Tag: Mike Kalfus

In the Agency Business, Client’s Needs Come First!

Ok, so my first blog was set in the now/future, so I wanted this blog to be a flashback to the 60’s Agency business, “Mad Men” and being a JETS fan. My father was one of the original “Mad Men”. He was raised in New York City, went to Purdue University and ended up working at a mid-sized NYC agency in the 60’s-70’s and commuting in from White Plains every day. Unlike his Don Draper counterparts, my father never smoked or drank, which presented an interesting challenge when he landed a prestigious new business account from an Italian based liquor company. He was charged with developing the name, packaging and advertising campaign for a new sweet tasting yellow liqueur. It became the Galliano brand and based on significant research and customer needs assessment was packaged in a tall bottle resembling a baseball bat, a nod to the love of this sport. His work contributed significantly to the Galliano brand that now sits on the top shelf of many bars, and completes the famous Harvey Wallbanger cocktail.

Before Galliano, I was a NY Football Giants Fan. I know. I know. My father loved both Giants sports teams that called New York their home. When the New York Baseball Giants relocated to California, we shifted our allegiance to the New York Mets, but remained Football Giant fans. I went to every home game at Yankee Stadium, sitting mostly behind the large metal beam structures that held up the stadium. Watching Fran Tarkington, Homer Jones, and other Giant greats were some of my fondest memories, but the days of being a Giant fan ended abruptly. Yeah yeah yeah. I’m getting to the Agency business part.

One day, in the winter of 1970, my father came home and informed us that we were switching teams. We would now be rooting for the Giants’ crosstown rivals — cue Chris Berman voice — The New York Football Jets. I’m sorry. What? Seriously, Dad. WTF. You can’t just suddenly change teams. Who does that? We did that. Here’s why. My Dad’s work on Galliano led him to the doorstep of none other than Broadway Joe Namath. Okay, fine. We’ll go to Jets games. Besides, what could be so bad? They just won the Superbowl, right? Yeah, right. A quick aside, I’d like to take this moment to sincerely apologize to my sons for inheriting this legacy. Just kidding. We love the J-E-T-S! The point is, if you want to succeed in business, sometimes sacrifices need to be made. Especially if it means doing right by your clients.

So here is the rub. How do you Broadway Joe a new product? In other words, how do you introduce a new product, in a breakthrough way, that will allow the brand to creatively communicate to its target audience in an uncluttered and impactful environment? Galliano was a new product. Broadway Joe was a new rock star in the sports world. The rest is yellow liqueur history. Well, one way would be to develop a “grass roots” campaign and become the exclusive sponsor and advertiser. Makes sense, right? So here was my Dad’s pitch: His agency would develop and distribute a newsletter with relevant articles, updates and photos of the team and would be sponsored exclusively by 21 Brands featuring Galliano, St. Pauli Girl and Ballantine’s. Killer idea. A sure thing. Maybe not.

You see, my Dad didn’t actually have Broadway Joe attached to Galliano at this point. He was a Giants fan, remember? So his first stop? Wellington Mara, owner of the NY Giants (we went to summer camp with the Mara Boys for several years, but I digress). Dad pitched the idea of the newsletter to Mara who said (and I quote), “I love it! It’s a pass.” O…kay. My Dad was a great Agency guy. So what’s a great Agency guy to do? Go across the street to the J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS! They’d just won Super Bowl III. They couldn’t be hotter. He met with the head of public relations, Frank Ramos. Frank’s reaction was WOW!! Great idea! The rest, as I said, is yellow liqueur history. So, with that one event, the selling of an idea for a client’s benefit, we changed teams, alliances and began rooting for our crosstown rivals.

And we didn’t just become JETS fans. We became hardcore JETS fans. It also didn’t hurt that we were given 4 Season Tickets located in the worst possible section of Shea Stadium. I remember not seeing much of the game and freezing my butt off. My Dad was kind of a hero and his kids got to meet some really awesome players. Not to brag, but…I got to meet Joe a bunch of times and have a cool autographed picture.

So, what does it all mean? It means, to be successful in the Agency business, you have to make some sacrifices and do what’s best for the client. Even if it means giving up something as important as your favorite sports team. C’mon, it’s just business! You gotta do whatcha gotta do, right? Today, in this “new normal,” we need to make hard choices. While doing what’s right for the client is still paramount, we need to strive for more balance. We need to make decisions based not only on what is right for the client, but what’s right for you and your family.

50 years later, I’m still a die-hard J-E-T-S fan. I never miss a game and have enlisted my children, as well as my nephews (Sorry Jacks, Hunt and Ry). It’s become a family tradition that we all cherish. So, with that, I raise a glass of Galliano to my Dad and Broadway Joe. Here’s to you and Super Bowl LV. This could be our year!

Boy, Did the Jetsons Have it Right

Hi, I’m Mike Kalfus. I’ve been working in the Life Science Space for over 25 years. I was on the Viagra Launch Team at Pfizer, started my own Global Customer Experience Consulting Company, as well as worked with everyone from Amgen to UCB along the way. As you can imagine, I’ve got stories. Lots of stories. Too many stories? I also have a lot of experience in the Life Science Space that I’d love to share. All of which has never seemed timelier now that we’re living in this new normal. So, let’s do this! “This,” by the way, is a blog/forum to share some of these stories and experiences. The focus will revolve around our new normal and how Life Science Marketers, as well as consumers of content, messages and information, can maintain a higher level of productivity and happiness. So, let’s do this! Sorry. I already said that. I got excited. This is my first time. 

STORY 1…BOY, DID THE JETSONS HAVE IT RIGHT!!!

We’ve all met George Jetson, right? Jane his wife. Daughter Judy. His boy Elroy. When the Jetsons first hit the airwaves in 1962, it all seemed pretty out there. George worked from home. Jane worked from home. Judy and Elroy went to school from home. They had Telemedicine, Zoom Family Reunions, Virtual Happy Hours, FaceTimeesque Birthday Parties. Any of this sound familiar? Doesn’t seem so out there now, does it? Why? Because we’re new The Jetsons. And in way too many ways! 

So, what does us this mean for us Life Science Marketers? It means that we need to embrace this new normal and determine how best to capture the hearts, minds and eyes of our target audience in newer, less traditional ways. It’s no longer “Point of Care” (POC) for HCPs and Patients. It’s now Point of Engagement (POE). We need to focus on being at the right places (channels/media) where customers need information and guidance. So how do we do this? Glad you asked. Quick story: A few years ago, I was working with a major European based Life Science Company that needed to create awareness for and engage with patients that have been suffering, silently, for years. They were piloting a nurse programme” in one country and a Public Relations campaign in other.  I recommended a hybrid approach where we would engage patients (and their caregivers) where they were and where they would most likely be open to “listening and taking action” … not healthcare settings alone but non-healthcare settings as well) … The point being, we need to refocus these precious resources in a more productive manner and, of course, make sure we increase our Return on Investment or Return on Engagement while we’re at it. 

Now all we gotta do is figure out how to work in Astro the dog and flying cars, and we got this. Thanks for tuning in and hope to see you back for Episode #2!