Two advertisers take the industry to account. Are you sold?

DAWN HUDSON
JOB Senior VP, strategy and marketing
ORG Pepsi-Cola North America
PLACE Purchase, New York

What's wrong with advertising? As a client, I need to hear more of, "Hey, here's an idea!" If ad agencies are truly in the idea business, then they need to completely shed the old mentality of simply making ads. They're beginning to turn in that direction, which is actually a return to what the industry has always been about: creativity.

I want an agency that is creative enough to help me reinvent my total business. Lots of agencies understand brands and how to reinvent them, but I'm not seeing the kind of big-picture thinking that will help clients take advantage of the multiple ways in which people experience brands. Beyond that, the other challenge that keeps me up at night is keeping a really big brand vibrant. We're pretty good at coming up with new products and reaching out to new consumer groups. But how do I grow a big kahuna like Pepsi?

Today, the average American receives more than 3,000 marketing messages a day, and I would argue that advertising has never been more relevant. As people's attention spans shorten, there's an even greater need for an enduring brand. Of course, the challenge is creating campaigns that will last a decade. The future of advertising lies with passionate brand advocates who not only bring ideas to their clients but also help them figure out how to communicate those ideas in a truly integrated way.

CJ FRALEIGH
JOB Executive director, advertising and corporate marketing
ORG General Motors
PLACE Detroit, Michigan