Erik Hauser, the interviewer, is VP/Executive Creative Director of EURO RSCG and the Founder of the Experiential Marketing Forum It is with great pride that I introduce the The Experiential Marketing Forum's Profiles in Leadership.  The idea for it arose after I began connecting recently with a bunch of EMF community members who wanted to chat about the economic changes and what was going on with the industry.  Everyone seemed to be asking like-minded questions re: what was going to happen next and how we would all be affected.  By now, everyone kind of knows my style :) - In typical Erik fashion I spent many hours on the phone just talking to people.  The most important part of the conversations wasn’t the part when I was talking - it was the part when I was listening to what the community had to say. It occurred to me that we could create a new tool on the EMF that would offer the community keen insights about our industry and other relevant subject matter from the best minds working with, and around, us all.   In reality the idea flows back to what my mom told me when I was a kid.  She said,” If you find things in life that you like then associate yourself with them - if you can’t find these things - create them.”  This forum is built on the vision of those words  -- and  I still hear her in my head each day.  From a personal perspective, at the time I created the EMF I was looking to create order in the chaos I felt during one of my initial phases of my career.   I needed an outlet where people spoke the same language and understood that a rising tide lifts all ships. The goal was to build a place where people would come to learn - a place where there would be interactions and give and take  -  even among competitors - for the greater good of the industry.   We've named this section EMF Profiles In Leadership because it involves forward thinking practitioners and theorists. I figured that I’d throw out some questions to industry heavyweights and it could be a great learning tool for everyone to see what others are doing to make it through these tough times.  Most importantly, I thought in addition to my own conversations, it would start to help answer some of the questions that the community was posing to me, and in general.   I really look forward to having some distinguished people answer some simple questions that can help the community grow their businesses, perform better at their current jobs or even help someone decide which major to select in college. Click here to visit the Experiential Marketing Forum Profiles In Leadership Archives Would you like to have your profile featured? Click here to contact Erik Hauser.
Bud Hanson Marketing Guide/Owner Fish-On Marketing
		Education: University of South Florida – Management with a minor in Marketing MBA - Southern Illinois University Books Reading:The Culting of Brands  by Douglas Atkin; Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (CEO Zappos.com) Favorite Quote:“When all you have is a hammer… everything looks like a nail”.  A cynical commentary on traditional agencies continued use of  tired traditional tactics with lackluster results.		Inspirational Figures:Albert Pujols (Stl Cardinals), Gary Erikson (Clif Bar), Bernd Schmitt (ExM guru), Tim Sanders (author), Rajiv Kapur (fellow agency owner in FL), Kendra Holloway (significant other). Relationship Status: Single…father of two great kids that keep me young and help me with social media technology. I dare to ask age ...:Far enough into the book to where I think I’ve got it figured it out, but hoping for a surprise ending.

Short Bio of Career Path:
When you work in the pet food industry your products are never purchased by the ultimate end user – dogs and cats still don’t carry wallets.  This challenging marketing premise forces you to be really great at branding and engaging consumers.  After spending 15 years working for Purina I found it an excellent training ground for CPG marketing and tapping into the emotional side of the consumer.  In 2004 I had a strong desire to move back to my native state of Florida and opened up Fish-On Marketing, an experiential marketing shop, on the coast of Northeast Florida.

Define your leadership style and "feel" of the agency
Surround yourself with really smart people and let them do what they do best.  When a project lands on my plate, I organize a creative team of specialists to work on it.  This model not only gives clients what they need (and not what they don’t), but it allows me to maintain a low overhead, engage really great talents, and provide really cool work for a very fair price.

Toughest Challenge Overcome in Your Career?
Clients that rush to tactics without a meaningful strategy that those tactics can live beneath.  I call it the bright shiny object syndrome.

What was your Defining Moment at Fish-On?
When clients began engaging me for “think time”.  There’s nothing more meaningful in business (and I suppose in life) than having people value (and be willing to pay) for your thoughts.  It’s about as hard to measure as nailing Jello to the wall, but when you can organize a brand’s vision and strategy into a meaningful and understandable road map for success it can be exhilarating for both parties.

Favorite assignment completed to date?
We did a great event for Saks and MasterCard.  It involved just about every tool in my toolbox.  Fish-On coordinated print, live events, photo capture, green screen technology, facebook uploads, premiums, signage….we literally did it all.  The client’s base idea started with a celebrity stylist make-over event in conjunction with Saks Fall Fashion Week.  We added what I like to call the extension cords which made the event more impactful.  Lots of fun.  Replicated the event in four markets.

Your vision of where we will all be in 10 years (non-apocalyptic:)
Consumers will manage brands more so than ever.  Big agencies will be busted up as clients seek more creative value and more reasonable budgets from smaller boutique shops.  Print media will all but go away.  TV will be different – functioning more like a computer on your wall.  But at the end of the day, consumers will still buy, still talk about brands that they have an affinity for, and brands will fight for their ever decreasing attention span.

Best describe Fish-On Marketing:
At Fish-On, all work begins with a deep understanding of the consumer.  Not just with regards to their relationships with Brand X, but what makes them tick, what keeps them up at night, and what brands (in and out of the space) do they covet.  From that critical base understanding we begin to look at the brand’s strategy.  So often that basic foundation is shaky at best.  When we’re fortunate enough to be able to get all those pieces tightened up and established we can move into the tangible stuff…creating brand experiences through whatever medium makes the most sense.  I’ll admit I tend to look beyond the usual print and TV…but at the end of the day we try and create meaningful brand experiences for consumers leading them to engage in conversations.  Because when people talk …they buy!

Why do clients choose Fish-On and how have you been able to maintain such long relationships?
I guess being primarily a one-man evangelist of the brand experience, clients choose Fish-On because of me and the relationships I’ve fostered over twenty plus years.  My work speaks for itself and repeat business is the norm.  About half of my work is done as a free-lance resource through other agencies that want to weave my talents into their portfolio of services.  The other half is direct brand relationships I have.  And I always reserve some time to counsel small business, entrepreneurs, and new product launches.  It’s kind of my way of giving back to foster the entrepreneurial spirit.

Advice for those entering into the space from college?
Whether you land with an agency, start as a low level assistant brand manager, or start your own business - be true to yourself.  Be authentic.  And remember no matter how thin your resume looks, we are all consumers.  If you wear your consumer hat to work every day, it will be your true North and guide you in your marketing efforts.  And if you can marry your passions with your work…you’re golden.

Advice to the smaller shop owners in this tough economic climate?
Don’t compete with larger shops trying to get every marketing dollar by being all things to all brands.  Brands are looking for talented creative ideas – no matter where that comes from, not average marketing generalists.  Be a really good specialist.  In positioning language, find a niche, be the best, and get the word out.