Interview w/ Ambition Today

Matt sat down with Kevin Siskar of ambition today to discuss Suzy and why brands need to become more consumer centric for the millennial generation

How I Started My First Agency

When I started my agency Mr. Youth fresh out of college I used to pick up my office phone when it rang(which was at the foot of my bed), change my voice, and act like I was the office admin.

I would tell the caller to hold on while I went to get “Matt,” and then 30 seconds later of me just staring at my phone, I would pick up the phone as myself and start the call. I grew that agency until it was acquired although at one point during the 2008 financial crisis, I was a few days from shutting down the entire company and had to put the entire payroll on my credit card.

I’m often asked, “How do you start?”… so I thought I’d share this…

Machines Don’t Get Branding

They don’t get why people will pay to carry heavier credit cards in their wallets which make a thump when you drop after the bill arrives.

They don’t comprehend why consumers pay $18k more for a Lexus when it’s practically the same car as a Toyota, manufactured by the same company … in the same factories.

Branding is all about telling the right message to the right people at the right time. It’s not a formula or an algorithm. It requires a significant understanding of consumer behavior and the right mix of IQ and EQ for optimal impact.

AI and Machine Learning are making a lot of progress, but the human’s role in branding won’t be conquered any time soon. (The below video is from a guest lecture at Columbia Business School in March of 2018)