• Stimulating Creativity

    July 06, 2015

    I was approached to write this blog on stimulating creativity from the point of view of an external agency creative director “out in the field.” Like anyone else confronted with this sort of challenge, I immediately Googled “stimulating creativity.” That brought up a treasure-trove of writing on …

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  • Idea-Generating Techniques for the Desperate

    June 22, 2015

    Here’s a general rule of thumb regarding idea-generation techniques: they’re clunky, dorky and time-consuming. Oh, and they don’t work. You reluctantly resort to one when you're under the gun for an idea, then end up wasting valuable time that leaves you even more frustrated and desperate and …

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  • The Crystal-Clear Winner

    June 15, 2015

    • by Emily Foster, IHAF

    Each year, numerous winners leave the IHAF Awards Show with accolades in hand. Only one team, however, walks away with the coveted, crystal Best of Show trophy—the clear stand-out among all of the work submitted that year.

    The Best of Show winner is chosen at the end of a day-long process where …

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  • Building a Creative Environment

    June 08, 2015

    When I was in third grade, my mom and I ran into my teacher (a grim, severe drill sergeant) in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. I still remember how long it took my brain to recognize Mrs. Strictman. Her face was familiar, but foreign in that environment.

    The grocery store was all joy and …

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  • Get Ready to Huddle!

    March 30, 2015

    • by IHAF Staff

    The IHAF Huddle is right around the corner with this year’s focus on internal/external agency collaboration. Agencies inside and out are invited to attend one (or all) of our six spring sessions in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, NYC, Richmond and San Francisco, where internal/external agency duos will …

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  • Professional Development—Let’s Talk About It

    March 23, 2015

    Not long ago, I joined other members of our agency’s leadership team to celebrate the 30th work anniversary of one of our tenured art directors. We talked over lunch about how her career had evolved—from a call center position straight out of school to the agency’s secretarial staff and ultimately …

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  • Hiring the Right Person(ality)

    March 16, 2015

    I was once interviewed by a Japanese magazine on the topic of managing creative personalities. Apparently the personal, emotional side of assessing unique personality traits, beyond the basics like trust and tangible skills, was a foreign concept in their business culture.

    For me, it’s the first …

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  • Looking to Hire? Know Your Audience.

    March 06, 2015

    Know your audience. Every good marketer understands this. And it’s a principle that directly applies to hiring and retaining talent, as well. Every day, I speak with candidates looking for jobs and considering job offers. And I can attest that if you want to attract the best and brightest at all …

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  • Three Cheers (and Chances) for Professional Development

    March 02, 2015

    • by Emily Foster, IHAF

    Professional development is an important part of increasing the contribution of your in-house team. That’s why IHAF’s online seminar series is focused on programming that can boost your effectiveness by teaching new skills. Over the next few months, IHAF is offering three professional development …

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  • Boeing’s In-House Agency Soars to New Heights

    February 23, 2015

    While outside agencies host a revolving door of clients, we are perfectly happy with one. And it’s a big one. In fact, we have the coolest customer on the planet—The Boeing Company, designer and builder of some of the most important aerospace products in history.

    We are Creative & Information …

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