In such a competitive and demanding industry like marketing, many creative agencies fail to implement a simple yet effective method to attract big brands: making themselves their most important clients. This is one of the many innovative ideas Chad Rea, our guest, put into practice in his own agency and allowed him to work with Fuel TV, Target, Mountain Dew, Starbucks, Aquafina, or Technicolor, to name a few. 

Chad Rea is a Social Impact Artist, International Creative Director, Creative Mentor, and Voice Over artist. Before becoming a full-time artist, Chad worked at the most prominent and most influential creative agencies in the U.S and Europe, including Wieden + Kennedy, Mother, Kessels Kramer, and his own unconventional agency, 86 the onions. 

In this episode, we go through Chad’s fascinating journey into the advertising world; his passion for influencing large groups through entertainment and his overseas experiences changed the way he saw the marketing industry. We also explore the different approaches to marketing, brand positioning, hiring talent, culture, and much more. 

You can learn more about Chad’s art at: https://www.chadrea.com/about

You can also follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chadrea/?hl=es

or reach out to him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadrea/

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:21 – Chad summarizes his journey from copywriter to creative director, to educator, to full-time artist. 

4:21 – Chad describes how the different approaches to marketing he experienced working in Europe changed his view on marketing and advertising.

9:23 – Chad talks about how working in a multicultural environment in Europe and how being in touch with numerous and varied cultures impacted him. 

13:21 – John and Chad discuss the advertising and marketing industry changes and how this new approach collides with traditional marketing practices. 

18:54 – Confidence, ego, and naivety. Chad talks about how tough it was to become an entrepreneur and apply the knowledge gathered overseas into his creative agency. 

23:47 – Chad explains some of his strategies to attract big clients to his small creative agency.

29:04 – Sometimes, a case study is better than an idea. John and Chad talk about what new agencies can do to compete against the industry’s giants.

32:03 – Chad shares his take on the best way to hire talent and how to attract the right people to work with us. 

38:43 – John and Chad talk about the relevance of culture in a company and its many effects on our staff. 

40:48 – You need to buy more paint. Chad talks about how he decided to become a full-time artist and about his “100 days project.”

46:13 – Chad shares some advice for those interested in working with what they are passionate about. 

48:02 – What’s at stake? John and Chad reflect on the mindset, courage, and determination needed to make the leap of faith into entrepreneurship.