Twenty years ago, there were newspapers, radio and television. Today, there are still newspapers, radio and television, but the advent of the Internet has changed the face of advertising in these mediums forever.
“Try to find one that doesn”™t have a website, a Facebook page or Twitter. It”™s hard to find one that doesn”™t,” said Allan Ross, founder of AJ Ross Creative Media, celebrating 20 years in the mad, mad, mad world of advertising and marketing.
As a young musician, Ross loved playing the saxophone and playing with great artists, but there came a time when he knew it was time to move on. “I was smart enough to get to know the executives at the agencies and I started writing jingles and creating music for them. … it just naturally evolved into advertising and marketing for all kinds of industries, and that”™s where I”™ve been ever since.”
His wife, Linda, is a Realtor with her own business. Ross does all the advertising and design work for her company; marketing homes around the region and beyond. Ross”™ own reputation was growing because he put his logo on all his work from the outset to advertise his company. “Today, most people are doing it…it helped me grow my business.”
Ross, like many others, had to cut back on staff when the Great Recession hit. “That was very difficult. …I had some people working with me for more than a decade. During the boom years, we grew and got big. Then we were too big. But business is coming back, and advertisers are back.
“Are they advertising differently? Yes. Banner ads ”“ the kind you see on news websites ”“ are definitely popular. Just by clicking on them, you go right to the company”™s website. A year ago, I did one. Now, I am doing 10 to 15 a month. That”™s how quickly they”™ve caught on. There”™s a great demand for web design. We offer that, too. You have to stay ahead of the curve today. The time to catch up was yesterday.”
Ross admits to being a card-carrying AARP member, but he”™s surrounded himself with a core group of young designers who have tuned out the 1950s and turned on to the 21st century”™s social networking market.
Carlos Vega, who applied for a job 13 years ago to answer the phone, is now Ross”™ partner. “Carlos”™ design skills are amazing and just keep getting better. It may be a struggle for my generation to embrace today”™s technology, but it is here to stay and becoming more and more a part of our daily lives.”
While Kindle and the iPad may be a threat to the print media, “I truly believe it will stay with us. People like to hold something tangible in their hands, browse through a newspaper and pick and choose what they want to read” Ross said. “Just like any other company, the print media needs their website to remain its strongest selling point. It”™s got to be fresh, attractive, and most importantly, kept current.”
One facet of marketing and advertising should never change, “Face-to-face contact with your prospective client. You can”™t do great work for a company if you don”™t believe in what it is doing or selling.”
Ross is grateful his company survived the Crash of 2008 and is seeing business come back. “It”™s a different market, and people are more careful with their advertising dollars. It is very competitive, so we must remain on top of the game. But as I said, some of this business must remain ”˜old school”™””like getting to know your client and having real people answering the telephone. There”™s a need for that kind of connectivity that no social networking can provide.”
you look too relaxed Allan!
Congratulations on 20 years in business,Allan.
I wish you continued success. It was always a plwasure working with you.
Best regards,
Mary Ann Butler