John Connors, CEO and founding father of Boathouse, has spent the final 25 years zagging whereas most independents zig. And for essentially the most half, the technique has labored nicely sufficient that the Boston-based full service company has grown steadily — in 2025, Connors expects to develop between 5-10%, because it handles about $100 million in billings.
A part of Boathouse’s attraction is its contrarian streak — in spite of everything, few businesses proudly declare their opposition to the time period company of file, a designation most truly hope to obtain from shoppers. And in age of dominance by holding corporations who yearn to be all that and a shot of whiskey for his or her shoppers, Boathouse is clearly marching in a special course.
That course has labored, with the store selecting up Franklin Templeton and one other consumer in the actual property enterprise (who declined to be recognized) in late 2024.
“I feel it’s executed nicely for us, being a contrarian, as a result of I feel the company enterprise hasn’t carried out that nicely, as evidenced by IPG and Omnicom having to merge,” stated Connors, who grew up within the company world working for his father Jack, a co-founder of Hill Holliday. “Whereas everyone was so caught up in their very own company B.S., we have been making an attempt to determine find out how to be smarter than an company — a bit extra consultative, however very clearly not making an attempt to even be a guide. As a result of, consultants need to are available in and let you know what you are promoting.”
Connors and group’s technique is as a substitute to attach the CMO to the remainder of the C-suite, to ensure they’re all aligned to market successfully and perceive strategic objectives earlier than doing analysis that may come again with a method that doesn’t align with these objectives. “We’re very cautious to stroll in and say, we’re making an attempt to replicate the technique, not dictate the technique,” stated Connors.
Jen Ball, CMO for Franklin Templeton, stated that’s precisely what she and her group obtained from Boathouse. She stated Boathouse’s first strikes have been to attach all corners of the C-suite with advertising, as a result of appreciable adjustments the corporate has undergone within the final 5 years — it’s now largely a B2B monetary providers agency working in non-public markets, ETFs and different enterprise strains. It required a complete new set of messaging, which Connors and group helped her form.
“I feel our EQ/IQ ratio is basically excessive. We predict loads in regards to the personalities behind the methods. What’s the board chair making an attempt to realize? What’s at stake for the CEO and the CMO, along with the IQ variables of who’s the goal, what’s the correct technique,” defined Connors. “Now that the business is so over listed to the IQ facet … they’re forgetting in regards to the individuals behind the methods and the dynamics. And we expect a lot in regards to the individuals behind the methods and what’s greatest for them, that they do begin to discover that we truly care in regards to the relationship versus the transaction. And I feel AOR is a lot in regards to the transaction, not the connection.”
“It wasn’t a advertising train. It was a complete firm train that we went via, and everyone purchased into it. It felt proper and sincere and genuine,” stated Ball. “This was a way more strategic train that was loads deeper, actually, from the place to begin. And that’s what made it completely different — the depth and the inclusion, after which the significance of it connecting with the technique of the corporate, and what was resonating from that technique with shoppers.”
The ensuing work delivered a “ladder” of a marketing campaign that started within the U.S. however is now increasing to Asia and components of Europe. centered across the tagline “Your trusted companion for what’s forward,” adopted by a collection of sub-messaging that hit on all the brand new areas the monetary providers agency had expanded into.
The end result thus far? “We’ve moved the dial on completely the entire areas that we have been hoping to maneuver the dial on when it comes to model notion,” stated Ball. “I simply shared it with our CEO, and she or he was actually happy with it.”
The CMO of the worldwide actual property consumer stated she’s labored with Connors in some capability since she first met him in 2003, and at every firm she’s been, Boathouse has all the time gained her enterprise, usually beating out bigger businesses and holdco retailers. “At virtually each flip, John and Boathouse would win, and this small, rising company can be dealing with these actually advanced, big accounts and large budgets,” stated the CMO. “It’s their method to fixing enterprise issues — it’s by no means in regards to the advertising answer.”
The CMO stated she’s realized three key approaches from Connors that she applies to each advertising job she’s had:
- Align advertising to the broader enterprise
- Comply with the cash
- Perceive management so as to translate their imaginative and prescient
“John has a singular skill to talk CEO, and a strategic acumen to determine the correct methods which are anchored within the enterprise, however that basically lend themselves to efficient and really impactful options,” the CMO stated.
All of which interprets in Connors’ thoughts to: “When you use your EQ and all of your executional data as prompts, no one can contact you.”
Colour by numbers
When you’ve caught a pre-season soccer sport or two, you realize America’s favourite sport, the NFL season, is nearly upon us. However are there weak hyperlinks within the league’s offensive line, with the league probably dropping yardage? In line with a survey of 1,000 customers performed in August by market analysis agency Savanta, aggressive strikes into streaming and the rising price of having fun with the sport are coming at a value. Some highlights from the survey:
- Whereas 41% now watch soccer primarily through streaming providers, 56% say they’re annoyed by NFL video games being unique to sure streaming platforms;
- 69% report slicing again on attending video games because of rising ticket, journey, and concession prices
- So far as spending thresholds, 55% of Individuals spend lower than $250 per season on football-related bills, together with tickets, merch, streaming, meals, journey, and fantasy leagues; one other 27% spend $500 or extra, 14% spend at the very least $1,000; 7% spend over $2,500, and three% shell out greater than $5,000.
- In the excellent news division, 49% of Individuals say game-time commercials affect their purchases, whereas 48% report being influenced by advertisements that includes well-known soccer gamers.
Takeoff & touchdown
- WPP Media scored its first large win in 2025, touchdown Mastercard’s international media technique, planning and shopping for, and taking up from Dentsu’s Carat. The win helps to clarify why WPP Media resigned the PayPal account earlier this yr, which was picked up by Publicis. Mastercard is reported to have spent some $180 million in media in 2024.
- It can come as some solace to Carat that it retained Vodafone’s EMEA enterprise for the subsequent three years beginning in 2026, following a overview. A part of the mandate is for Carat to assist the telecoms model take extra media shopping for in-house.
- IPG Mediabrands and Acxiom launched a contextual advert answer for CTV with Iris.TV, referred to as Acxiom Contextual CTV powered by IRIS_ID, which goals to align advertisements to the tone, style, and context of the streaming content material being seen.
- Accenture acquired U.S.-based social and influencer company Superdigital, whose 40 individual group can be folded into Accenture Music. In different acquisition information, Gravity International acquired U.S. efficiency media company Advertising and marketing Physician.
- Personnel strikes: Veteran company government Nick Brien was formally named CEO of Outfront Media, following an interim position there … Stagwell named Margaret Key its government director for the Asia Pacific area, in addition to CEO of Allison Asia …FitzCo tapped Chris Wallrapp to be its new CEO, coming over from the identical place at Hill Holliday.
Direct quote
“We’re discovering that increasingly retail media networks can play a reasonably highly effective lever that creates this closed loop focusing on synergy, that appears like simpler media placement. Not all retail media networks can do this now, however increasingly, they’re attending to a spot the place some can.”
— Ron Amram, senior director of worldwide media at Mars, speaking about retail media’s half in a broader media technique. Amram can be talking at Retail Media Promoting Methods on Sept. 10.
Velocity studying
- Sam Bradley regarded into media businesses’ changes on paid search in mild of the influence of zero-click search due to the advances of AI.
- Bradley additionally unboxed Kellanova’s use of AI to tell its advertising techniques, and the halo impact these adjustments have on company charges it pays.
- I wrote about how Podean’s acquisition of Commerce Canal heralds contemporary consolidation amongst “market” businesses focusing on working with manufacturers on Amazon and different commerce platforms.
