As 2020 comes to a close, I can't help but reflect on the year and its ups and downs. To start, this has been one of those years where it feels like it went by so quick yet so slow. While personally, this year has moved a bit like molasses in the wintertime, my work life hasn't skipped a beat.
It's hard to believe that it has almost been a year in my position here at the Bogle Agency. I transitioned to the agency throughout the beginning of 2020 but came on full time starting in March. It's funny to look back on that time because, like many of you, everything changed almost overnight, and by March 16, we were working from home. Let me tell you, those few months working from home were interesting (I do not recommend quarantining with your parents). Still, I couldn't have imagined working for any other company during that time. All good feels aside, 2020 was quite the year of thinking on the go, and I want to share a few things I learned within my first year here.
PIVOT! While scary, a necessary evil for success.
The pandemic and all that came with it posed many challenges this year. With everyone staying at home, the shift in marketing needs seemed to change by the day. One of the biggest hurdles that we faced this year was that the execution of some campaigns wouldn't necessarily work the way we had initially planned. By thinking on our feet, keeping up with trends, and maintaining clear communication with our clients, we pivoted different scopes and campaigns to ensure that we met our clients' needs and goals.
This type of communication was a new thing for me. I have worked at agencies where we had to pivot, but never with the transparency the Bogle Agency offers our clients. While this was challenging and outright scary at times, being upfront with our clients meant that we could bring even better ideas to the table and surpass their expectations.
Sometimes the best ideas come from the most unsuspecting sources.
Since my time in Washington, D.C., I have always been taught to bring ideas but stay in my lane. One of the biggest things I learned this year was that sometimes the person with the least amount of background knowledge in a project has the best ideas. One thing that Lauren is big on is collaboration. So with most meetings, she brings the whole team to the table. This means that we all have a pretty good idea of what is going on with different agency projects, but the most significant benefit I've found this year is that sometimes those fresh eyes bring the best solutions or ideas.
Not many agencies that I've worked with, have been willing to "eat" that time, and I love the fact that anyone, regardless of their background, can speak up and present their ideas. No matter if it's a couple of "city" people coming to the table for our agriculture clients or a former politico giving thoughts on solutions for a hemp company, collaboration is critical.
Don’t be afraid of what the youths are doing.
I have been friends with Lauren for a long time and have always found her social media skills interesting. But let's be honest; the woman always knows what the kids are up to on social. I've always liked to play it safe when it comes to clients. I'm talking lots of life rafts and vests for everybody! I mean, come on! I am a PR person whose nickname is "the ostrich," that's what we do. I had to learn this year was taking a little risk here, and there isn't a bad thing and that seeing what the "youths" are up to can pay off in the long run.
I've been a fan of TikTok for a while now but would have never been comfortable putting clients on the platform. SO MANY DANCES! Lauren pushed us to get creative and put some thought into how specific clients would fit within this platform. While not everyone was a fit, we were able to find a voice for two of our clients. My favorite thing about this whole project is that one of the clients tends to lean more towards being serious. Getting them TikTok allowed us to bring a fun human element to the brand and interact with their audience more.
I could go on and on about the different things that I've learned this year, but let's be honest, attention spans are short these days (thanks, TikTok). So cue my wrap up music, because here we go! My first year at the Bogle Agency has been a daily dose of constant creativity, hard work, and a slight addiction to the show Yellowstone. We have traveled across the country, met so many fascinating people, and produced some of the best work that I am most proud of in my career. This year has gotten me back to my roots. I come from a strong background in agriculture and grew up in the rodeo world. It's been pretty cool to get reconnected with people that I've worked with over the past ten years of my career and catch up with people I spent a lot of my childhood with and even more surreal to work with my best friend. I am thankful for a great first year and can't wait to see what year two has in store!
About The Author:
Kylie has trekked through some of the toughest terrains in the world, went toe-to-toe with her fair share of haters in Washington, DC, and has won a crown or two in her rodeo queen days, but nothing excites her more than finding the perfect detail in a brand/person and turning it into a story for people to hear. She's passionate about those she represents and gets to find those little intricacies that make each brand so special. For Kylie, it's not about developing award-winning campaigns, though she has her fair share, but about putting a face to a brand. No matter the ever-changing media cycle, the rapid pace of viral trends or just the everyday happenings, she's constantly hustling to stay ahead of the game and to know exactly who she needs to talk to.
Comments