Doe Anderson - Building Brand Enthusiasts

Experience

A superb writer and a superior tactical strategist, Dan directs Public Relations contact strategy at Doe-Anderson. He has designed major PR programs for such clients as Louisville Slugger, Valvoline Instant Oil Change, Jewish Hospital, the Kentucky Department of Travel, the worldwide United Methodist Church, Shoney's, and Big Rivers Electric Corp.

A campaign that Dan created for the Louisville Slugger Museum was awarded the top national honor in the public relations industry - the Silver Anvil award. In addition, Dan has been inducted into the Public Relations Society Hall of Fame by the Bluegrass Chapter.

Dan began his career in radio news, and while working for WHAS-AM in Louisville, he won broadcast journalism's highest honor - the Peabody Award.

In his spare time, Dan has won international competitions in two singing groups.

Questions & Answers:

Do you ever use your silver anvil award like Bugs Bunny did on the coyote? You know, drop it off cliffs and stuff?
I've never dropped it off of a cliff, but I have found that the little anvil on it works really well for cracking pistachio nuts during cocktail hour.

You've been very successful. Do you have a method for coming up with ideas and solutions for clients?
As marketers, we need to be speaking to large masses of people, and I'm about as average a guy as you can get. I am the audience. If it makes sense to me, then it'll probably make sense to a lot of other people. So I guess you could say that it's through mediocrity that I've found any success.

What makes a great brand?
Great brands are ones for which their customers feel ownership. They're passionate about the brand, and recommend it to their friends, and become an ambassador for it themselves. It has to stand for something, and connect with consumers in a special way, and when that happens, the brand becomes part of their lives.

What's the most important thing you've learned from advertising?
The most important thing I've learned is that the consumer is always right. Whatever their perception is - even if it's based on misinformation - that's the reality that we're working with as marketers. We might have to overcome that perception, but whatever they're thinking, that's reality for us. That's where we have to begin.

Can you sound like James Earl Jones?
I come by a deep voice naturally - people call my father the human subwoofer. But I can't quite get James Earl Jones down. I keep practicing on "Luke, I am your father," but it's just not right.

What are you most proud of?
I'm proud that my mother's not embarrassed by me. She actually thinks I'm a pretty good guy. Nobody tell her any different, okay?

Any dirt on the mayor you'd like to share?
You're asking me to dish on the most powerful guy in Louisville? I think not. But actually, there's not any. He's a great guy. I swear.

What was it like working for the city of Louisville? Was the city nice to you?
I loved working for the city. I used to be a reporter, and I'm just naturally nosey, and working in the mayor's office pretty much puts you in the middle of everything going on around here.

When are you most at peace?
I feel peaceful when I've accomplished something for which I've worked pretty hard. Whether it's for a client at work, something with my family or a project at church, I love the feeling of figuring out a plan of action, carrying it through and seeing something good happen on the back end of that.