The Egotist Briefs: Steve Connelly of Connelly Partners

Steve Connelly is the President and Chief Creative Officer at Connely Partners (CP).

In 1999, Connelly, then the president of New England’s largest independent agency (Ingalls) left his position and founded Connelly Partners. Today, Connelly Partners remains one of the fastest growing independent advertising agencies in the Northeast. Located in Boston’s South End, Connelly’s current clients include Samsonite, American Tourister, Liberty Mutual, TripAdvisor, Ocean Spray, Staples, Massachusetts Office of Travel + Tourism, Bertucci’s, Papa Gino’s, D’Angelo, Public Service of New Hampshire and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Among his past clients, they include: McDonald’s, T.J. Maxx, CVS/pharmacies, Radisson Hotels, Baskin-Robbins, Stonyfield Farms, Fallon Community Health Plan and Citizens Bank.

Steve’s passion and knowledge for his craft makes him a frequent speaker at industry and networking events as well as a regular media source for the latest in industry news and insight.

His philosophy is “If you don’t have a life outside of this place you’re useless to me.”

Is there anything about Boston that you feel sets it apart (creatively) from other cities?

In years gone by, Boston was defined by being so close to New York City. They were big time. We were backwater. The ad community in this town had a well defined chip on our collective shoulders, which made us work twice as hard to get noticed for who we were and what we did. We (and by “we” I am including our creative brethren in Providence...back in the 80’s there was no hotter creative city on the planet) used that chip as the ultimate motivation. Not so much now, but back then it was all about kicking New York’s ass. Made us better. Made them better. Made ads better.

What inspires you creatively?

I find inspiration in real life. Never really felt the need to use my imagination when I could just use my eyes. We as a species are hilarious. We are blissfully illogical, flawlessly good humored and despite the best efforts of the politically correct loonies we find in ever increasing numbers, we still love to laugh at ourselves. I have always been inspired by guys like Bill Cosby and Jerry Seinfeld. Guys who never needed to be flashy, never needed special effects, never needed to use an arsenal of flowery language. Nope. These guys would just sit on a stool in front of 15,000 people, tell you what they saw that day, and you would laugh your ass off.

What did you set out to do when you started CP?

Cornball crap aside, I was looking to prove that a relatively normal guy could surround himself with equal normal people with normal lives and normal families could do work more inspiring and effective than the clad in black, pierced, coke snorting, self important dye jobs that populated many agencies. I am tragically square. And advertising was for years a round hole. People see our work and hear our ideas and are still amazed that work that good could come from people so, well, normal. This business doesn’t really embrace life balance. This agency does.

Does CP have a philosophy on how to create great work? Or is it as simple as hiring good people and letting them do their thing?

Problem with just hiring good people and letting them do their thing is that many of the best advertising minds come with egos the size of Kansas. They bitch, moan, whine, wear diapers then spend the day asking others to change their diapers for them. Genius often comes hand in hand with ego. We have to look for the exceptions. Ridiculously talented people whom you would love to have a slice of pizza and a beer with. They are not easy to find. Luckily, they find us. Our creative philosophy is empathy over entertainment. Cultivate likability. And if you spend all your time in the office rather than finding inspiration outside of it, well, you’re probably in over your head.

What are the projects going on over there right now that have you the most excited?

We have some clients who are under enormous pressure to perform in this economy, and being a Babson boy, I get really excited about helping them figure ways to grow their businesses. Asking me to tell you which client’s work I am most excited about is like asking me which one of my kids I love most...but the project that has me most jazzed right now is our tinkering with the agency itself. When the economy started tanking we did what we advise our clients to do. We got aggressive. We spent. We invested in new people. We acquired new companies. We viewed the downturn as an opportunity and ran out to meet it. And while I wear a cup to work every day because I expect to get kicked in the nuts, so far so good. 2010 is our best year ever.

How does digital innovation fit into your creative process?

Digital innovations have made it easier than ever before to find your customers, and easier than ever before for them to think less of you. Think of it this way...you’re in a crowded room. The mission is not to get noticed, hell just act like an ass and everyone will notice you. The mission is to be liked. Creatively we can never lose sight of that. Digital channels give us more subtle, covert and supremely effective opportunities to do earn likeability and sell more for our clients. We can think bigger.

It seems like we’re all working harder than ever to squeeze out even small gains for our clients. Has advertising gone wrong somewhere along the way or is it just a function of today’s world?

I think advertising needs to get an enema. Loosen up. Stop whining. People always think they are working harder than ever. I have never worked at a place where people didn’t work hard. The problem is that the prospect of small gains is de-motivating for world-changing, big thinkers like us ad folk, when in fact in an economy like this it should have you jazzed up. If the economy is great, aspire to great big gains. When the economy sucks, go for teenie weenie gains. Do the best with what you got. Stop making excuses and pro actively attack every situation. More often than not people in general, and our business specifically, don’t survey the landscape and develop realistic expectations. Advertising as an industry has always been about more flash than honesty. You know what I’ve found? Clients like and appreciate honest. Probably because it’s in such short supply.

Name one advertising trend that drives you nuts and one that you really love.

I hate the rush to all things social without really understanding what it can do or setting realistic expectations and definitions for success. I can’t tell you how many times I have been told that “we have to be on facebook and twitter” by folks without a strategy for successfully using it...they just want to be there without knowing why. Social is invaluable in better understanding people and building relationships with them, and should be part of every broader strategy. But folks who try to tie immediate sales success to a social strategy are missing the opportunity. And the trend that has me really excited is how more clients and prospects recognize we are in the content business rather than advertising business. We need to create destination ideas that engage and earn people’s attention. What to do in traditional media channels don’t dominate discussions anymore. The approach is much more macro and all inclusive now. For a storyteller and observer of the human race like me that is incredibly exciting.

If you weren’t working in advertising, what would you be doing instead?

I would be coaching college basketball. Proving there’s a place for normalcy in that world too. Of course that career is exceptionally nomadic and my wife probably wouldn’t move all over the place with me. Thank God I started down this path instead when I got out of school. Just think of it...right now I could be coaching the University of Idaho Vandals instead of living in the world’s greatest city. Boston seriously kicks ass, don’t you think? Except in February. February in Boston kinda sucks. But then again, so does Idaho in February.

What are three pieces of advice you’d give any creative?

I would assume most everyone would advise creatives to do amazing, powerful work. But if you need me to give you that advice, then you’re probably not destined to be a good creative. Hmmm...I would say see the world through the eyes of the customer and client, not through your own. Shut the hell up and listen every once and a while... And always remember to buy your boss snacks.