The Message Platform: Your Brand’s Strategic Foundation

The Power of an Approved Message Platform: Your Brand’s North Star

Branding isn’t just about marketing; it’s about consistency. A strong brand is built on a well-defined message platform—a strategic foundation that ensures every interaction, from marketing to HR to clinical care, reinforces your brand identity.

More Than Marketing: A Brand’s Strategic Backbone

Branding is often misunderstood. It’s not just a logo, a tagline or an ad campaign. It’s the DNA of your organization—the essence of who you are and what you stand for. A message platform provides the framework for this truth. It defines key messaging pillars, tone and positioning, ensuring every department communicates a unified story. Without it, you risk creating fragmented messaging that confuses your audience and weakens your brand.

Aligning Messaging Across Departments

Your message platform isn’t just for the marketing team. It should guide communication across HR, patient billing, clinical teams and leadership. Every touchpoint shapes your brand perception, from a patient’s first call to a financial-assistance discussion to a follow-up appointment

While different service lines may have unique messaging nuances, they should all be consistent with the overarching brand narrative. Whether speaking to pediatric patients or orthopedic surgery candidates, the messaging should feel cohesive, intentional and aligned with your brand promise.

The Bottom Line

Without a well-defined message platform, your brand risks being diluted or misunderstood. A clear, strategic messaging framework ensures every communication reinforces your brand identity and resonates with your audience.

Is your brand messaging aligned? If not, let’s build a platform that ensures consistency, clarity and impact.

Agentic AI: Helpful or Harmful to Your Employer Brand?

Agentic AI: Helpful or Harmful to Your Employer Brand?

Let’s set the stage for a story that is becoming increasingly more common in recruiting.

You’re a talent acquisition leader who has invested in crafting and refining a compelling employer brand. You’ve carefully articulated an employee value proposition (EVP) that is crystal clear at every candidate touchpoint. Your current team members boast about your innovative work environment, team-based culture and their high employee satisfaction on social media.

At this point, you’ve got a great pool of talent, but you just don’t have the bandwidth to handle the volume. So, you decide to streamline hiring by introducing agentic AI—an advanced form of artificial intelligence capable of acting autonomously to complete complex tasks without human intervention. You do your research and find a promising solution. With a little tinkering to the programming, you’re sure that it can be an engaging and friendly first touchpoint for candidate outreach and screening.

In theory, everything seems great. Even the first candidate who uses it is initially impressed—not just by the speed of the company’s response, but also by the ingenious use of AI. They may even think, “Wow, this company is ahead of the curve. This kind of efficiency must make it an incredible place to work. This is exactly what I would expect from a place known for innovation.”

But then things take a turn

The agentic AI solution starts getting into more in-depth interview questions than the candidate was prepared for in an automated screening. Instead of expected questions like “Do you have eight years of experience?” or “When would you be available for a call with a recruiter?”, the candidate is asked something far more complex, like “Tell me about a time you worked with a cross-functional team to solve a challenging problem.” The candidate pauses to collect their thoughts—but before they can respond fully, the bot chirps, “Got it! Great answer!” and moves on. The moment is gone. The candidate is left wondering, “Did it even register what I said? Who will review my response? Did I just blow my chance at this job?

This scenario isn’t just a hypothetical; it’s playing out right now in the marketplace. And frustrated job seekers are sharing real experiences like this on LinkedIn and Reddit. Hilke Schellmann, the author of The Algorithm, recently walked through a similar case that is worth a watch, highlighting how AI can create unintended roadblocks for candidates. And while candidates are tacitly receptive to the speed and efficiencies AI offers, they are leery about AI playing the role of human agent, or worst yet, a gatekeeper to their employment.

The Future of AI in Recruitment

We know that Agentic AI is projected to reshape HR and recruitment with the market expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Data from the Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR) suggests that 92% of HR leaders are planning to ramp up their AI usage. Additional projections indicate that 80% of Forbes’ Global 2000 are expected to expand the use of AI for training, onboarding and hiring by the end of 2025. The potential benefits in efficiency, data-driven decision-making and scalability are immense. But the risks of a poorly implemented AI strategy are equally concerning.

Striking the Right Balance

This is where an organization’s employer brand comes into play. AI can be used to reinforce components of an employer brand (particularly innovation), but if it fails at capturing the human essence of your brand, it can erode trust and engagement—two critical factors in attracting and retaining top talent. Companies that rely too heavily on AI-driven recruiting tasks without considering the candidate experience may unknowingly create a cold, transactional hiring process that contradicts their EVP.

The Takeaway

AI is not inherently good or bad for an employer brand—it all depends on how it’s used. If AI is your first touchpoint with candidates, ensure it reflects your EVP and balances efficiency with human connection. Otherwise, the very technology designed to help may end up harming your reputation in ways you never anticipated.

Why Sports Sponsorships are Healthcare’s Next Power Play

Healthcare consumers are savvier than ever. They’re not just patients; they’re customers shopping for care with the same scrutiny they apply to major purchases. This shift means healthcare leaders must think beyond operations and patient outcomes—they must think like marketers.

But a killer marketing strategy isn’t just about the external message; it’s also about the internal culture. Your employees—the people who interact with patients every day—are the face of your brand. That makes internal communications a crucial partner in your branding efforts.

Competition Is Driving the Evolution of Healthcare Marketing

Healthcare competition isn’t just coming from other hospitals or clinics. Retail giants like CVS and Walgreens, along with tech powerhouses like Apple and Amazon, are disrupting the market. Patients are weighing their options, factoring in convenience and cost—and most importantly, experience. In this landscape, it’s not enough to have a great ad campaign. You need a team that delivers a brand experience that keeps patients coming back. This starts with HR and a clearly defined employment brand, and it carries through to marketing and communications that embody your brand values.

 The Secret Weapon: Your People

Your marketing can promise exceptional care, but it’s your team that delivers it. Prioritizing patient-focused hiring ensures that every touchpoint—from the front desk to the operating room—reinforces your brand’s reputation. Beyond that, leaders, physicians and staff should be positioned as brand ambassadors in the community. Their integrity, expertise and compassion aren’t just assets in patient care—they’re your best marketing tool.

Do you have a clearly defined employment brand? Does your organization have a brand ambassador program?

AB&C Trolls Kansas City Chiefs Fans Ahead of the Big Game

Hours after the Eagles’ stunning NFC championship win, chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S” were still echoing along Broad Street. Fans were furiously booking trips to New Orleans. Meanwhile, a small team at AB&C was quietly and quickly plotting their next move. Ahead of the Eagles’ return to the “big game,” AB&C set out to give our Philly faithful a unique way to shout our team pride from the rooftops and take a fun jab at KC fans along the way.

We strategically placed a billboard outside Arrowhead Stadium, and in just one week, we made headlines around the country and raised money for two great causes.

Here’s how things played out:

Several days before the big game in New Orleans, AB&C went live with a billboard on I-435. It featured a local Kansas City area code and a compelling message: “816-323-GO KC—call for a pep rally in your pocket.” Callers were greeted not by a KC message, but a rousing version of the “Fly, Eagles, Fly!” fight song instead. In a press release posted 24 hours later, AB&C took credit for the stunt. But our campaign wasn’t just about making some noise—it was also about making an impact. In our release, we explained our pledge to donate $1 per call to a designated charity in both Kansas City and Philadelphia, with a total donation maximum of $2,500 to the Hunt Family Foundation and the Eagles Autism Foundation.

The response was overwhelming. While maybe not as fast as a Saquon Barkley sprint into the endzone, our billboard quickly went viral, gaining the attention and engagement of not only the people driving by but also millions of people across the country—thanks to a little (tush) push from our social and PR teams. Over seven days, engagement metrics exceeded expectations:

  • Total social media impressions: 639,050
  • Total number of news stories: 107
  • Calls to the board’s phone number: 333,487

The day of the Eagles’ big win, we replaced the original billboard with a new message: “Hey, KC, Thanks for Answering the Call. Donations made to the Hunt Family Foundation and Eagles Autism Foundation.” We also placed a corresponding “Thanks, Philly” board near Lincoln Financial Field.

Everything came together to generate these numbers. We saw activity on our own social channels as well as posts from other people and organizations, ranging from news outlets and sports influencers to fans in both cities and beyond. Major media outlets also covered the story, including network affiliates in Philadelphia and Kansas City, USA TODAY Sports, Yahoo! Sports, MSN, Vice, DraftKings, Reddit and many others.

The Eagles’ return to the big game gave AB&C a unique opportunity to put our agency resources and expertise to work, showing our Philadelphia spirit, engaging fans from both cities in a fun rivalry and giving back to both communities in a meaningful way. In true AB&C fashion, we pushed ourselves to see just “how high” we could fly with the Eagles. We are incredibly happy to show the country what the City of Brotherly Love is all about. And we appreciate all who joined in to show their team spirit.

Is Your Candidate Journey Costing You Great Hires?

Is Your Candidate Journey Costing You Great Hires? Let Your Personas Lead the Way.

Candidates expect more than a one-size-fits-all experience that doesn’t reflect their unique needs and motivations during the hiring process. And if they do get what feels like a generic candidate journey, they just might move on. This can be especially true for top talent who know their worth. Persona-led candidate journeys can play an essential part in helping your organization stand out and help build stronger connections with the people you hope to hire.

What Are Persona-Led Candidate Journeys?

A persona-led candidate journey is a strategic approach to recruitment that moves beyond demographics and a job description to tap into what truly drives candidates for a specific role or job type—their motivations, challenges and career aspirations.

The power of persona-led journeys lies in their ability to reinforce your employee value proposition (EVP) to ensure that every touchpoint—whether a job description, career site, social media content or recruiter conversation—feels personal, relevant and compelling to the right candidate.

Key Benefits of Persona-Led Candidate Journeys

  1. Personalized Candidate Experience: Customizing content, job recommendations and messaging according to a candidate’s persona enriches the recruitment experience, making it more relevant and engaging to convert the candidate into your pipeline.
  2. Increased Candidate Engagement: By presenting information and opportunities that align with a candidate’s career aspirations and stage in the hiring funnel, persona-led journeys foster deeper engagement with your organization.
  3. Improved Job Matches: Personalized job recommendations ensure that candidates encounter roles that more closely match their skills, experience and career goals for a more positive—and less frustrating— candidate experience.
  4. Strengthened Employer Brand: A recruitment process that acknowledges and addresses the individual needs of candidates strengthens the employer brand, showcasing the company as one that values and understands its applicants.

How to Craft Candidate Personas

Collect Insights and Information: Start the process by gathering data. This step involves delving into the backgrounds of past successful hires, engaging with current employees through surveys or interviews, and keeping an eye on prevailing industry trends. Aim to collect diverse details, such as demographic information, job preferences, motivations and aspirations related to their careers.

Create Segments: Organize your potential candidates into clear segments that share common attributes. These segments will serve as the groundwork for developing your candidate personas. Typical segments might encompass categories, such as recent college graduates, or be role-based, like a nurse specializing in critical care.

Highlight Challenges: Pinpoint the specific challenges and obstacles faced by candidates within each segment as they navigate their job search or seek career progression. These challenges could range from achieving a satisfactory work-life balance to meeting salary expectations to finding opportunities for career advancement.

Understand Aspirations and Drivers: Get to the heart of what propels candidates forward in each segment. Is it the pursuit of a rewarding career, the desire for swift professional growth, or the search for an employer whose values resonate with their own? Clarify their underlying motivations and objectives.

Build Rich Personas: Using the insights from your research and segmentation, construct comprehensive candidate personas. Assign each persona a name and a visual identity to bring them to life. Flesh out each persona with critical details, including their job title, educational background, career ambitions, key challenges, where they go for news and entertainment, and what motivates them. This step transforms abstract data into tangible, relatable profiles that can guide your recruitment strategy.

Implementing Persona-Led Candidate Journeys on Your Career Website

Implementing persona-led candidate journeys on your career site involves identifying key candidate personas, mapping out their typical journey from job discovery to application to conversion into a talent community, and pinpointing where personalization can have the most impact. Think about:

  • Improving ways to streamline navigation by creating easy pathways by persona.
  • Removing friction by tailoring the apply process to different experience levels and job types. Develop and deliver content that caters to each persona’s needs, whether through personalized job recommendations, company insights, testimonials or storytelling,
  • Adding rich content to job postings, such as a day in the life video, and authentic job expectations to encourage self-selection from candidates who might not be the right fit.

Utilizing analytics to track interactions across the journey will help you continuously optimize your persona-led journeys too.

The ROI of Persona-Led Candidate Journeys

In a recent Candidate Experience Report by Career Plug, 36% of job seekers said they have declined an offer because of a negative experience while 66% of candidates said that a positive experience influenced their decision to accept an offer. Adopting persona-led journeys yields significant improvements in recruitment outcomes, including higher application completion rates, improved candidate quality, reduced time-to-hire and stronger employer branding.

Lights, Camera, Authenticity: A Practical Approach to Employer Brand Storytelling

Lights, Camera, Authenticity: A Practical Approach to Employer Brand Storytelling

As an employer brander, you’re sold on storytelling. You know deep down in your heart that the people you want to hire aren’t going to be satisfied by reading a list of your company’s values on the career site. They want to see them in action. What does growth look like? How do coworkers collaborate and celebrate successes? What’s the reality of a day in the life for someone in the same role?  

When these questions are answered by your people, the effect is powerful not only for attracting and engaging new talent but also for inspiring pride and advocacy in employees. And with every story, your EVP, personas and messaging framework collectively serve as your strategy’s north star — guiding your approach to storytelling in ways that will connect with the right audience, stir emotion and leave a lasting impression.

Budget, resources and time can challenge even the most “sold” employer brand leader to get a working plan off their vision board. How to begin can seem daunting, but when mapped across the entire talent lifecycle, the incredible possibilities of such stories are endless, too. So, let’s think about a realistic and very doable plan in the forever classic crawl, walk, run approach.

Crawl: Start with the Basics

Oh, where to begin? A great way to start is by developing content in the form of an employee Q&A blog series. Create a standard set of persona-led questionnaires to make the process scalable, easier to produce and focused on connecting with your target audiences internally and externally. Think of the resulting blogs as storytelling snapshots with bite-sized insights perfectly tailored to specific talent groups. For example, if your target persona is a group known to be ambitious problem-solvers, include a question that invites them to share a memorable challenge they successfully tackled or learned a ton from.

Add some at-work or at-play photos to the mix (bonus points if they’re candid) and you’ve got yourself the start of some very clickable and sharable content. Across relevant career site pages, job descriptions, social posts, nurture campaigns and even your company’s intranet or newsletter, a blog series can be the gift that keeps on giving when integrated into a wide variety of activations.

Walk: Take It up a Notch

Next, consider stepping it up to UGC (user-generated content) videos. Get employees and leadership excited and comfortable with the idea. Frame the exercise as a way to share authentic stories about being part of the team because an employee’s point of view is the ultimate job description. Provide clear guidelines and a prompt for each video request, such as “What’s your favorite thing about working here?” Even better, share an example or two of great UGC videos to inspire employees. While you can also offer optional training or tools to help with audio and video quality, like phone stands or ring lights, the camera on their phone or laptop is likely all that they’ll need. We really want to keep these real.

YouTube UGC videos versus brand-produced videos receive 10 times more views. As a dynamic element to your many talent touchpoints, imagine the impact on generating very meaningful engagement and quality conversions. And don’t forget to acknowledge and celebrate the employees who participate. Shining a spotlight on their stories company-wide helps build trust and jump-starts advocacy.

Run: Invest in Production

Moving right along, give serious consideration to investing in a professionally produced video series. Now, don’t worry. “Produced” doesn’t mean polished to the point of perfection. Authenticity still reigns supreme, but a little cinematic flair can go a very long way. Produced videos can creatively highlight key stories, showcase leadership or bring your EVP to life in a way that’s consistent with the look and feel of your employer brand that adds yet another level of credibility. Plus, the footage, including the bloopers, can be cut and recut into all sorts of applications to motivate and retain top talent.

The ROI of Storytelling

Investing in storytelling isn’t just a feel-good exercise; it’s also a business decision. According to LinkedIn, candidates are 3x more likely to trust a company’s employees over the company itself. By sharing real employee stories, you’re building trust, shaping perceptions, engaging candidates and fostering a sense of belonging before a candidate hits the “apply now” button or a new hire fires up their brand-new laptop on day one.

When tenured employees see their stories valued and shared, it deepens their connection to your organization. They can become your most authentic ambassadors, amplifying your brand to their networks and expanding your organic reach exponentially all by genuinely wanting to share this type of content.

So, whether you’re crawling, walking or running, the key is to start somewhere and make authentic storytelling an ongoing and highly rewarding journey.

Why Sports Sponsorships are Healthcare’s Next Power Play

Hospitals and Sporting Events: A Winning Partnership

Hospitals and Sporting Events: A Winning Partnership

Healthcare marketing is evolving. As patients become more informed and discerning, healthcare organizations must rethink their approach to brand visibility and engagement. Enter sports sponsorship. It’s a strategic move that positions healthcare brands in front of passionate, engaged audiences, especially when high-profile FIFA and MLB events are headed our way.

The Shift to Healthcare Consumerism

The traditional patient-provider dynamic has changed. Today, consumers expect more from their healthcare experience, weighing quality, cost and convenience like any other major purchase. Rising deductibles and out-of-pocket costs are driving consumers to make more deliberate choices about their care. Healthcare organizations must compete for attention and trust—and sports sponsorships offer a powerful way to do just that.

Why Sports Sponsorships Make Sense

For decades, beverage brands, fast-food chains and tech companies have capitalized on sports sponsorships. Now hospitals and insurance companies are catching up. The connection is natural: Sports embody physical health, wellness and peak performance—values that align seamlessly with healthcare.

In 2023, NewYork-Presbyterian became the first health system to put its logo on an MLB uniform, through a partnership with the New York Mets. Currently, there are healthcare organizations that are patch partners with the MLB, WNBA, NBA, MLS and National Women’s Soccer League. The NBA patch deals are estimated to be worth $7 million to $10 million annually, according to The Athletic. Health systems are using varying levels of partnership to promote initiatives like Breast Cancer Awareness Day and youth wellness programs, and to reinforce their commitment to community health. These partnerships go beyond logo placement; they engage audiences through meaningful activations that drive awareness, trust and even patient acquisition.

The Competitive Advantage

A well-executed sports sponsorship does more than boost brand recognition. It fosters community engagement, reinforces a commitment to wellness and differentiates your brand in a crowded market. As healthcare consumerism grows, strategic partnerships like these can enhance brand affinity and influence patient decisions.

Is your healthcare brand ready to step onto the field? Let’s talk about how the right sponsorship strategy can elevate your brand and create lasting impact.

The Candidate Experience Will Always Matter — Here’s Why

The Candidate Experience Will Always Matter—Here’s Why by Matt Walsh

In this time of economic uncertainty and job insecurity, power has swung back from the job seeker to the employer in the hiring process. Combine this with possible lingering resentment from employers being “ghosted” by candidates and the job hopping of the last few years, hiring companies may be less invested in the candidate experience. Eight in ten hiring managers admit to “ghosting” candidates, and Kevin Grossman of ERE Media, Inc. predicts the “candidate experience will be in a free fall in 2025.” This is the time to positively differentiate yourself from your competitors and foster good will among job seekers.

A poor candidate experience can cause damage to your company’s reputation. According to Lisa Shuster in Forbes, “Not responding to candidates who take the time to apply or express interest in an open position can lead potential hires to believe your company doesn’t treat job seekers well or value its people. This sentiment can spread and harm your employer brand because applicants you’ve ‘ghosted’ won’t hesitate to leave poor online reviews and tell everyone in their networks.” While you may see a minimal impact upon your company’s reputation in the current economic climate, good candidates may still “ghost” you in favor of another job offer or may not apply at all. Those negative online reviews also don’t disappear so they can cause long-lasting damage to your company’s reputation and, when the pendulum swings back in favor of job seekers, your company may be on the outside looking in.

One consequence of a poor candidate experience you may not consider is damage to your overall business. As Lisa Shuster notes, “When my company iHire surveyed a Qualtrics panel of 600 U.S. job seekers this past March, we found that nearly 40% of candidates would be less likely to interact with a brand in the future (buy their products, follow them on social media, etc.) if they applied and didn’t hear back from the employer.” If job seekers feel slighted, the impact can go far beyond considering any future openings and affect the bottom line of your business. On the other hand, cultivating a positive job candidate experience can help your overall business. According to Kevin Grossman, a positive candidate experience can result in “more referrals, more revenue, and more brand advocacy.” As you can see, how you treat job candidates can reverberate across your whole company.

Here are some suggestions:

  1. Ensure that there is an automated message confirming that the application has been received, and, if possible, an estimated timeline of the review process. The less mystery, the better!
  2. If the job opening is for a hard-to-fill position (physicians, nurses, etc.), personal outreach from a recruiter will make a difference. A generic and/or automated response just won’t cut it.
  3. Notify candidates in a timely manner if they are not being considered for the opening. They will appreciate the respect instead of silence.
  4. For those no longer being considered for an opening, offer to add them to your company’s “talent community” (if you don’t have one, now is a good time to create one) so they may receive notifications of future openings they may be interested in and insights into what’s happening at your organization to keep them engaged.
  5. For those you are considering for an open position, send regular updates at every stage of the hiring process, especially if the steps are taking longer than expected following an interview.

Job candidates have always valued genuine contact and honest feedback in the recruitment process and this is especially true now, when they feel less empowered and more vulnerable. Timely and genuine communication with a candidate will not only affect your ability to recruit the best candidates, but also can generate good will that helps your company in the long run.

February 9, 2025

Philadelphia Ad Agency Aloysius Butler & Clark Thanks Chiefs and Eagles Fans for Answering the Call

Overwhelming response to agency’s “trolling billboard” in Kansas City engages hundreds of thousands of fans to help raise money for charities in both cities.

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 9, 2025) Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C), one of the largest independent full-service marketing communications agencies on the East Coast, today demonstrated what brotherly love is all about by replacing its “trolling billboard” next to Arrowhead Stadium with one thanking Kansas City residents for joining in the fun—and ensuring the agency made its maximum intended donation to two charities. AB&C has placed a similar board near Lincoln Financial Field, thanking Philadelphians.

In response to the original campaign going viral and prompting AB&C to donate $2,500 each to the Eagles Autism Foundation and Kansas City’s Hunt Family Foundation, at 8:00 a.m. (CST) today, the agency replaced the 816-323-GO KC billboard with a new message: “Hey, KC, Thanks for Answering the Call. Donations made to Hunt Family Foundation and Eagles Autism Foundation.” The corresponding “Thanks, Philly” board went live this weekend as well.

“The response has been overwhelming and amazing to watch,” said Steve Merino, AB&C’s chief creative officer. “Whether people were taking part because of their spirit of competition, out of curiosity or to support the cause, we achieved what we set out to do. Both cities win. Now we just want to say thanks.”

On Feb. 4, AB&C went live with a billboard to capture the attention of commuters on I-435 in Kansas City. It featured a compelling message: “816-323-GO KCcall for a pep rally in your pocket.” Callers were greeted by a rousing version of the “Fly, Eagles, Fly!” fight song. AB&C pledged to donate $1 per call to both the Eagles Autism Foundation and Kansas City’s Hunt Family Foundation, with a total donation maximum of $2,500 to each charity. In true Philadelphia Eagles style, engagement with the campaign “soared,” connecting hundreds of thousands of fans through the phone number, billboard, social and news media in a show of pride for their respective teams.

Campaign Metrics

While the agency anticipated social media and PR efforts would play a big role in the success of the campaign, engagement numbers exceeded expectations. As of late afternoon on Friday, Feb. 7—less than 48 hours after the campaign kickoff—activity on AB&C’s social channels alone had generated 192,114 impressions; 2,030 likes/reactions; 1,301 shares; and 248 comments.

However, the real “viral power” came from other people and organizations—ranging from news outlets and sports influencers to fans in both cities and beyond—posting on their own social channels. Again, within 48 hours, this shared content generated 356,639 impressions (X/Twitter only); 80,587 likes/reactions; 30,361 shares; and 4,616 comments.

In addition, a range of digital and broadcast media outlets, including the Fox outlets in Kansas City and Philadelphia as well as many others, helped extend the reach of the campaign.

About AB&C

Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C) is one of the largest independent full-service marketing communications agencies on the East Coast. Proudly founded in Wilmington, Delaware, with additional offices in Philadelphia and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, AB&C has played a significant role in the industry for over 50 years. Our clients are regional, national and international in scopeand concentrated in five core market segments: healthcare, behavior change, recruitment marketing, consumer and specialty B2B.

Beer, AI and Baby Clydesdales — Breaking Down This Year’s Super Bowl Ads

We’d like to announce the second most exciting match-up of Super Bowl LIX – creative and strategy. As you are very well aware, this is a pretty big time of year for us ad nerds. Some might say it’s the Super Bowl of commercials. So, as we look ahead to our commercial kick-off, Alex Wittchen and I want to break down what we think you’ll see during the big game’s big breaks.

What to expect

AI o’clock.

Where 2023 was the year of bitcoin, this will be the year of AI. Some brands like Meta and GoDaddy are touting new AI‑powered offerings, but even more will streamline production costs by using AI tools behind the scenes, and plenty of brands may just use AI as the butt of their jokes. But what you won’t see are fully AI-generated ads. During the Super Bowl, the idea is king and AI just A-ain’t there yet (just ask Coke and Toys‑r‑us).

Alex’s Takeaway:

AI is a tool, not a concept. The brands that win won’t just use AI—they’ll make it relevant to their brand and audience. If AI doesn’t reinforce a core brand truth or deliver an actual consumer benefit, it’s just another tech buzzword that will be forgotten by the next commercial break.

Raise a glass, or 5.

According to ADWEEK, “Anheuser Busch is the largest Super Bowl advertiser across all beer, alcohol, and consumer packaged goods companies” in 2025. Last year, they secured spots for three of their drinks; this year it’s 5. With advertisers ponying up a pretty penny for airtime – $7 million for 30 seconds of airtime alone – that’s a lot of money spent on watery beer.

Alex’s Takeaway:

Dominating share of voice isn’t the same as dominating consumer mindshare. More ads don’t necessarily mean more impact—it’s about what they say, not just how often they say it. The real win for Anheuser Busch will be if they make each ad feel distinct while reinforcing a consistent brand narrative across all five.

Take that, rewind it back.

As usual, many brands are taking the ol’ “if it ain’t” broke approach to their big investments. We’ve got baby Clydesdales, action stars named Chris, and a big nostalgia play (looking at Hellmann’s bringing us back to the When Harry Met Sally diner).

Alex’s Takeaway:

Nostalgia works when it’s more than a reference. The brands that get it right will use nostalgia to reinforce brand equity or spark new relevance—like Hellmann’s tying their diner moment to modern food trends. The ones that get it wrong? They’ll feel like reruns with no clear reason to exist today.

What not to expect

What’s got 4 doors and is sitting out of the Super Bowl?

As of last week, only one automaker confirmed a 2025 Super Bowl ad. The reason could be that the industry has been heavily focused on making and marketing electric vehicles which customers have been slow to adopt, along with the current administration’s likelihood to end subsidies and policies that benefit electric vehicle manufacturers. Long story short, if you’re looking for a quick way to save a buck – $7 million on air seems like a good place to start.

Alex’s Takeaway:

Sitting out is a strategy, too. Automakers aren’t just cutting costs; they’re recalibrating priorities. If a category that used Super Bowl ads as a staple suddenly opts out, it’s a signal that their marketing focus is shifting. The real question: Where are they investing instead?

Shock factor

My guess is that most brands will like their ads how Anheuser Busch likes their beer – watered down and palatable for the masses. Humor is going to be light and the heavy emotional spots will be few and far between. In this climate, brands will be less looking to make bold statements in favor of broad appeal and a feel‑good laugh.

Alex’s Takeaway:

Mass appeal doesn’t have to mean forgettable. The best brands will find ways to be memorable within the safe zone—whether that’s through strong storytelling, unique execution, or a fresh perspective. Playing it safe is fine. Playing it dull isn’t.

State Farm

Though they had a big presence in last year’s game and were cued up for more of the same, they decided to pull their spot in light of the LA fires to “focus firmly on providing support to the people of Los Angeles.” In other words, they had received some flack as of late for dropping policies in LA in the past few years due to extreme weather. So spending all of that money on a big ad with big celebs wouldn’t be a great lewk.

Alex’s Takeaway:

Marketing decisions don’t exist in a vacuum. A brand’s public perception can shape what they shouldn’t say just as much as what they should. The smartest marketers know when to step back—and when to reinvest in rebuilding trust through actions, not ads.

So grab your chips, your dip, and your copies of “Inner Excellence” – there’s a lot to look forward to this weekend.

February 5, 2025

Philadelphia Ad Agency Aloysius Butler & Clark Trolls Kansas City Chiefs Fans to Benefit Charities in Both Cities Ahead of the Big Game

In an unprecedented show of Eagles fandom, agency owns up to billboard by Arrowhead Stadium.

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 5, 2025) — Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C), one of the largest independent full-service marketing communications agencies on the East Coast, has come forward to claim responsibility for the “816-323-GO KC—call for a pep rally in your pocket” digital billboard next to Arrowhead Stadium. Since Tuesday, Feb. 4, the billboard has been capturing the attention of commuters traveling on I-435. After dialing the number on the billboard, a person is greeted with a rousing version of the “Fly, Eagles, Fly!” fight song.

In addition to securing and designing the board, the agency is demonstrating what being in the City of Brotherly Love is all about. For every call received via the 816-323-GO KC line, AB&C is making donations to the Eagles Autism Foundation and Kansas City’s Hunt Family Foundation. AB&C will donate up to $5,000 total, based on the number of calls received between Feb. 4 and the game on Sunday, Feb. 9.

816-323-GO KC billboard in Kansas City, MO.

“AB&C is incredibly proud to be a part of the Philadelphia community and grateful for the opportunities it’s given us as a business,” said Colleen Masters, AB&C’s executive creative director. “To honor this pride, we wanted to give back to two great charities in a meaningful but uniquely Philly way. Like any proud part of the Philadelphia community, we take our sports seriously. With the Eagles in the big game, this seemed like a great chance to take our team spirit well beyond our borders. We did this for every loyal Eagles fan out there—and even more importantly, for the communities of both teams.”

About AB&C

Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C) is one of the largest independent full-service marketing communications agencies on the East Coast. Proudly founded in Wilmington, Delaware, with additional offices in Philadelphia and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, AB&C has played a significant role in the industry for over 50 years. Our clients are regional, national and international in scope—and concentrated in five core market segments: healthcare, behavior change, recruitment marketing, consumer and specialty B2B.

Did the Clock Run Out on TikTok? For Now, No.

Did the Clock Run Out on TikTok? For Now, No.

Well, it happened—sort of. The TikTok ban, slated to go into effect on Jan. 19, 2025, arrived a few hours early, as users began to receive messages that the app was no longer available around 10:30 p.m. Eastern time on Jan. 18.

Memes mourning the loss of TikTok and maligning Instagram Reels immediately began to make their rounds (shoutout to uncontested brand troll leader Duolingo for this video), and by the early-morning hours of Jan. 19, TikTok users were beginning to adjust to a new normal without their FYP.

Shortly after noon on Jan. 19, something interesting happened—TikTok was restored. U.S.-based users were able to open the app and scroll again, greeted with a message that read, “Thanks for your patience and support! As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok.”

But is TikTok back long-term? That remains to be seen.

In August 2020, during his first term, President Trump issued an executive order claiming that TikTok was capturing massive amounts of information about Americans that could be used by the Chinese government. The order was later blocked by a federal judge and then dropped by the Biden administration, in favor of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA, the TikTok ban that was semi-enacted over the weekend).

President Trump appeared to change his position in March 2024, when he came out against the bill to ban the app or force a sale. Over the weekend, on Truth Social, Trump posted, “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”

TikTok has also issued a statement that ends, “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”

What that long-term solution looks like remains to be seen, as ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) has shown no interest in a potential sale to a U.S.-based company. Trump has floated a joint venture between ByteDance and a U.S.-based company, but PAFACA in its current state prohibits more than 20% ownership by a foreign company. Congress could move to change the law, which would pave the way for TikTok to be partially owned by a U.S. company.

In the meantime, here’s what we recommend for users and for brands celebrating the return of TikTok:

  • Continue to download your data and save any content you’re posting on TikTok to your computer or phone.
  • Follow your favorite creators on other platforms.
  • Diversify your media mix and consider shifting paid media dollars that were previously allocated to TikTok to other social networks that are less volatile.
December 11, 2024

Aloysius Butler & Clark Announces Retirement of CFO, Linda Shopa; an Additional Owner, and Leadership Changes to Support Growth Strategies

WILMINGTON, Del. (Dec. 11, 2024) — Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C), one of the largest independent full-service marketing communications agencies in the region, has announced that Linda Shopa, CFO, will retire on December 31, 2024. After 35 years with the agency, Shopa’s retirement comes with several long-planned leadership changes that will ensure a smooth transition and support the agency’s aggressive growth strategy.

“It’s been a remarkable journey with AB&C, and I will always be grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to contribute to our growth and help build the agency into the company it is today,” Shopa said. “I have no doubt AB&C will continue to pursue the strategies that keep the business strong and set us apart from [other] agencies in the region and beyond.”

Key leadership changes at AB&C include:

Joanna Ford, previously Director of PR & Social Media, has taken on an expanded leadership role as the agency’s Chief Communications Officer. In addition to overseeing all internal and external communications, Ford will take on responsibilities for agency operations. She also now joins Paul Pomeroy, CEO, and Steve Merino, Chief Creative Officer, as an owner.

Will Davis, Finance Director, will become CFO upon Shopa’s retirement. Davis will also expand his responsibilities in the agency’s long-term fiscal planning and operations.

“AB&C would not be where it is today without Linda’s dedication and the influence she’s had on our growth,” CEO Paul Pomeroy said. “Certainly, we are sad to see her retire. But the way we will transition and move forward is completely aligned with Linda’s commitment to the well-being of AB&C. This agency is building on the very foundations that she helped to establish to continue our growth strategies. We wish Linda all the best and are excited to move ahead with these meaningful leadership changes.”

Additional AB&C promotions driven by Shopa’s retirement and agency growth include the following new positions:

  • Chris Marts—Managing Director of Technology Operations (formerly IT Director)
  • Danielle Clark—Senior Financial Accountant (formerly accounting services)

About AB&C

Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C) is one of the largest independent full-service marketing communications agencies on the East Coast. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, with additional offices in Philadelphia and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, AB&C has played a significant role in the industry for over 50 years. Its clients are regional, national and international in scope—and concentrated in five core market segments: healthcare, behavior change, recruitment marketing, consumer and specialty B2B. Learn more at abccreative.com.

Be Open to Being Wrong: The Creative Necessity of Debate

Be Open to Being Wrong: The Creative Necessity of Debate

In a creative agency, ideas are currency. But great ideas rarely emerge fully formed—they’re shaped, refined, and polished through the fires of discussion and debate. At AB&C, we believe that disagreement doesn’t mean disrespect. In fact, it’s not just welcome—it’s necessary. Creative progress demands differing perspectives, thoughtful challenges, and the courage to question assumptions.

This belief comes from experience. Some of our best work has grown out of spirited conversations and opposing viewpoints. And yet, fostering a culture where disagreement thrives without crossing the line into disrespect requires intentional effort. It means rethinking how we engage with one another and, sometimes, redefining what success looks like in a team dynamic.

The Value of Healthy Disagreement

Disagreement is not a sign of dysfunction; it’s a sign that people care. Passion for an idea or a direction often leads to pushback—sometimes strong pushback. But this pushback is vital. When team members bring their unique perspectives, they open the door to conversations that enrich ideas and expand creative possibilities.

Healthy disagreement keeps us from settling for ‘good enough’ ideas. It challenges groupthink and encourages innovative thinking. Without it, creativity risks stagnation, and we may fail to fully serve our clients or reach the potential of what we’re capable of achieving as a team.

I can vouch for this personally—some of the best work I’ve been part of started with heated debates among close colleagues. I’ve had moments where I walked out of a meeting thinking, There’s no way I’m agreeing with that idea, only to find myself passionately defending it a week later. That’s the beauty of this process—it doesn’t just evolve the work, it evolves us too.

Making Space for Dialogue and Debate

So how do we create space for productive dialogue and debate? The fact is: it’s tough. It doesn’t just happen naturally. Teams need a structure and a culture that welcomes diverse perspectives and ensures everyone feels safe to voice their thoughts. This means being deliberate about how we approach conversations and ensuring that all voices are heard, not just the loudest or most senior in the room.

This means we’re asking ourselves critical questions:

  • Are our meetings structured in ways that encourage differing perspectives rather than silence them?
  • Do our team members have the time and space to articulate their ideas fully before the group responds?
  • Are leaders modeling constructive disagreement by encouraging challenges and demonstrating a willingness to be persuaded?

These are questions without easy answers, but the effort to address them is essential if you want to keep making better and better work. Creating a culture of dialogue and debate starts at the top, with leaders setting the tone. Yet it also requires buy-in and accountability from everyone in the organization.

The Responsibility of Every Team Member

Creating a culture of productive disagreement isn’t solely a leadership responsibility. Every team member has a role to play. Here are some principles we hold ourselves to:

  1. Be Curious: Approach disagreements with curiosity, not defensiveness. Ask questions to dig deeper into someone’s perspective, aiming to understand rather than rebut.
  2. Be Respectful: Always critique ideas, not people. Choosing the right words and maintaining a thoughtful tone can mean the difference between a constructive conversation and an unproductive argument.
  3. Be Open to Being Wrong: And let me tell you, — this one can be tough. Strong opinions are valuable, but they shouldn’t become immovable. Flexibility in the face of better ideas or perspectives is a hallmark of true collaboration.
  4. Stay Goal-Oriented: Remember that the purpose of debate is not to “win” but to arrive at the best possible solution for the client or the project.

Finding the Balance Between Passion and Positivity

In a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, it’s easy for disagreements to become heated. Passion is a good thing—it means we care about the work. But it’s also essential to balance that passion with positivity. A culture that prioritizes constructive dialogue over combative conversations will build trust within teams and strengthen the creative process.

At AB&C, we encourage our teams to view debates as opportunities, not obstacles. It’s a chance to show vulnerability, to test ideas, and to grow together. After all, the best creative work is rarely the product of one person’s vision—it’s the result of many voices coming together, refining, challenging, and ultimately building something better than any single person could have imagined.

Why It Matters

Disagreement is where innovation lives. By pushing back, we push forward. Debate and dialogue drive us to move beyond our comfort zones and uncover solutions that may not have been obvious at first glance. This process isn’t just better for the work—it’s better for the people doing the work. It fosters trust, builds stronger teams, and cultivates an environment where creativity can flourish.

When disagreement is respectful, thoughtful, and goal-oriented, it becomes a powerful tool for growth – for the agency, the client and the individual. It teaches us to listen, to articulate our ideas clearly, and to value the perspectives of others.

At AB&C, we know that great ideas don’t come from avoiding conflict. They come from engaging with it—constructively, respectfully, and with a shared commitment to our clients and each other. So lean into the tough conversations. Let’s embrace the beautiful friction that makes magic happen. And let’s keep the dialogue going.

Unlocking the CEO’s Top Priority: The Critical Role of Physician Recruitment in Enhancing Patient Care

Unlocking the CEO’s Top Priority: The Critical Role of Physician Recruitment in Enhancing Patient Care

In a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, CEOs of health systems are laser-focused on one paramount goal: improving patient care outcomes. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, this priority tops the list of health system C-suite initiatives for 2025. Yet, achieving this goal hinges on having the right physicians in place — a challenge that underscores the value of a robust physician recruitment function.

A strong recruitment strategy does more than fill vacancies. It also accelerates the time to hire, secures top-tier talent and minimizes the organizational and financial costs of prolonged vacancies. Here’s how:

1. Faster Hiring = Better Patient Outcomes

Physician vacancies create a ripple effect throughout the organization, impacting patient care delivery, staff morale and operational efficiency. Overburdened physicians may experience burnout, leading to errors, patient dissatisfaction and even higher turnover. A well-oiled physician recruitment function ensures your health system hires quickly, keeping teams fully staffed and maintaining high quality care standards.

Key Insight:

Every day a critical physician role remains vacant, patients may face longer wait times and diminished access to care. This can jeopardize a health system’s ability to meet quality benchmarks, adversely impacting patient satisfaction scores and reimbursement rates.


2. Quantifying the Financial Benefits of Reducing Time-to-Fill

Beyond quality-of-care metrics, unfilled physician roles have a direct financial cost. The average physician generates $2.4 million annually in net revenue for their organization, meaning every day a position goes unfilled translates to lost revenue.

Organizations can quantify this impact using tools like MissingPhysician.com, which calculates the financial windfall associated with reducing time-to-fill. This data allows CEOs and CFOs to see the tangible benefits of investing in physician recruitment infrastructure.

Example:

A specialty like cardiology, with an average time-to-fill of 180 days, could result in a $1.2 million revenue loss during that period. Reducing time-to-fill by even 30 days can recapture $200,000+ in revenue.


3. Investing in Recruitment Yields Long-Term Gains

Physician recruitment isn’t just about speed; it’s also about building relationships, understanding market dynamics and strategically aligning talent acquisition with organizational goals. By investing in a dedicated recruitment function, health systems can:

  • Access a larger, more diverse candidate pool.
  • Strengthen employer branding to attract high-caliber candidates.
  • Enhance retention by identifying candidates aligned with organizational culture and long-term objectives.

Practical Action Steps:

  • Utilize data-driven strategies to forecast workforce needs.
  • Partner with recruitment specialists skilled in reducing time-to-fill for hard-to-recruit specialties.
  • Integrate tools like MissingPhysician.com to align recruitment goals with measurable financial outcomes.

As CEOs champion better patient care, they must recognize physician recruitment as a cornerstone of this mission. A seamless, efficient recruitment function ensures that the right talent is on board to deliver on the organization’s promise of quality care. Moreover, linking recruitment success to financial metrics, such as reduced time-to-fill and lost revenue recovery, can secure buy-in from key stakeholders across the C-suite.

Physician recruitment is an operational necessity, but it’s also a strategic lever to achieve top-tier patient care and financial sustainability. By prioritizing recruitment, health systems can address the CEO’s #1 priority for 2025 while simultaneously unlocking significant financial gains.

Want to explore the financial impact of reducing time-to-fill at your organization? Start your journey toward recruitment excellence today.