In 1987, David Neff founded Neff Associates, an award-winning, full-service marketing agency. Specializing in branding, advertising, media buying and planning, public relations and social media, Neff Associates services clients across a diverse group of industries including real estate, hospitality, tourism, technology, entertainment, retail, B2B, banking and education. As a results-driven agency, Neff Associates strives to deliver strategic and innovative recommendations to yield the most compelling quantitative and qualitative results for clients.
I got my start in advertising at an agency in Philadelphia that had a handful of national accounts at the time. I was hired at the lowest level in the agency, and my title was Assistant to the Traffic Manager.
That job took about 20 hours a week, so after I was done handling my responsibilities within that role, I would plead with all of the Account Executives to let me handle their grunt work. I wanted to make sure the business was everything I thought it was going to be, and I did whatever I could to gain more experience and learn the ins and outs of the industry.
Early on in my career, I learned that you have to be passionate about what you do. Don’t ever take an opportunity for money, if you’re passionate about what you do and work hard, the money will come. You have to be consistent, stick with it and grind it out. Never give up, and think big.
The reason I wake up and go to work every morning is because I get really excited about making an impact for my clients. I would never wish ill will on any of my clients, but I want our marketing efforts to be so successful that we’re creating operational chaos due to the response generated from our integrated campaigns.
The mantra that I live by is, “blow that s*** up!” As in, let’s make everything that we do at Neff Associates the biggest and best that it can be. I’m very results-oriented and I’m pretty objective. I try to be clear on what the expectations are.
As I reflect on the past and look towards the future of advertising, it’s clear that the industry is ever-evolving. With each passing day, what we do becomes more challenging. There is more noise, and more fragmentation in the marketplace than ever before. We live in a digital world, and the role that digital media plays is only going to increase as time goes on. It doesn’t mean that there still isn’t a place for traditional media, but today’s consumers are utilizing their mobile devices to receive information more than anything else.
I think the way we use social media will continue to expand, with the use of data being key. Not just the use of it, but a more specific targeted collection of it. Advertising is becoming more of a customized, one-on-one experience for consumers. Being able to collect more specific data and tie it all together to define customer profiles more accurately, will help to enhance individualized messaging and marketing experiences.
My advice to businesses that need branding and advertising, but don’t know where to start, would be to seek out a full-service agency. You’re more likely to get an authentic, non-conflicted point of view when an agency offers all services in-house and has no vested interest in what specific service you may consider hiring them for. Regardless of budget, allow the agency to make a recommendation that will give you the most bang for your buck.
Additionally, it’s important to note that advertising agencies are not “one size fits all.” Shop around and interview different agencies to see what the best fit is for you personally and professionally. Do not settle!
