What will the world of advertising look like for small agencies in five years? More important, what will your agency look like in five years? My crystal ball says many of us are in for a rude awakening.

When I left my first job in advertising, the agency prepared a little going-away book with advice about how to succeed in advertising. It was tongue-in-cheek, but there was a lot of wisdom tucked in with the laughs.

Two words have fueled a dramatic increase in online purchasing this year: free shipping. Sounds crazy, right? I can just hear the cynical comments. So hold tight there. And even if it isn't crazy, why am I more concerned about the impact of free...

Based on what I've heard, you would think Dec. 31 will be the day we flip a switch and, like Dorothy opening Auntie Em's front door after the storm, everything will change from dingy brown to glorious Technicolor.

At Zehnder as in most companies, we talk a lot about working as teams. Of late, that conversation has been a very popular topic of the Zehnder management team. So I thought it might be interesting to consider what it really means to be a "team."

Wally Amos, who founded Famous Amos in Hollywood, Calif. back in 1975, has a great name for selling cookies. Too bad he can't use it.

I love my mom. I really do. But I don't want her making decisions about the work my agency creates -- even if she's the target audience. And frankly, I don't want my dad, or my brothers or sisters doing it either. Not even my wife.