Ralph Heath |
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What got you started in advertising?
My father. When I was 12 years old I got a job delivering the morning Milwaukee Sentinel on my bicycle. The first day on the job I got up at 4 a.m. and faithfully delivered the paper, in the dark, to 43 out of the 45 houses on my new paper route. I couldn't find two of the houses but figured that was good work for a 12-year-old in the dark. When I got home and proudly held up the two remaining papers, he was not even remotely impressed. "Get back out there and find those other two customers!" He put me on the path to customer service and taught me many other valuable lessons.
What was "your finest moment," the thing you're
most proud of?
In the mid '80s we were agency of record for The Company Store and did work for Bill Blass down outerwear and their own brand of down comforters that were sold at finer department stores. Frustrated with the way department stores displayed and sold down comforters, we tested a single ad selling down comforters and Bill Blass down outerwear directly to the customer in the New York Times Sunday Magazine. It worked beyond our best hopes but the company was starved for cash so I became a ten percent owner in our client's company. It was the start of a wild ride as The Company Store grew from zero to over $100,000,000 in sales in six years. Ovation grew with them and attracted new clients who were interested in having us replicate their success. We made the Inc. magazine list of fastest growing companies in America two years in a row.
What was your most embarrassing moment in this business?
Years ago we ran a full-page, four-color ad in Time magazine. I think the ad cost $40,000, the most we had ever paid for an ad at that time. Our client was proudly showing the ad in the magazine to one of his suppliers as the three of us admired and basked in the national prominence of Time magazine. The supplier, a Korean, looked at the ad and asked in broken English, "Where is company logo?" I could have died as we had indeed failed to put the logo in the ad.
Is there a great client story you'd care to share?
We used to have a colorful client who would proudly proclaim in front of large groups of people, "We have such a close relationship with our agency that when I start a sentence they can finish it."
What attracted you to Ovation?
My first job out of college was in radio and thus I created hundreds of radio commercials. From time to time, after I presented my radio commercials to clients, they would say, "If you ever start an ad agency we would consider giving you our business." So one day, armed with five new clients who had made such statements, I did. I loved radio but I wanted to take the radio creative and make it work in print and television and all the other channels. I still love the beauty of well-integrated campaigns.
How do you come up with ideas and solutions for clients?
I try and open my mind to any possibility and let the ideas flow out in a stream of consciousness and capture them on paper in a mind map format. Some are good and some aren't so good. I go back and try and develop the ones that are good. There are certain times of the day when I feel as if I'm in the zone and the ideas come pretty easy during those peak periods. I also do a lot of problem solving when I'm exercising.
What makes a great brand?
A good product and a tradition of great advertising ideas
What driving career goals do you still have?
I love to write and want to publish a book that I have been writing for the past 10 years. I am a classic entrepreneur and some day I would like to launch one more company. I feel I've got one more start-up in me.
What's your biggest pet peeve?
People that don't listen. Listening is such a strong trait. If you are a good listener you can learn the challenges that a brand faces and create solutions to solve problems. If you never hear what the problem is or listen for the essence of the brand, you can't do great work.
What's the most important thing you've learned about advertising?
That a benefit is what the customer desires from a brand and a feature is what the manufacturer or creator of the product puts into the brand. Features can enhance an ad but benefits are what move the product off the shelves.
What talent do you wish you had?
I am a musician with essentially two instruments, my voice and my guitar. I've made great strides with my guitar, but my singing has fallen short of where I would like it to be.
If you had to live on a desert island, what would you miss most?
Music.
What can't you live without?
Nothing. I feel I can adapt to anything.
What are your plans for after advertising?
I would love to write for magazines, write another book and continue giving motivational speeches.
Is there any food that helps you think more creatively?
Fresh fruit. I feel fantastic after I eat a bowl of fresh fruit.
What's your favorite sports team?
The Green Bay Packers. I have been a huge fan since age five. Ten years ago I signed up for season tickets and I'm on pace to get the tickets when I am 70 years old.
If you could spend a day with any person, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
I loved John Lennon. I would enjoy getting his take on current events and playing together musically. Muhammad Ali would be a close second.
What's your point of view about politics?
I am a bleeding heart liberal on social issues and a fiscal conservative on spending and balancing the budget.
Do you have any pets?
Our family golden retriever died of cancer a year ago. I cried like a baby.
What was growing up like for you?
Growing up was great. I grew up in a blue-collar area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We didn't have much money but I don't ever remember wanting for anything. I come from a supportive, close-knit family of overachievers.
What do you do for a good time when you're not working?
Bicycle racing and triathlons are my hobby. I compete at an elite age group level and was just named a Triathlon All-American. Both sports demand a healthy lifestyle of exercise and proper diet. It has been a fascinating learning process to slow the aging process and get maximum performance from what you eat and how well you take care of your body.
Do you have any kids?
Ana is my 20-year-old daughter, a sophomore at Macalester College in St. Paul. Natalie is my 17-year-old daughter who, thankfully, still lives at home and is a junior in high school. Like the family I grew up in, we are a supportive, close-knit group of overachievers.
What advertising/catalogs do you most admire?
I have great appreciation for strategy-based work. Target is probably my favorite as the work continues to evolve and change and yet you know the moment you see it that it's from Target. And you are elated because you know it's going to make you proud you're in the advertising business.
What are your favorite Internet sites?
I think Google is the most fascinating site on the planet as it is simple to use, easy to navigate and they offer a wealth of valuable information in seconds.
