Joe Grimaldi is the chief executive at Mullen.
(Kayana Szymczak for The Boston Globe)
On the Hot Seat
Far from the ‘Mad Men’ crowd
Joe Grimaldi is the chief executive at Mullen.
(Kayana Szymczak for The Boston Globe)
Inside Joe Grimaldi’s office at Mullen, the ad agency, his mantras are prominently displayed: “Safe is Risky,’’ and “Very Good is Bad.’’ They describe Grimaldi’s approach as president and chief executive of one of the biggest ad shops in Boston. The agency’s client roster includes JetBlue Airways, Internet retailer Zappos, and most recently, bookseller Barnes & Noble. Advertising Age magazine recently named Mullen as one of the nation’s top ad firms. Grimaldi sat down with Johnny Diaz of the Globe staff.
You’ve been in downtown Boston for almost two years. How has moving from Wenham helped?
Moving to Boston was the best thing we ever did. Number one, it attracted really great talent. Number two, it enabled us to become much more progressive in how we thought about our product. We built an environment that supported that. And finally, by putting the agency in Boston, it became more visible.
How has the agency been doing financially compared to a year ago?
It’s doing terrific. Last year, the Boston office was up 24 percent in revenue, and profits were up even more.
What changed?
We embarked on a transformative strategy for the agency four years ago. There were a lot of different things that were playing into that — the move, the kinds of clients that we wanted, the kind of people we wanted to be running our businesses. Those are the ingredients [that have] accelerated our success: good people, a raised visibility, getting into some of the right pitches, and growing new business.
Can you describe your “unbound’’ philosophy?
The unbound concept is about helping marketers market their brands and services in a digitally enabled, consumer-controlled world. In the old days, it used to be that marketers put out a message and consumers received it. The consumer has in fact become the content, they have become the network, enabled by social media. Unbound was a way to think differently about what we did and how we did it.
How big has social media become in what you do?
It is huge. There isn’t anything that goes out of his place where we’re not talking to the client about using social media, what they should be thinking about. The word “advertising’’ has been redefined. It doesn’t just mean TV ads, print ads, and radio spots.
Who do you think is your biggest competitor in Boston?
We don’t think about anyone in Boston as being our competitor. We always had to position ourselves nationally and seek clients nationally. We occasionally compete with Arnold [Worldwide]. We occasionally compete with Hill Holliday. By and large, we are competing with a whole set of agencies outside of here.
How has the success of AMC’s “Mad Men’’ drama influenced today’s advertising?
It’s a terrific show. I watch it religiously. There is a lot of truth about what goes on with clients, there’s a lot of truth about the business process. Advertising has always been viewed as a glamorous business, and [the show] has elevated that again. It has made it interesting to more people.
What advice would you have for someone looking to break into the ad business? First of all, this is a business that consumes you. If you can’t be passionate about it, you might want to try something else. It’s not just about work. It’s about love for what you do. You have to have an appetite for learning that simply is insatiable because it’s constantly evolving and constantly developing. It is about having courage and bringing ideas to the table. It’s not for everyone, but you can have a lot of fun in this business.
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.
