Bobbie Nuss of Nuss & Associates, Inc., a full-service advertising agency in Havertown, Pennsylvania... certainly does.
Nuss & Associates, Inc. is the premiere advertising agency Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model reality show phones when Barefeet Shoes sponsors their latest regional casting call for America's Next Top Model.
Just as it did last December for casting of this summer's ANTM Cycle 20 and five seasons previously.
Let's hear it for the boys! For 2013, they're letting the boys join the fun as competitors.
(got milk? logo-wikipedia)
Yes, I did it! I'm not ashamed.
I took my cues for today's exciting iCafe Woman Moderne text-webisode from the advertising windfall campaign that produced $23.3 billion pounds in milk sales in the mid-nineties. Indeed, that's a lot of milk.
This clever campaign also increased advertising expenditures to $37.9 million from 1994 to 1995 after the first "Got Milk" commercial aired in October 29, 1993. Not too shabby... huh?
Fast forward to April 2013... Kiki, here... and as always... I wish you many miracles and blessings!
"Some like to make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise soothe and heal." Proverbs 12:18
We're delighted to welcome to iCafe Woman Moderne -- our jumping virtual cafe for women and girls inside a mid-century modern home -- Bobbie Nuss, owner and president of Nuss & Associates, Inc. in Havertown, Pennsylvania... just minutes outside of Philadelphia.
Virtual Internet Cafe
Today, she's on the hot seat aka iCafe Woman Moderne's infamous interview sectional in our great room. And yes, we're enjoying one of our DQ favorites, a Peanut Buster Parfait... YUM!
Nuss & Associates, Inc.
Just 20 Minutes from Center City, Philadelphia
Over 28 Years Advertising Experience
Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us today.
Bobbie Nuss
It's my pleasure, especially when one of my favorite DQ treats is involved.
ICWM
1. (laughing) Isn't that the truth. It's delicious! Tell us a little about your background. What led you to the advertising industry?
Bobbie Nuss
I was a Communications major at Cabrini College in Radnor, PA. My initial goal was to work on-air in either broadcast television or radio. However, I hadn't anticipated how competitive the industry was. To get my "foot in the door," I agreed to work in Sales at WMMR Radio.
ICWM
Smart move!
Bobbie Nuss
Very smart move! That's where I was first exposed to advertising and decided that I really enjoyed it. I was always a "numbers' person" and enjoyed the research/ratings angle of the business.
Advertising Agencies in Philadelphia, PA
How to Get on America's Next Top Model? Visit Bare Feet Shoes and Keep Your Eyes on The CW. Casting Calls are held in the Delaware Valley area: Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware -- at a local Bare Feet Shoes store.
ICWM
So you got bit by the media buying bug there.
Bobbie Nuss
That's right. I then moved on to my first job at an advertising agency and went into Media Buying, where a good part of your day is spent working with numbers -- negotiating rates, determining cost efficiency of different programming and different stations, etc.
I was happy to have been able to combine the fun and glamour of working in television and radio with my mathematical talent.
ICWM
2. It sounds like the perfect marriage of the two, which leads me to my next question. How and why did you start Nuss & Associates, Inc?
Bobbie Nuss
I started my advertising agency in 1984. As a media buyer at an advertising agency, I worked hand-in-hand with the account executives, servicing their accounts. When the agency I was working for lost some big accounts in 1984 and had to impose cutbacks, I unfortunately was one of the newer hires that was laid off.
A Full-Service Advertising Agency is Born
Bobbie Nuss - Cont'd.
One of the account executives I worked closely with decided that he was really in the position of wanting to break away from the agency, take his accounts with him and start his own agency. When he approached me with the idea of forming a partnership, I grabbed it, and as they say, the rest is history!
ICWM
3. What keeps you in this highly competitive business?
Bobbie Nuss
I think that what has kept me in this business for all these years (over 28 years) is my love of what I do combined with my dedicated service to my clients. I treat my client's money as if it were my own. They get 100% of me, from their media buying to creative and everything in between.
ICWM
4. What skills are crucial to succeeding in this business?
Bobbie Nuss
There are many skills critical to succeeding in this business. However, one individual doesn't have to possess all the skills. You just have to know how to surround yourself with a network of talent.
I feel that my primary talent is negotiating, which is the core of what I do, but I am also heavily involved in all the creative work that goes through my agency. I write and direct commercials. However, when certain projects are above my level of expertise, I don't hesitate to utilize outside sources to complete any project on which I might be working.
ICWM
5. I know you love what you do, but what are the favorite aspects of your job?
Bobbie Nuss
I think my favorite aspect of my job is the "fun factor." It's a very competitive business that can sometimes get nasty, so if I didn't find it fun, I don't think I would continue to do it.
I've always loved television, and I love researching and creating effective media schedules for my clients. I enjoy writing commercials, as well as producing them and bringing them to the screen or the airwaves.
ICWM
6. Advertising is a demanding business, but it's also very creative. Where do you get your inspiration?
Remember the Jello Pudding Commercials?
Remember the Jello Pudding Commercials?
(The Best TV Commercials from the Past - Huffington Post)
A Full Service Creative Agency
Bobbie Nuss
I can't remember who, but someone who's famous in our industry once said that creativity is your ability to conceal your source. In other words, there are hardly any new ideas. You just kind of recycle creative. I get inspiration from watching TV commercials, listening to radio, taking note of billboards--I notice advertising everywhere I go, and a lot of my ideas are actually spurred by other advertising that I see.
I may take just a small piece of something I see and give it new twists and turns so that it's totally my own. Or I come up with some things, in the middle of the night, when my brain is quiet and turned off, ideas just pop into my head. That's why I keep a note book on my night table. I've had more creative ideas formulate in my head in the middle of the night than any other time of day.
ICWM
7. A large chunk of your business is media buying, what are some of those challenges and joys?
Media Buying Strategy
Media Buying Strategy
Bobbie Nuss
The main challenge of media buying is getting the best rate for your client, but at a rate that will actually run! For example, you can negotiate a very low ball rate for a client, but if it's too low, someone else may come along and offer more, and my client's advertising will get "bumped out" for the person paying the higher rate. The challenge is to negotiate the lowest rate possible that you think will safely run.
ICWM
8. What makes Nuss & Associates stand out from other full-service advertising agencies?
TV Media Buying -- Radio Media Buying
TV Media Buying -- Radio Media Buying
Bobbie Nuss
It may be a little cliche, but I think that what makes my agency stand out is the personal service. Larger agencies have a dozen media buyers that just buy airtime "by the numbers."
It's just a mechanical process. A show does a certain rating, they're willing to pay so much per rating point, and that's how the media plan is completed. I give personal attention to the psycho-graphics of the intended customer base--what type of customer are we trying to get, not just by age, but by personal taste, lifestyles, etc. We put a lot of thought into our media buys so that it's not just a numbers game.
ICWM
9. Tell us about your America's Next Top Model account with Bare Feet Shoes?
Bobbie Nuss
Bare Feet Shoes is a chain of shoe and clothing stores with most locations on the East Coast. We are the area's premiere spot for the auditions for America's Next Top Model. It's always a very successful campaign, since the Top Model audience is a perfect match for the 18-34 customer base, heavily African-American, for Bare Feet Shoes.
ICWM
10. Describe a productive day.
A productive day is when a client calls on a Monday to tell me what a great weekend it was for business. He increases his advertising budget accordingly, and I work on additional media exposure for him, and put together a comprehensive media plan, including creative, to continue to help his business grow.
ICWM
11. What advice would you give those interested in pursuing this industry? Let's break it down first... (a)Soon-to-be college graduates. What should they be doing while they're still in college to prepare for this business? (b)Career-changers--what's the best way to make the transition?
Bobbie Nuss
I think that students pursuing a career in advertising might want to get involved in an internship. I think internships are an invaluable source to help students get an inside peak at all the different aspects of an industry. It can really help you narrow down which areas on which you might want to focus.
As far as career changers, you should probably be advised that you'll likely have to start at the bottom and work your way up. As long as you're willing to do that, you have a good chance at getting in on the ground floor and proving your talents from within. It's a competitive business, but talented people succeed!
ICWM
12. Finally, besides spending time at iCafe Woman Moderne, how do you relax?
She Loves Hitting the Flea Markets with Family and Friends...
(Bobbie and her daughter Ashley)
She Loves Hitting the Flea Markets with Family and Friends...
HGTV's Flea Market Flip
(HGTV - Flea Market Flip)
Love to shop flea markets? See how celebrity host Lara Spencer searches for the perfect pieces to upcycle on HGTV's Flea Market Flip - airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. Bobbie Loves Flea Marketing
Bobbie Nuss How do I relax? It's probably not surprising to hear that I love flea marketing. Afterall, the major portion of my job involves rate negotiations. That makes me a natural for the flea market scene!
(HGTV's Cash and Cari)
(HGTV's Cash and Cari)
Love to shop flea markets? See how celebrity host Lara Spencer searches for the perfect pieces to upcycle on HGTV's Flea Market Flip - airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. Bobbie Loves Flea Marketing
Bobbie Nuss How do I relax? It's probably not surprising to hear that I love flea marketing. Afterall, the major portion of my job involves rate negotiations. That makes me a natural for the flea market scene!
I also love to bake, read and spend time with family and friends. My perfect day then, would involve reading through a cookbook, finding a great recipe and baking up something special, (in her beautiful french country kitchen) and then serving it up on an antique tray from a flea market find to my family and friends!
Phew! There you have it. Everything you always wanted to know and most probably already do, about me!
Wouldn't either cake go down nicely with a tall glass of milk? Go on... enjoy a glass!
(tall glass of milk)
