historical dates relating to women in advertising. There is inconsistency  in documentation of dates, but the general time frames are in keeping with public records:

• 1907 - Helen Landsdowne was hired by Stanley Resor as a copywriter for a small Cincinnati agency
• 1916 - Helen Landsdowne become Creative Director of J. Walter Thompson (JWT, New York)
• 1917 - Helen Landsdowne Resor (now married to Stanley Resor), formed the JWT Women's Editorial Department, a creative group comprised solely of women - soon these women were overseeing 75% of the agency's billing of what was America's largest agency
• 1917 - Helen Landsdowne Resor created famous Woodbury's Facial Soap ad, using sex appeal to sell the product: "A skin you love to touch."
• 1926 - Nedda McGrath became the first female art director
• 1936 - copywriter, Dorothy Dignam, launched the Ford V-8 "complete style plan" for female consumers
• 1940s - Bernice Fitz-Gibbon specialized in retail advertising and became the highest paid women in advertising, earning over $50K ($800K in today's dollars); she did groundbreaking work for Macy's and Gimbel's, later publishing a book about her colourful career: Macy's, Gimbel's and Me
• 1946 - Jean Wade Rindlaub became BBDO's first female VP
• 1949 - Phyllis Robinson was hired by Bill Bernbach when he started his agency, and he named her Copy Chief. It would turn out to be the most influential agency of all time, called Doyle Bane Bernbach (DDB).  Robinson supervised some of the best and toughest admen of the era (1950s and 1960s).  Their "Think Small" campaign for Volkswagen revolutionized the ad industry.
• 1950 - Mary Wells started as a copywriter at DDB. In 1966, she created her own award-winning agency, Wells Rich Green, where she masterminded the timeless phrase, "Try it, You'll like it."  She also created the renowned "I Love New York" campaign, and introduced the 60 second television commercial (mini movies). In 1969, Wells was the highest paid ad executive.
• 1952 - copywriter, Erma Perham Proetz is the first woman inductee into the Advertising Hall of Fame.
• 1955 - Shirley Polykoff started her career in magazine and retail ad sales before taking a position at Foote, Cone & Belding where she created Clairol's famous "Does she...or doesn't she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure." campaign, earning her a place in the Advertising Hall of Fame.
• 1960s - Peggy Charren created Action for Children's Television to lobby reform on children's TV, which she felt was exploiting youngsters and using insensitive and over-commercialized TV shows to target children. By 1971, Charren's works had sensitized advertising to excessive violence, as well as inappropriate cereal, toy and fast-food spots.  In 1990, the Children's Television Act, setting standards for child-oriented programming, merchandising and advertising, was passed.
• 1968 - Jane Trahey launches the campaign, "What becomes a legend most?" for Blackglama. She went on to become the first woman in advertising to earn $1million a year.
• 1970 - Barbara Proctor opens Proctor & Gardner Advertising and is the first woman of colour to own and manage an ad agency

(to be continued...1977 and Onward!)