Founded by David N. Martin in 1965 in the advertising backwaters of Richmond, Va., The Martin Agency recently became the first five-time winner of Adweek’s Agency of the Year honor. The firm is perhaps best known today for its UPS Brown campaign and GEICO cavemen ads (which spawned an ABC sitcom). John Adams, Martin Agency President and CEO, and Brand Connections’ Brian F Martin recently looked back on Adams’ 30-plus years in the industry and discussed the future of advertising.

For a man who’s spent his entire career of over 30 years at The Martin Agency, it’s no surprise to learn that Adams believes the pluses of staying with a single agency outweigh the minuses. “There’s institutional learning and memory that are so often lost when people move around in our business. We haven’t had much of that here, and on balance it’s been a real advantage.” In an era of rapid job turnover, Adams says it’s increasingly common for the agency’s knowledge of the brand to exceed that of the clients they serve. A steadier core team accounted for one of the agency’s early advantages. “It’s not a good phenomenon to have that developmental thinking lost every few years.” By holding on to bright and talented employees, The Martin Agency manages to do something precious few in the industry have mastered.

A writer at heart, Adams was drawn to the profession because it afforded him a path to pursue his passion. From humble beginnings in the public relations division of The Martin Agency, now an Interpublic Group unit, he rose through the ranks and dabbled in various disciplines along way. The agency worked with a diverse clientele through Adams’ tenure, ranging from financial services and automobile groups, to service providers and CPG firms. Still, describing The Martin Agency’s scope as “regional” in those early days would have been a stretch. “It was really a local agency,” he remembers. “We did advertising for clients that were headquartered in Richmond, and our broadest reach was really within the state [of Virginia]. We developed the ‘Virginia is for lovers’ program in 1969, which began to carry our advertising into the Northeast. We were very much a local shop, which became a regional, and then became a national agency.” As the agency grew, so did Adams’ clout and confidence.

It is conviction, Adams says, that truly enabled The Martin Agency to become a national power. “There are local and regional agencies all over this country – thousands – who are doing great and having a good time that somehow have in their heads that, for whatever reason, they’re playing a different game than the national agencies. That’s just not the truth.” In the early 80’s Adams and others at the agency adopted a mindset that they could succeed on a broader stage. “That belief led to everything else,” he says. “It really just started with the belief that we could do it, and then the will and the commitment to do the things to make sure that we performed at a very high level – that we sacrificed in order to attract the people that we knew we would need to make this happen.”

Now perched near the top of the heap (Advertising Age ranked The Martin Agency as the #3 U.S. agency brand in 2008 with revenues of $600 million), Adams does not believe his long track record is necessarily an advantage in prognosticating which new advertising trick will stick. “I find that my 30 years of experience are not that useful in looking forward and predicting,” he says. “There is a tendency in our agency business to look at what is new and to look at what is possible and embrace that with an enthusiasm that leads us to believe that we must move very, very quickly.” But he cautions that client organizations are the ultimate drivers of which burgeoning tactics are adopted. “I have learned not to worry so much that the world is going to get ahead of us in the advertising agency business.”

Consumers themselves in many ways account for the recent explosion of multiple advertising messages across both old and new media. Adams believes today’s consumers have advanced beyond classical marketing tenets. “The capacity of people to hold multiple ideas about the same brand in their minds at the same time has absolutely evolved,” says The Martin Agency topper. “We are finding out with GEICO and with other brands that it is not only possible but highly desirable to tell multiple stories and have multiple promises for a brand, which is contrary to the way we were all taught.” Placing a specific brand message with the audience most likely to embrace it is the other portion of the equation. The GEICO campaign, with its multiple messages delivered nearly simultaneously, offers a perfect case study. “The one thing that unifies them is the overarching brand promise: ‘A 15-minute call could save you 15 percent or more on your car insurance.’ But the way in which each of those campaigns is done is completely different, and 30 years ago that would have been heresy.”

Regardless of consumer and media evolution, the most important element of any advertising campaign remains the message (or messages), Adams believes. Today’s brands must communicate more ideas in more places to be successful. On a more personal level, he says it’s imperative for successful marketers to focus on the details and the big picture at the same time or in rapid succession. While easier said than done, following Adams’ advice might be just what it takes to win your own Adweek award.

Manos Spanos has a good idea of what it takes to succeed as a marketer in the increasingly global marketplace. The Greek-born Product Director at Johnson & Johnson’s Neutrogena Division has worked on both sides of the pond and managed international product launches from the ground up. Spanos recently spoke with Brand Connections President and CEO, Brian F Martin, about his impressive rise through the CPG-giant’s ranks and shared tips for aspiring brand builders, both foreign and domestic.

Passion and effort is where Spanos’ story truly starts. J&J’s international recruiting program located the young man while he was at the University of Miami School of Business – but an advanced degree takes you only so far, he says: “An MBA will open the door for you, but you have to prove yourself and you have to make the connections once you’re inside the company.” During his first four years with the company in Greece, Spanos matriculated from a trainee position to become a group product manager, gaining valuable experience at every rung on the ladder. Then Spanos took the leap to become marketing manager for Johnson’s international baby franchise, which eventually led to his current post.

In the new position Spanos has embraced both its challenges and rewards. “I would love to spend all of my time doing advertisement,” he says, “but reality has it different.” The Product Director estimates that copy development and other related tasks consume 20 percent of his time in a given week. Broader brand management tasks, including logistics, competitor tracking and market research, also comprise a “hefty” slice. “In the periods where you are heavily involved with advertisement that might take a big chunk of your time, but in a normal and typical weekday it doesn’t take more than 20 percent,” he says. Strategy planning, pricing concerns, promotional and placement activities, along with sales force efforts consume the final 50 percent of Spanos’ time.

Within that largest block of time, Spanos devotes many hours to interact with retailers, as demanded by recent market consolidation trends. “Getting [retailer] feedback is a big part of the game, and it is indeed necessary as the trade is getting more and more concentrated into those big players,” he says. “They have a very important role, not only in judging or accepting our strategies, but also [providing] input.” Retailers’ close relationship and unique connection with consumers gives them a different perspective from large CPG companies, he notes. But brand managers who view retailers as a necessary evil have the wrong attitude. “It’s more a partnership and collaborative relationship,” he says, where teamwork is critical.

One of the best ways for brand managers to gain a greater appreciation and affinity for cooperation is by seeking out opportunities to work overseas. “It really is an experience that is different and unique from everyday line management,” according to Spanos. He says the biggest asset gained through such an experience is exposure to different consumers and the ability to “learn how to think globally and act locally.” Not just a cliché, this mentality is applicable – and necessary – for the successful deployment of new brands and products in foreign markets. The process of adjusting a familiar business model or product to better appeal to a specific group – without deviating from a brand’s core equity and strategy – is a challenging and invaluable learning experience for aspiring brand managers. It’s also a task that requires patience and a greater willingness to assimilate the input of others. “There will be times where you will have to put a stick on the ground and make tough calls … but for the most part, experience says that once you’ve got everybody aligned (and once people are convinced about the vision, the mission and your strategies) then things flow much more simply and easily – and from what I’ve seen so far they are also much more successful.”

The chances for up-and-coming marketers to enjoy a similar international experience may be growing, as Spanos predicts more unified global launches in the near future. He warns, however, that marketers must not ignore the unique qualities that differentiate international consumers. “The way you adjust everything for the particular target group, for the particular region, for the particular country you’re launching I think is also very significant, and I don’t think that’s going to go away. I think we’re going to see that the broad ideas are going to be the same, but the execution will always have something to do with the local country.”

Regardless of the target audience, Spanos believes it is critical for CPG brands to embrace their essence and authenticity. “Be real,” he stresses. “Be who your brand is. Don’t try to imitate other things.” Today’s consumers are smarter and savvier than any previous generations, and marketers who try to deceive them often wind up paying a price. “Things like YouTube and the Internet and all [the other interactive media opportunities] could be a blessing, or it could be a curse.” Spanos’ international imperatives are threefold: Create innovative products that solve problems, set realistic consumer expectations, and deliver on the promise. The proliferation of consumer choice and increased competition demands nothing less.

But as all marketers know, you must also create awareness and demand for your product. Brands with the ability to branch beyond television and print advertising would be wise to invest in as many alternative media as they can comfortable afford, Spanos says. As we enter an era where Chief Marketing Officers are often pushing for new ways to gain leverage, Spanos believes marketers must continue to break barriers. “If you don’t test [different marketing strategies] you’re never going learn. I would never suggest in this day and age that you would go out and invest all the money that your brand has behind something that has not been tried … but once you’ve exhausted the bucket of money to do the traditional stuff, put some money aside for testing new things. If they work then here is your answer for your CMO, here is your promotion opportunity, here is a way to make your brand much more relevant to the consumer.”

To achieve international success (or earn your shot at a project abroad), Manos suggests finding a mentor and striving to hone your collaboration and cooperation skills. He also suggests creating a personal five-year plan and concentrating on specific areas importance for your firm, rather than spreading your time thinly across manifold projects. The Product Director’s advice could have you and your brand globe-trekking in no time.