Courtney Marlow, Public Relations & Social Media Manager

During a time when most people are (hopefully) looking at their phones less, marketers have to make moments on social media really count. Consumers are looking for guidance and tips when it comes to fine tuning shopping lists, decorating for holiday parties, entertaining guests, and finding the perfect gifts for loved ones. So how can brands join the conversation and actually HELP make these purchasing decisions easier for consumers? If you ask me… ‘tis the season for more influencer marketing. 

Sure, every part of a brand’s holiday marketing strategy is important, but influencers are called influencers for a reason – they are truly influential! Your everyday life decisions can constantly be influenced by those you follow on social media. For example, in a recent survey we conducted, we asked social media users whether they would be more likely to make a recipe if it’s posted by an influencer or a brand and a whopping 76% claimed that an influencer post would be more impactful. 

So how can you take advantage of influencer marketing amidst the chaotic holiday season? For starters, it’s important to identify your brand’s goals and priority products/services, the consumers you are trying to reach, and the types of influencers who would best resonate with your target audience and align with your brand. From giveaways and discount codes, to simply sharing gift guides and shopping inspiration, there is no better time to look to influencers as an extension of your brand. 

With all that said, here are five holiday influencer campaigns that made me say ‘Alexa, add to shopping list’: 

#SpanxGiving by @spanx: Aligned with its mission to empower women, the brand is teaming up with 12 different ‘girl boss’ influencers as part of its #SpanxGiving campaign. For each daily giveaway, people are encouraged to ‘like’ the post, follow @spanx and the corresponding influencer partner, and tag a Spanx-loving friend in the comments. (Example post) 

#PrimeLife by @amazon: Focused on highlighting Amazon.com’s wide selection of products and speedy delivery, participating influencers have been posting about their tried-and-true Amazon finds, encouraging their followers to check out various gift guides linked in their Instastories. (Example post) 

#MintedHoliday by @minted: Working with a large number of influencers to promote holiday cards available on Minted.com, partners have been posting their own card creations and sharing a 20% off discount code with their followers. With influencer-specific codes, the brand will be able to track the traffic and purchases driven by each partner. 

#CrateStyle by @crateandbarrel: As a way to create extra excitement around holiday decorating, Crate & Barrel has partnered with various influences, known for their home decor-focused content, to showcase products that make their homes festive and cozy. (Example post)

#WFMForTheHolidays by @wholefoods: With holiday grocery shopping and cooking in full swing, Whole Foods Market worked with a few food and lifestyle influencers to highlight their Thanksgiving menu, as well as encourage their followers to check out the store’s catering options. Overall, influencers highlighted Whole Foods Market as their one-stop shop for all of their holiday cooking needs. (Example post) 

Will you be decking the halls with influencer partners this holiday season? With the new year right around the corner, it’s a great time to learn, grow, and perhaps even change the way you work with influencers. I personally can’t wait to continuously watch the industry change and evolve. Cheers to that! 

Clark Shepard, Senior Copywriter

I was recently granted the great honor of judging the inaugural Campaign US Big Awards. The judges, as they phrased it, were comprised of the “next generation” of creative voices in advertising.” The people who are supposed to have their pencils on the pulse of what’s cool – and what’s soon-to-be cool. It was gratifying, and equal parts humbling, to be able to sit in with writers and designers from around the country as we dissected the very best work our industry produced in the past year. I came away with some friends, an invite to a catered event in NYC (forever here for free food), and insights. So many insights. Here’s a few of my hand-picked favorites. 

Digital is hot, but print will never die. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the maelstrom of social activations, hashtag movements and, dare I say, viral tweets, but let us not forget the paper matriarch who paved the way for all of it. Perhaps my favorite ad I voted on this year was simple in its execution, and brilliant in its message. 

You booked Brad Pitt for a commercial, so what?

As someone who has never worked on a campaign with a $20 million dollar ad spend, I can say this with conviction: We need to celebrate creative problem solving as loudly as we celebrate Super Bowl ads. The creative thinking required to put out award winning, needle moving work that 1) isn’t aided by a multi-million dollar budget and 2) doesn’t need a celebrity cameo to make noise is what will always impress me the most. 

Don’t be anti-social. Even though it’s hard. 

There’s a metric ton of platforms at our disposal these days. That’s not changing anytime soon. In fact, the only thing that is inevitable is that by the time our industry has completely caught up to Tik Tok, it will be replaced by something else. This thought scares a lot of people in our industry to not even try to master these tools. Resist that urge, friends. Jump in with both feet. Ride the wave. Try and fail. And fail and fail and fail. Because the more you actively fail, the closer you’ll get to striking gold. It probably won’t make sense when it happens, so don’t try to make too much sense of it along the way. Remember, our job as creatives isn’t merely to make the stuff. Our job is to experience the world – and sometimes the world is a Tik Tok dance. You laugh, but no one’s laughing harder than Applebee’s right now. 

So, what can we learn from all this? Here’s my take: there have never been more platforms for us to tell stories on behalf of our clients. It’s all a little scary if you pause to think about it. So don’t pause. Keep learning new tools, keep studying your peers, keep living your lives (and taking notes). Oh, and if you get asked to judge an award show, do it. Your work will be all the better for it.  

Learn more about Clark and the Campaign US Big Awards here: 

• Campaign Live: Meet the next generation 

• Campaign Live: Clark Shepard 

Brandy Shabowich, Assistant Marketing Manager & Coco Rich, Marketing Manager

The 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival has come to an end. With its roster of A-list speakers, like Drew Barrymore and Robin Roberts, and thought-provoking sessions, we’re coming away inspired with new ideas. Here are our top takeaways, many of which resonate with who we are and how we approach our work at Connelly Partners⏤to protect brands from self-importance, to amplify their heartbeats, and to embrace empathy over entertainment.

A title is not what’s important. In the session, “The Case for Optimism,” Drew Barrymore discussed how titles may be necessary for context, and organization, but they also keep people in a lane, or a silo. Building integrated teams that utilize people’s strengths and passions creates a better functioning environment. At the end of the day, Barrymore stressed that “people only want to do what they want to do.” And they can be truly unstoppable if a fire burns within them. Let’s consider integration beyond department-diversity, and instead, strive to build integrated skill set/strength teams too. You’ll be amazed at the magic that happens when you allow people to use their creativity and work together in different ways.

Be a bright spot, not a blindspot. Another piece of wisdom we learned from Drew Barrymore is that we tend to believe that optimistic people are in a constant positive state, but that’s not the case. Seldom is optimism found easily⏤ and the kind of optimism that has merit requires fighting through the day to reach that ideal state of belief, hope and happiness. When faced with a mountain, don’t let your mind tell you that you can’t climb it. Turn around and look at the mountains you’ve conquered before. It’s easier to be pessimistic about life’s challenges, but working hard to look to the bright side will be even more rewarding. It might sound trivial, but by simply being as kind to yourself as you are to others and forgiving yourself like you forgive others will do wonders.

Stop treating ‘no’ like a stop sign. If you’ve heard of Good Morning America then you know journalist and anchor Robin Roberts. However, you might not know that she also owns her own production company, Rock’n Robin Productions. In “The Anchor: A Conversation with Robin Roberts,” she explains that a major lesson that she has learned through this business endeavor is to learn how to hear the word “no,” a lesson, she emphasizes, everyone needs to hear. And Roberts is not the first person to experience this. Just look at some successful people from the last century. They had to hear “no” a number of times. Take Walt Disney, JK Rowling, or even Stephen King for example. They were rejected and told “no” over and over. But, their resilience to keep trying instead of giving up paid off. 

In the  “Mastering Scale and Creativity with Reid Hoffman and June Cohen,” discussion, June Cohen, CEO of media company WaitWhat, emphasized the importance of being able to “interpret those no’s in a different way.” No can mean “not yet,” or “not quite,” or “not entirely sure.” It doesn’t have to be the end of the idea, or the end of the conversation. 

You only die once, you live everyday. When describing her outlook on life and finding her purpose, Roberts rebuked the idea of “YOLO – you only live once.” Instead she said, “You only die once, you live every day.” We are always becoming and evolving until the day we die. Knowing that we’ll be called to step up and lead at one point or another⏤ whether it’s in our personal life, professional life or both⏤ we are all leaders, regardless of our job title. Roberts believes good leadership requires understanding “three C’s and one E”: Confidence, Courage, Clarity and Empathy. 

We took away that being a good leader means being authentic and sincere and acting defiantly human. Roberts stressed the importance of this by explaining that, “people don’t care that you know [about their lives and situations] until they know that you care [about them].” Start listening to people more, checking in on them, and being there to support them. 

Process over product. You’ve probably heard the phrase,“It’s about the journey not the destination.” Never underestimate the journey. When we are going about our daily lives we typically find a groove. Allow your creativity to take you outside of that groove and explore new facets that are authentically you. In the “This Is Your Brain On Art” session, renowned American artist Judy Tuwaletstiwa calls this “finding new textures in yourself.” Instead of focusing on the finished product, Tuwaletstiwa stresses the importance of paying attention to how you’re getting there: the questions you’re asking yourself, the perspectives you invite in and the ways potential mistakes and pitfalls lead to discovery. 

Utilize the whole brain, not half. We need to be able to learn and move quickly to perfect our ideas and always be on the lookout for new inspiration to strike. June Cohen explained that, “not every creative person scores big – or even at all…[they] have loads of ideas, but don’t know how to channel them.” She believes that it is the entrepreneurs who help breathe life into those ideas. You need to be able to utilize both sides of the brain and always be ready to adapt. In the same session, the host of the Masters of Scale Podcast, Reid Hoffman, stated that, “you have to have a differentiated contrarian, but right theory, and your go-to-market theory and your product theory and your service, you have to  be constantly adjusting.” Changing our way of thinking by listening and moving quickly is something that is possible for anyone. 

Bottom line here is to always be on the cutting edge:  be ready for any new ideas, learn quickly from your mistakes and failures, and try again. Creativity and strategy are equally important to utilize together to achieve positive results for your ideas. If you are only relying on one side of the brain then you’re only reaching half of your potential. Surround yourself with right and left brain thinkers. 

Do your homework. In the “Inclusive by Design” session, it was made clear by innovative fashion designers and data experts, that not understanding your customer results in market segments being completely neglected and ignored. The fashion industry is a perfect example of this. If you juxtapose the plus size rack with the straight size rack, it is clear to see that fashion labels have not done their homework and do not know their customers. There are some fashion-based, data driven brands that are starting to ask the right question: “what do my customers actually look like?” Brands are looking for data now to assist with the design process. We are seeing technology that sites use to personalize and fine-tune the shopping experience. The answers to various questions allows for a personalized experience for the customer and the brand gaining valuable data to help understand the market. Instead of using size 0 mannequins to design with, many companies are utilizing data as well as 3D technology to understand the body and create products that better fit their customers. Though we don’t design clothes here at CP, we practice and preach the importance of gathering data to analyze and help optimize our work for clients. 

To sum all this up in just a few words: learn and create in all that you do. Try working with people you’ve never worked with before. Embrace the left brain and defend the right brain. And even when life tests us, optimism is always worth fighting for. 

For further reading about these sessions, check out the following articles:

• Drew Barrymore leadership style doesn’t rely on job titles
• Robin Roberts’s secrets of storytelling, leadership, and purpose
• Reid Hoffman and June Cohen on mastering scale and creativity
• The science behind the sights, sounds, and colors that make you happy

(Image source: https://www.eventbrowse.com/city/new-york/event/fast-company-innovation-festival-2021/)

Kelly Fennessy, Assistant Brand Manager

Music has always had a huge impact on the advertising industry. Advertisers have pulled inspiration from radio hits, MTVs videos, and movies for ages. Over the years, industry experts have honed their skills on selecting the best scores to drive their messages, distinguish their brand, and evoke emotion from consumers. Not only that, but advertising has also impacted the music industry, with popular ads leading to top charters. There is no doubt that music and advertising have a close and mutually beneficial relationship, but recently, that relationship has gotten a bit complicated. If the old saying is “video killed the radio star” then our newest media mogul, TikTok, has taken both radio and video to the slaughter house and massacred them in a slasher film fashion. TikTok took what video had heightened from radio and condensed it to fit the population’s growing need for short and digestible content. Just in 2020 alone, on average, individual users in America spent 20 hours monthly on TikTok, grossly surpassing apps like Facebook and Instagram. And brands are catching on to this growing phenomena. 

TikTok is providing a platform for all advertisers to take advantage of the power of music. The whole app revolves around song and user generated sounds. Brands can truly make an impact on audiences, with 68% of users saying they recognize a brand and remember companies when they use a popular TikTok sound or song. It is such a simple step that can drive sales forward. Even AdWeek has acknowledged that brands can no longer be static and safe with their social media content anymore. Social media has become its own creative platform in and of itself, and the smartest companies are leading the charge and leaving the rest of advertisers in the dust. 

Just this past summer, we have seen brands take advantage of this amplified obsession for musical ads within TikTok and outside of the platform. For example, Ocean Spray’s sales skyrocketed and the brand earned 15 billion media impressions in a month when a user took a simple video drinking their cranberry juice and skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” Ocean Spray took advantage of this viral video by sending the user a truck full of cranberry juice. Such a simple clip causing an uptick in sales and brand recognition has led other companies like Walmart and Dunkin Donuts to encourage employees to take organic videos at work. You never know what may go viral.

Similarly, Wright Bacon hopped on the TikTok band wagon recently with their Bacon Beats campaign. They partnered with four popular TikTok music creators that turned their 19 minute vinyl of frying bacon into upbeat tunes that garnered an upwards of 975k impressions combined. Their experimental advertising also relied on user generated content, something that continues to entice audiences, especially on TikTok.

Outside of TikTok, other campaigns have highlighted how important audience creation and music is becoming. Reese’s recent OOH stunt of turning their boxes into music studios with an AR illustrates how the brand is recognizing audiences’ newfound infatuation with music in tandem with their growing desire to create. If content is king, user generated content and music are becoming its right hand in command queen. 

To further exemplify the growing importance of music in the industry, eMarketer has projected that the amount of paid music platform subscriptions will increase by 11% this year. Spotify even put out their new campaign, Song for Every CMO, that honors individual CMOs with their own music selection, while also showcasing how important audio is becoming in the advertising industry. Spotify wants companies to see how music can shape storytelling in new ways today, and notes how audio is no longer the same as radio. It is a new kind of beast. 

Even in our own Boston office, we have music pumping through the halls 24/7. It helps us stay productive, creative, and well, awake on a Monday morning. Every employee gets a chance to showcase their music taste when they are selected for a day to take control of the speakers with their own playlist. You could say we are already ahead of the game with this user generated content music trend. Who knows, maybe it’s subtly psychologically impacting our advertising? I hope it is. And I hope that other companies get ahead of the curve and utilize the power of music in their advertising. I can’t wait to see what crazy experiments the industry comes up with.

Chelsea Carrasquillo, Brand Planner

Here we are, a year and a half after the world was brought to a halt by the devastation of a global pandemic, and perhaps one of the most exciting beacons of hope that we’re coming out the other side has been the arrival of the Tokyo Olympics. While it won’t look like the Olympics of the past for many reasons, one of those is the thunderous arrival of the Gen Z Olympians. Irreverent, unpolished, but infectiously excited, these young athletes are—in their typical fashion—shaking things up, and they may just be what makes the 2020 Olympics so worth watching. 

The first digitally-native generation, they’ve grown up with smartphones in their pockets and therefore megaphones in their hands, and that’s led them to become a generation that values their individual and collective voice above almost anything else. It’s the unfiltered, expletive-laden Gen Z voice that can be heard ‘round the world this summer. 

Where previous generations have shown up to the Olympics poised and polished, a product of intense coaching with a reverence for the games, Gen Z athletes possess a unique balance of endearing, over-the-top excitement mingled with laid-back indifference. While you could equate their lack of polish (and lack of filter) with a lack of respect for their position, their genuine excitement is really rather endearing, and there’s something very pure in their presentation of themselves. Olympic athletes have always shouldered an immense amount of responsibility, and while it should be so, young athletes were often stripped of the ability to be kids and to behave as such. High-level athletes, especially at the Olympic caliber, are pushed from childhood not only in their sport, but also in how they represent their country. That comes with not just extreme physical burdens, but often mental and emotional burdens, as well. There’s something refreshing about the Gen Z athletes’ ability to brush that off and be unapologetically themselves. 

If anything, it’s apparent that Gen Z views their position on the world stage with immense gravity, recognizing that they’ve been granted a very public platform. The Gen Z and young Millennial athletes are amassing huge followings on social media, particularly on TikTok, and are using their platforms to give fans a behind-the-scenes look into what’s involved in their training, to introduce new audiences to their sports, to speak to the burden of competing at such a high level, and to serve as role models for a diverse group of up-and-coming athletes. 

Brands need to keep in mind that the values reflected in the Gen Z athletes ring true for the generation, and may be the key to connecting with this audience. 

Ensure a Foundation of Authenticity

Gen Z holds authenticity as one of their top virtues, and that’s something that can be seen in both their self-expression and in the way they interact with brands. The imperative for brands that want to establish trust with this generation is to ensure that they are prioritizing the things that Gen Z cares about (for example, social justice or the environment), but doing so in a way that’s authentic. This young generation is essentially a giant B.S.-detector and as a result, brands have to be able to walk the walk if they’re going to win them over.

Adapt to Gen Z’s Infamous Irreverence

Gen Z is a generation that doesn’t want to play by the rules, they want to rewrite them (remember when Daenerys said “I’m not going to stop the wheel, I’m going to break the wheel”?). There’s an interesting dichotomy that exists within the generation, and that’s that in that they don’t take themselves—or much society’s expectations—too seriously (see the lax attitude of some of the Olympians), but that there are some things they take extremely seriously (issues of injustice and equality, for one). Brands that want to connect with this generation have to find a way to share in that attitude. That could manifest itself in the transparency and authenticity previously discussed, or even in a self-deprecating sense of humor that’s so resonant with this younger generation. Brands have to tap into that Gen Z mindset that while some things should be taken seriously (e.g. activism), the rest can be laughed off. 

Make Room for Real Storytelling

Finally, brands need to understand that Gen Z’s desire for authenticity goes hand-in-hand with their desire for real content (i.e. real stories of real people). Apart from the Olympic competition itself, Gen Zers said that they’re most interested in the human interest stories of the athletes (19 percent) and behind-the-scenes footage of athletes training and socializing away from the competition (19 percent), which is precisely the content that the Gen Z athletes are providing via their social media. Brands that can feature this type of compelling, emotional storytelling and provide an additional platform for young people to tell their stories through their own voice will win the hearts of this young generation of viewers.   

Love it or hate it, Gen Z’s modus operandi is not to adapt to ‘the way things are,’ but rather to force the world around them to adapt. Personally, I’m excited to see the Olympics have a little less polish and a little more personality going forward.

Courtney Marlow, Public Relations & Social Media Manager

As a Social Media Manager, I’m always looking for inspiration from well-known brands, as well as hidden gems who are killing it in the social space. Bringing ideas back to the team has not only sparked creativity and gotten our wheels turning, but more importantly has taught me to never underestimate the power of humor. 

Whether it’s a new TikTok challenge, trending Twitter thread, or out-of-the-box content lane on Instagram, there is something to be said about a post that tickles your funny bone. Bigger budgets and higher produced content aren’t necessarily your ticket to loyal followers or a spike in sales. To put it simply, people shouldn’t take themselves too seriously and neither should brands (most of them, anyway). 

We’ve taken this to heart when making recommendations for our own clients, encouraging them to keep their social media content conversational, witty and in-tune with their audiences’ sense of humor. Doing so has taught me the importance of differentiating your brand and finding ways to highlight what makes you, you. From pulling an April Fools’ prank announcing that UNO Pizzeria & Grill was getting rid of deep dish, to hopping on trends with the Gorton’s Fisherman and designing the ultimate Fisherman Starter Pack, we continue to see high levels of engagement when keeping ‘laughs’ in mind as an important KPI!

Looking for inspiration? Over the past year I’ve stumbled across some must-watch accounts that have drawn me in with humor and keep me eagerly awaiting their next move. Here’s a roundup of brands to follow during your lunch break today: 

Bush’s Beans: Yep, beans. Most wouldn’t peg them to be funny, let alone have such an ownable presence on social media, but they certainly do. From short and witty tweets, to inspirational Bean Thoughts and a recent bean-inspired backyard giveaway, they really are killing the bean game.

Wendy’s: Wendy may look sweet and innocent, but you can always count on her to bring the sass. Be sure to mark your calendar for the next National Roast Day so you can witness @Wendys poking extra fun at its competitors and customers. This year Sun-Maid, Triscuit, T-Mobile and OREO were a few of the brands who stepped up to the plate to be roasted. 

Bud Light: Welcome to meme city. @budlight is exactly what beer lovers want and need. From humorously sharing reasons to crack open a beer, to joking about relatable moments at parties and everyday life, Bud Light will keep you laughing as you’re sippin’.  

Charmin: Yes, toilet paper can be funny. Keep your eye out for the latest bathroom-spired puns and thoughts during events including Wimbledon, the NFL draft and the Oscars. Tied to their #tweetfromtheseat series, Charmin is a great example of a brand who takes a product that most people don’t talk about, and opens people’s minds using humor.

Totinos: We’ve all craved pizza rolls at some point in our lives and Totinos taps into everyday moments we can undoubtedly relate to. From having a rough day and burning your mouth, to serving up appetizers or ending your day with a glass of ‘wine’, Totinos hilariously keeps its products top of mind. 

Bottom line? Numbers matter but so do laughs. After all, I’ve got Bush’s Beans in my pantry, beer in my fridge, Charmin in my bathroom, frequent late night Totinos cravings and a real hankering for a frosty from Wendy’s. Now that’s what I call marketing…

Lauren Lukacsko, Broadcast Producer and Creative Services Manager

Working from home, from a confined space without distraction forces you to take a serious look at not only what you do but how you do it.

When I’m surrounded by people in an office, or at a cafe or even bar my normal working spaces⏤I know I have my quirks. I like sitting on the floor. I like working at kitchen and bar tables when everyone else is done and socializing for the evening. I like listening to music through my headphones and I like taking coffee walks, a lot of coffee walks.

These are things I like and that is all I thought they were, until all the other distractions⏤people working around me, meetings to go to, life’s white noise⏤stopped.

At the beginning of the quarantine I actually felt relief. All of a sudden projects that before were blowing up dwindled to mere blips. I had needed a break and this was it. Thank heaven.

But when you are a person who likes being busy, needs to be busy, the break gets old. Work was slowly building back up – productions needed bids, our editors were getting busier; with the burgeoning of some normalcy on the work front I thought my productivity would follow suit.

It did not.

I tried waking up, making my coffee, reading a bit…. Doing all those things I used to do to prep for the day before quarantine, just this time instead of heading to an external workspace I plopped myself on my couch or kitchen table.

I’m normally a fast and motivated worker. I love work. So when an estimate that would take me maybe thirty minutes to pull together took me two hours; when timesheets were taking me double the time; when I simply did not care about anything I worked on… I was frustrated to say the least. Not unlike plenty of my coworkers during this time, I found myself sitting staring at my computer for over twelve hours “working” with limited efficiency and outputting maybe half of what I used to accomplish in half a day.

Twyla Tharp, a renowned choreography, wrote a book called the Creative Habit where she outlined how to deal with creative roadblocks: determine the problem, determine the assumptions about the problem, challenge the assumptions, act on that challenge.

When I read this book months before I read it as an artist⏤which is my side gig. In my head this thinking did not apply to my work as a producer. Sure I’m a creative thinker and sure I work at a creative agency with creative people, but I wasn’t a “creative”⏤who was I to have the luxury of a creative process?

But when I looked harder at my “problem”⏤my inability to get to work with my usual rigger⏤it hit me that the denial of being someone with a creative process was the assumption I needed to challenge. And maybe all those things I called quirks⏤working around noise and people, sitting on the floor, all my coffee breaks, my music⏤were not just things I enjoyed doing but necessary parts of my productivity.

And like someone craving sweets who realizes that endulging actually helped them get past the craving, I let myself do what my gut wanted.

Music

I can take upwards of twenty minutes to find the right album, the right song. A distraction, an avoidance of getting to work⏤I thought. But no. When I allowed myself to “find the vibe” I realized it was like taking extra time to make sure your shoes are tied just right⏤you’ll run faster in the long run. All of a sudden my mood began to improve.

White Noise

It’s a common understanding that you should not watch tv or movies while you work. And yet since high school I have found that if I put on a movie while working on a paper or my math homework, I actually was able to work better. As I moved through college and then into the real world⏤this moved from movies to real life scenes: cafe’s, bars, a noisy office. I need the distraction to distract me from over thinking⏤I need to feel productive when some other type of “life” was going on.  I needed something to drown out. And so when the music stopped working I turned on a movie and amazingly was able to get through whatever it was I couldn’t quite figure out. I found this only works with movies though. TV shows are too distracting unless I’ve seen them a 1000 times.

Changing the Environment

I’ve always liked working in a variety of places depending on what I was doing. At work no one knows where my desk is because I never sit there, or at least not for long. At home this isn’t much different – Im constantly shifting from working on the floor, to the bed, the couch, the kitchen table, kitchen counter, etc. This Ive always known and never thought much of. But when you are stuck in a single space and have a need to be in different spaces, the only logical solution is to change the space. I would be in the middle of sorting through production needs on an upcoming job and get stuck. Even though my notes were due the next morning, I found that stopping and re-arranging my apartment, doing my dishes, sorting through my closet… and all of sudden with a place that looked different, I would see different problems with my production prep and my notes become stronger.

Procrastinating

I’m a procrastinator. Always have been. In college I’d start a research paper the night before it was due. I would also do very well on the paper, so no need to change my process (although the stress I could probably do without). And of course⏤we are told we are not supposed to procrastinate.  But during quarantine, I found that I would naturally pool my work and do only what I needed to do when I needed to do it⏤often waiting until I had enough work to truly keep me busy. I figured there must be something about this stress I not only liked but needed in order to work. Now the trick is to procrastinate earlier to avoid this stress boiling over which unfortunately happens far too often. But first step is acceptance right?

Bottom line, the way I work is a process and now I’ve accepted it as a creative process no matter what the output is. And it is these quirks that may often seem unrelated or even counter intuitive to productivity that often make us the strongest, that are often essential to good work.

Clark Shepard, Senior Copywriter, Connelly Partners

As a copywriter, it’s my job to take in the world around me, and make sense of it through a myriad lenses and perspectives. It’s my job to get people to be aware of their latent urges. To sow envy and tantalize the senses. To inspire action in my fellow humans. The trouble is, for nearly a year we’ve been asked to take very little action at all. Yes, there is a very real pandemic that the entire world is experiencing together right now. But as a copywriter I’ve found myself experiencing another one entirely…

Writer’s block.

Ah, yes. The pandemic of the mind, attacking a single host between the ears. It’s an affliction I’ve typically been able to solve in a number of ways: A burger and a High Life at the Gallows, pinging some pong with my peers, or taking laps around our four story office in search of snacks and light conversation. But of course this year has been anything but typical, and before you ask, I have indeed run out of synonyms for “unprecedented”.

In the last 10 months I’ve had to completely restructure my days to account for this intermittent, solitary-induced writers block. I don’t claim to have the answers, so you likely won’t find any here. But I do know I’m managing it, so I must be doing something right. With that said, below you will find a log of my typical daily schedule. Perhaps you’ll find something useful, or perhaps you’ll just come away feeling you know far more about me than you ever wanted to.

Either way.

6:00am – I awake to the dulcet tones of Apple’s “Early Riser”. The title of the alarm is “Make Shit Happen!!!”. I turn it off, stretch my arms, beat my chest and fall back asleep for another hour and a half.

7:30am – I am entering stage left to perform a play I have never rehearsed, nor know anything about. The crowd is full, all eyes are on me, the expectations feel impossibly lofty. I contemplate the merits of “wingin’ it”, and I’m throttled awake. My dog is performing a tongue-based lobotomy through my ear canal.

7:39am – I brew my first cup of coffee while freestyling alternative lyrics to the Folgers jingle. The worst part of waking up’s getting tongue punched by your pup. I do this every morning. Different lyrics everytime. I’ve never even had Folgers. Why am I like this?

7:48am – I take the dogs out to do their morning business. The eldest, Pinkerton, arches her back, turns her head and locks eyes with me – unblinking as she relieves herself with vigor. I stare back, envious of her ability to be so unflinchingly present and vulnerable.

8:30am – I put on my workout clothes, roll out the Peloton mat, and lay on my stomach while eating cereal.

8:37am – My phone dings. It’s a Slack. From a brand person. Shit, I think. A brand person. A crippling workload is surely afoot…

8:38 – 10:25am – It is. It very much is. I “Make Shit Happen!!!”.

10:26am – I remember I have a video call at 10:30. I check the invite list to see if I need to wash my hair. It’s just internal. Nice.

10:31am – I enter the meeting slightly late. I do this on purpose, so my introductory joke is received by the largest possible audience. I nail the delivery but alas, I am on mute.

10:31-11:02am – I am hollow inside.

11:35am – my wife enters the room and mouths the words “are you in a meeting?” I mouth back “yes”, even though I’m actually watching a compilation of every “Mac vs PC” commercial ever made. I don’t know why I’ve done this, but the thrill of an insignificant white lie is like crack these days.

12:04pm – I knock out some headlines. They’re total shit. All puns, rhymes, and idioms. I throw them out, and write a few more. They’re worse than the first batch.

12:30pm – I inspect each drawer of the snack cupboard before turning my sights on the fridge. Then I double back to the snack cupboard… before double doubling back to the fridge. I repeat this fruitless loop for a good five minutes before a hangry panic sets in. I settle for peanut butter by way of spoon.

12:46pm – While yoked up on Jif, a peanut butter marketed to small children, I attempt more headlines.

1:30pm – I throw the frisbee for my dogs, and contemplate the meaning they place on their own existence. Chase and retrieve. Chase and retrieve. Are our lives any less linear than that of a domesticated dog? Yikes, I think I need more coffee.

2:24pm – More coffee. The best part of brewin cups, it makes your inner voice shut up. 

2:30pm – I exhaustively research the history of the Folgers jingle. First appearing in 1984, the jingle has been sung by such legends as Aretha Franklin, Randy Travis and Rockapella. Will I ever write anything with this much staying power?, I think to myself.

2:33pm – More headlines. I double down on the rhyming. Hey, it worked for Folgers.

3:00pm – Another video call. I come in hot with the jokes. I’m firing on all cylinders now. I mean I can’t miss. I realize in that moment that I’ve entered the “perfection precipice” – that undetermined period of time in any writers day when the entire english language bows down and pledges fealty. Not knowing how long this sensation will last, I put my video on mute, line up my to-dos…and I black out.

5:49pm – I regain consciousness. My hands, resting on the keyboard, feel pre-arthritic. The laptop is humming like a generator. My left buttcheek is an isolated cadaver (note: always take your wallet out of your pocket before sitting down to work). All work appears to be done, and my  right eye twitch confirms I must’ve been centimeters from my screen the past three hours. Perfection precipice: seized.

6:01pm – I stand up too fast and almost pass out. Coming down from a furious writing session can often feel like a horse tranquilizer entering the bloodstream. It’s totally normal, and, when timed right – replaces the need for an end of day cocktail.

6:03pm – I make a cocktail. A Manhattan. Actually, in my house, it’s called a Mainehattan. Because I live in Maine, and I’m a sucker for low hanging fruit wordplay. You should try my Clark n’ Stormy sometime.

6:46pm – my phone dings. Brand has edits for me. I curse them for not recognizing my genius. I thumb through the edits. They make some compelling points, and I made some egregious grammatical errors. I curse myself.

7:15pm – I help my wife make dinner. I’m like her sous chef, in that I am also in the kitchen. This is where the similarities end. While pouring her a glass of wine I tell her how my idea for a certain food client is going to “revolutionize taco Tuesdays”.

7:45pm – We eat our dinner in front of the TV. I control the remote, and with dictatorial zeal I pause during every commercial to say things like, I bet MMB did that, or what in Gods name was the creative brief for this dumpster fire, or Friggin Wieden… or BABE, BABE MY COMMERCIAL IS ON! BABE LOOK I WROTE THAT! MY COMMERCIAL IS ON! BABE! She loves me unconditionally. I’m almost positive.

9:30pm – I read aloud to my wife in bed every night. Usually historical fiction. Preferably something with loads of accents. Hell yeah I do the accents. The book we’re currently reading, The Huntress, follows the trials and tribulations of a crew of Nazi hunters. A Brit, a Bostonian, a Russian vixen – all arguing over each other constantly. Keeping the characters straight every night is surely helping to stave off the dementia that awaits me in my elder years. I’m sure of it.

10:30pm – I kiss my wife goodnight and return downstairs. At last. Me time. Free from all worldly responsibilities. Free to shut off my brain and let the world spin me around for a spell. Free to satisfy whatever primal urge beckons…

10:31pm – …Those headlines could be better, I think to myself. Where’s my laptop? 

11:05pm – I set my “Make Shit Happen!!!” alarm. I contemplate the alternate universe of my reality. The one where I had only the best ideas today. Where all my jokes landed like a canister of laughing gas. The one where I wasn’t saddled with crippling self doubt. Not even for a second. The one where Covid never happened.

11:06pm – I remember I actually kind of liked my day…

…Because I spent time with my dogs (I’ve never spent this much time with my dogs). I sang my stupid coffee jingles in peace. I still got to laugh with my colleagues. I got to read to my wife. All the work got done. I still have my health. I still get to debate the merits of rhyming and puns for a living. Above all, I was reminded today that my creativity will always be at least one percent stronger than my writer’s block.

Also, the Celtics won. Shwing.

11:11pm – G’Night.