Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Scott Harkey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Scott thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?
The biggest trend I’m seeing at the moment, like many industries, is artificial intelligence. Emerging technologies have been providing content at scale for brands. AI is certainly providing small ways to help marketing professionals optimize efficiency, providing opportunity for faster edits. It has its challenges in terms of providing truly breakthrough creative content that’s differentiated in a marketplace. The biggest concern I have around AI is the flood of content that will emerge that’ll push us into a sea of sameness. There will be tons more content created, and it will not all be top notch. That’ll put increased pressure on creative teams to put more emphasis on fantastic strategy and creative content. In turn, brands are going to be looking for value driven services and efficiencies, and agency fees will likely be compressed. Project management and strategy will be more important than ever. There’s an art to capitalizing on pop culture and developing the right formula to strike a chord with consumers. Agencies still have that edge.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Scott Harkey. I’m the Co-Founder of The Harkey Group, a holding company with five unique businesses under its umbrella. I’ve worked in marketing and advertising for the past twenty years. I’ve always been entrepreneurial, and knew I wanted to start my own company from a young age. I was selling media for CBS Corporation’s Radio Vision. I worked with advertising agencies that way, and I fell in love with the creative process. I began making my own commercials, and ended up starting my first advertising agency shortly afterward. I’ve been building on that in the years since.
Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?
I’ve bought a few different agencies over the last 15 years. Some have worked out really well, others haven’t. The biggest thing I’ve learned is the importance of understanding the metrics inside and out. Study the market, consult experts, and do your homework. The financial element is typically the more simple piece – it’s relatively clear if something is a good investment, or if it’s financially feasible. What’s less clear is the 3Vs: ensuring that the business you’re purchasing aligns with you – with your vision, values, and vibes. Make sure you place the utmost importance on the cultural fit. If the people aren’t the right fit, it’ll be a disaster. One of my friends, Paul Brothers, once said: “you don’t know if you have a good culture until you have two.”
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
It’d have to be #JonathanCallScott. We put all of the campaign elements we knew would make for a great pop culture movement together to get the then CMO of AirBnb to call O.H. Partners. We wanted to showcase our resilience, and to build something that showcased our capabilities. AirBnB’s whole thing was about being more than just renting a house – it was “belong anywhere.” Leaning into local activities, finding unique experiences. We thought: what better way to get their attention than to utilize our own space, and to highlight our community here? We stayed in our office for two full days. We live streamed, we utilized social media, we just had a blast. We showed them we really understood their brand by walking the walk, and that’s why it resonated. We did end up getting Jonathan to call me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theharkeygroup.com
- Instagram: @scottharkey
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottharkey/
- Twitter: @SharkeyAZ
