Erica: Bob, we know you as one of a kind, but how would you describe yourself?
Bob: I am a creative polymath. I’m an expert in multiple fields. Award winning graphic designer, playwright, film maker, actor, voice over artist, illustrator, writer, published poet. I used to sing in a Rock Band. I used to do stunts in live theaters. Hiker, outdoorsman. Father. My job is to do everything that I need to do.
Erica: How did you get into the Automotive Industry?
Bob: Our coworker Anna. I was a freelance graphic designer working in everything – identity design, lead designer on a few magazines and a freelance designer for national agencies. When the pandemic hit, I created an award-winning comedy game show. Through that I re-learned motion graphics and editing. I began as a film student when I got out of High School. I used to edit on a video toaster. I had people I knew lost their way of living in the pandemic. The first thing I did was a mystery podcast. Then I did a celebrity improv podcast – the improv team could do anything they wanted – but the celebrity could give points to the winner. I knew Anna before the pandemic, but she came in and saved the day. When Joel went on Paternity leave, they needed someone to fill in for him. So, I joined CBC and I never left.
Erica: What's the greatest career lesson you've learned that you wish someone had prepared you for?
Bob: You are only as good as your most honest critic. It should be mandatory teaching in elementary school. It doesn’t mean you are lacking or off in any way. It just means that there is an expert who has your best interest in mind. True honest critique is a gift. I was lucky to learn that very young and I’ve mentored multiple creatives that it’s not someone attacking you. It’s someone who actively cares about your success.
Erica: What piece of advice would you give to someone entering the Automotive Industry?
Bob: You don’t need to know everything to start. We are so lucky here (CBC) because we have so many knowledgeable people who are so giving here. If you don’t know a lot about cars, you can learn. What’s more important for me, in creative services, we need to know how to best represent the information given to us from our AE’s. We need to know the psychology that creativity gives. We need to know what will resonate with the customers. We need to know more about how the customer will react to the ad itself than about the cars themselves. Our job is to listen to our experts and then follow our own expertise. We are translators.
Erica: What keeps you going in this industry of so many ups & downs? What keeps you passionate about it?
Bob: I get to do something different every single day. We are not doing the same thing twice. We are doing whatever we can to meet the clients’ requirements – to make them happy and to help them sell cars. If we do our job correctly, we should be constantly solving stressors in the market. Looking at what worked before, or better – what didn’t – it’s basic SWOT analysis. Seeing what you can improve. Strengthen one while turn the other into an asset. Especially with technology changing so quickly, on any given day, I could have to jump to a TV spot, to a Web Ad to a Radio Spot to a Billboard. The ability to jump constantly and do different things – it’s hard to get complacent. Some days can be hard due to the volume but it’s never boring. It’s fun! It’s not a soul crushing job.
Erica: If you weren’t in the car business, what would it be? What has stopped you from making the change?
Bob: I currently run two full theatre companies. I been a professional actor. Sculptor. I’ve run publishing companies. I will continue doing what I do. I’ve done it all and I still do it. My time in Automotive – what I do in my other jobs, I still do here. So, if I wasn’t here, I’d only be away from cars. As a playwright, I had 236 shows produced. The average is 5. I have produced, last year alone, 42 live shows. Between stage, experimental theater, improv. I’ve consulted on national and local productions. I’ve worked in all aspects of theater, improv and acting. In fact, what I do there reinforces what I do here. I’ve been a podcast showrunner – I used to manage the Women in Agriculture Podcast. I am hoping we can do a podcast here at CBC.
Erica: What’s your least favorite part of the Automotive Industry?
Bob: I have a very limited time in the industry but my least favorite so far: it appears that people are afraid of change, when the industry itself is changing daily. It’s not necessarily the embrace of new technologies – it’s the embrace, design & marketing wise, of new tools being developed. Podcasts, digital web, shorts – these can be utilized very cheaply compared to other older ways of doing media. There are so many other ways to reach their client base and it appears that – I don’t think it’s a reluctancy to it – I think it’s changing so fast. You're experts are on your product. The ability to find someone who is already an expert is invaluable. It seems that there are some that are leaving a lot on the table. However, we have some clients that do all of it but they’re successful because they’re doing all of it.
Erica: What’s the biggest flattery you can get in the car business?
Bob: I received an email that was forwarded to me saying how our designs and our TV spots in particular were effective. They made them want to use them as a foundation for their campaigns. That’s the exact reason why we are doing this. I don’t need accolades how good something looks or how exciting it looks – I want to know if it worked. I want to know that our client and our clients’ clients liked them! That they followed through on that call to action!
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