STRATEGIC BRANDING GENIUS WITH PETER ECONOMIDES | E044 PODCAST

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ABOUT THE GUEST

Peter Economides is a highly respected global marketing strategist and branding expert, known for his transformative approach to brand development. With an illustrious career spanning decades, Peter has worked with some of the most iconic brands in the world, helping them define and communicate their identities on a global scale. His expertise lies in creating bold, emotionally resonant campaigns that transcend cultural and geographical boundaries, making brands not only visible but also memorable.

Peter's journey began with leading roles at top advertising agencies like McCann-Erickson and TBWA\Worldwide, where he played a pivotal role in shaping brands such as Apple, Coca-Cola, and Absolut Vodka. His work at Apple during Steve Jobs’ return in the late 1990s is particularly notable, as he helped reposition the tech giant during one of its most critical phases, contributing to the development of the famous “Think Different” campaign, which redefined Apple’s brand identity.

As the founder of Felix BNI, a boutique branding consultancy, Peter continues to drive the conversation on brand transformation, working with businesses, governments, and even countries to reshape their image and stay relevant in an ever-changing marketplace. He has been instrumental in advising companies on how to navigate the digital age, and his insights on the intersection of culture, technology, and branding have made him a sought-after speaker at global forums and conferences.

Beyond his corporate achievements, Peter has also been involved in several philanthropic initiatives, using his expertise to support social causes and nation-branding efforts. His passion for Greece, his home country, has seen him play a key role in various rebranding projects, positioning the country as a modern, forward-thinking destination while still honoring its rich cultural heritage.

A thought leader and innovator in his field, Peter’s influence reaches far beyond marketing; he’s a visionary who understands the power of storytelling and human connection in building enduring brands. His ability to combine strategic insight with creative execution has earned him numerous accolades and established him as one of the foremost voices in global branding.

Peter’s Website:
https://www.felixbnistrategy.com/peter-economides

Peter’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/petereconomides

Peter’s Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/peter_economides/?hl=en

George Stroumboulis sits down with Peter Economides in Athens, Greece on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast to talk about all things branding, marketing, creative advertising, strategy, career advice, rebranding Greece and so much more.

“If I think of anybody who cracked branding, it’s Aristotle. He spoke about ethos, about who you fundamentally are okay, as being a very, very important component in rhetoric. He spoke about logo, which is what you say. He spoke about pathos, which is the reaction you evoke, but he said ethos is at the center of it who you fundamentally are. That’s what Branding is all about.”
— Peter Economides

MEDIA RELATED TO THE EPISODE

George Stroumboulis sits down with Peter Economides in Athens, Greece on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast to talk about all things branding, marketing, creative advertising, strategy, career advice, rebranding Greece and so much more.

On the Invigorate Your Business Podcast, George Stroumboulis chats with Peter Economides in Athens, exploring branding, marketing, creative strategy, career insights, rebranding Greece, and much more.

George Stroumboulis hosts Peter Economides in Athens for an Invigorate Your Business Podcast episode, delving into branding, marketing tactics, strategic thinking, and the inspiring rebranding of Greece.

In Athens, George Stroumboulis and Peter Economides cover the world of branding and marketing on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast, sharing insights on advertising, strategic vision, and the art of rebranding a nation.

On this episode of Invigorate Your Business, George Stroumboulis sits down with Peter Economides in Athens to discuss branding, marketing strategy, career development, and the impactful rebranding of Greece.

George Stroumboulis sits down with Peter Economides in Athens, Greece on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast to talk about all things branding, marketing, creative advertising, strategy, career advice, rebranding Greece and so much more.

George Stroumboulis interviews Peter Economides in Athens for the Invigorate Your Business Podcast, where they explore the world of creative branding, marketing strategy, career wisdom, and Greece’s transformation through rebranding.

ABOUT THE “INVIGORATE YOUR BUSINESS” PODCAST

The Invigorate Your Business with George Stroumboulis podcast features casual conversations and personal interviews with business leaders in their respective fields of expertise. Crossing several industry types and personal backgrounds, George sits down with inspiring people to discuss their business, how they got into that business, their path to the top of their game and the trials and tribulations experienced along the way. We want you to get inspired, motivated, and then apply any advice to your personal and professional lives. If there is at least one piece of advice that resonates with you after listening, then this podcast is a success. New episodes weekly. Stream our show on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, Amazon and all other platforms.

ABOUT GEORGE STROUMBOULIS

George Stroumboulis is an entrepreneur to the core, having launched several ventures across multiple industries and international markets. He has held senior-level positions at progressive companies and government institutions, both domestically and internationally, building an extensive portfolio of business know-how over the years and driving profit-generating results. George’s ability to drive real change has landed him in several media outlets, including the front page of the Wall Street Journal. George was born in Toronto, Canada to his Greek immigrant parents. Family first. Flying over 300,000 miles a year around the world puts into perspective how important family is to George’s mental and emotional development. With all this travel to global destinations, the longest he stays even in the most far-out destination is 3 days or less - a personal rule he lives by to make sure he is present and involved in family life with his wife and three daughters. To read about George’s global travels, stay connected with his blog section.

FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

George Stroumboulis: 0:00

Welcome to another episode of Invigorate your Business with George Stroumboulis. Today's episode comes from Athens, Greece. Today, I get to sit down with Peter Economides. He is a marketing and branding genius and behind some of the most iconic advertising campaigns for Apple, Coca-Cola, Heineken and so much more. He has also gone viral over the last years about talking about Greece and shifting mindsets here. Truly impressive stuff. This episode is packed with so much information, so much advice and insight into strategy, marketing, branding across all cultures, industries and everything. Peter is truly a legend in this space and I'm personally excited to be able to have this conversation with him and I I know you're going to enjoy this at home, so enjoy this episode starting now.

George Stroumboulis: 0:52

My name is George Stroumboulis and I'm extremely passionate about traveling the world, meeting new people and learning about new businesses. Join me as I sit down with other entrepreneurs to learn about their journeys. This episode of Invigorate your Business starts now. So we are in Peter's, athens, greece. Yes, right when I started the show, I had a list of people I wanted to sit down with. You were at the top of the list, and this was over two years ago. It took two years chasing you, but I had to chain you down here and you're sitting here, and here we are today.

George Stroumboulis: 1:33

We're sitting in Plaka, Athens, Greece, with the legendary, iconic mastermind, creative, Peter Economides. Thank you for sitting down with me.

Peter Economides: 1:42

Thank you very much for having me.

George Stroumboulis: 1:44

It's nice to see you. I appreciate that. I feel like the the amount of times we've hung out, we've had dinners or coffees over the years. There was so much knowledge in there, like that would just be amazing content to share with the world. Anytime I sit down with you, I'm always I'm always challenged, like I'm always sitting there creatively. I'm like, okay, how can I apply this? What about? And it could be with just random shit that'll come up and we'll be talking about the cheese at the table. And what about this and the wine? So you're obviously nonstop just a creative genius, right? Like that's, that's your DNA, your background. We're going to talk about it.

George Stroumboulis: 2:16

Anyone that's listening and has a Greek attachment knows of your name. But high level, peter Economedis is a creative mastermind, right. You've worked with the biggest ad agencies in the world. You were on Madison Avenue making shit happen there like just impressive. Part of the team behind the Think Different campaign with Apple, working with McCann Erickson. Tbwa has lived around the world awards. I came into knowing who you are when my brother-in-law in Canada shared a link 2010, 11 of the whole, rebranding Greece. Yeah, when Greece was in the middle of that.

George Stroumboulis: 2:52

And when I saw that, I'm like fuck this guy, this just had this, this courage in the balls and was just saying exactly what we couldn't articulate. So that was the first time. I'm like who is this guy Right? And then you start searching for it, so that's, I'm sure everyone saw that was the first time I'm like who is this guy Right? And then you start searching, so that's, I'm sure everyone saw that for the first time. So just talk to me in general on that. Was that where people really started knowing your name?

Peter Economides: 3:13

Yeah, you know before that my name had not really broken out into the general consciousness. That was back in 2011. I was asked to give a talk on rebranding Greece and I remember saying to myself I used a phrase during that presentation. I said Greece is the best brand that's never been branded.

Peter Economides: 3:35

Okay, and I think that's so true, because what I've become very conscious of over the years is that Greeks are self-denigrating. Years is that Greeks are self-denigrating. They talk about Greece as though Greece can't do it. Okay, and yet I come from a background where Greeks are doers, right, talking about the diaspora, absolutely Wherever you go around the world, the Greeks who are doing it, and they've done it right, except in Greece. You don't get that mindset and I said to this audience I said that rebranding Greece is actually about rebranding Greeks, which goes back to my fundamental belief about branding, by the way, that it's all about the ethos that you've got. It's not about what you say about yourself. It's what you express about who you are. Okay, and that's really what I was talking about during that talk and that thing just went viral. It was nuts Viral. Yeah, it was nuts.

George Stroumboulis: 4:29

Were you expecting it, like what was the feedback?

Peter Economides: 4:32

The feedback during the talk was great, right, but a week later I get a mail from Greek reporter in the States saying to me that I've been named as one of the 10 most influential Greeks in the world. I mean, you know, that wasn't my game. That wasn't my game. Who were you speaking to at that event? I was speaking to a bunch of businessmen, marketing professionals it was that kind of audience, the typical audience, that I would speak to, and they put this thing up on YouTube and it just went boom, boom yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 5:04

And I think what resonated internationally was what you said not comparing us versus them, but the Greeks outside versus inside. All those messages were like, oh my God, that makes so much sense.

Peter Economides: 5:14

Yes, but I managed to communicate that during that particular talk, without talking about how successful the diaspora is. But I addressed the real issue here, which is that if you want to rebrand this country, we got to make sure, first of all, that we love this country and we express that love, yes, in order to be able to project that outside.

George Stroumboulis: 5:38

Otherwise it doesn't work, it doesn't work, it doesn't work. So when you gave that talk started going viral, where were you at your career then? Like, where did that catapult you? And then we'll go backwards to your career you know my career, that didn't.

Peter Economides: 5:52

That didn't catapult my career. What that did was that really catapulted my, my influence within broader society. That that's what happened there, because, following that, I gave a talk a couple of months later, a direct follow-up to that. I gave a talk where I spoke about the most popular word in the Greek language, which is, of course, the word malaka, and the second most popular is the yinete. And then we combine them together the yinete, malaka, and I spoke about the need to get rid of the then word and stay with the yinete malaka. And I spoke about the need to get rid of the then word and stay with the yinete. And I remind you, it was the height of the crisis.

George Stroumboulis: 6:29

And for the listeners who don't speak Greek yes, yeah, let me explain that.

Peter Economides: 6:35

Malaka is the most common expression in this country. I guess the best translation would be wanker. We call each other malaka, which means you're a wanker, but we say it in a nice way and in a bad way Depends on the tone of voice that you've got when you use that word. You say na re malaka or you say yasou malaka.

George Stroumboulis: 6:55

So many meanings to it.

Peter Economides: 6:56

Exactly exactly, and we use it all the time. Right, den Ginetai means it can't be done. Den Ginetai means it can't be done. Ginetai means it can be done. The then word is the negative word Yep. So I said we need to get rid of the then and stay with the Ginetai because it can be done, and I added to that if we can't do it, we're in deep shit, because it was the height of the crisis, absolutely, and I think that resonated incredibly well, particularly with a younger generation, because what I've seen over the years is an incredible switch in mindset. I get young people, young Greeks, coming up to me and thanking me for giving them that talk, which amazes me, but I've really seen the shift in mindset.

George Stroumboulis: 7:46

Can I comment on that. When I was 19, I did an internship in Corfu with the European Union Business Center and my dream at the time was oh, madison Avenue, I'm intrigued by it. I would read like Saatchi and Saatchi and Ogilvy, and I really love that space and the creative side of it. So I pursued more entrepreneurial, startup type world. So when I first came across your content I was like this guy's a fucking rock star, like to me, someone who thinks they're creative and loves that space. And then I remember, after seeing the video, I saw you in New York where you were basically launching this whole unit there, and I remember being in the room in New York, yeah, and I remember I came up with my wife at the time. I think she was my girlfriend.

George Stroumboulis: 8:28

This was 20 that must have been 2012, 2013, so it was my girlfriend at the time and I'm like I just I want to go shake his hand and it was like I was meeting, uh, for me like a Michael Jordan at the time, or yeah, and I remember when I came up and you were just just so cool, right like you were just so nice.

George Stroumboulis: 8:44

And then ever since then, anytime we talk and I again I don't try to abuse right time or whatever, but Pete going to be in Athens, you have time like maybe, yeah, absolutely, let's grab a dinner and that first dinner I went to I was just blown away. It was like a few hours of just just creative conversation. So and then sorry, where I was going with this, the Greece aspect, right, even for myself coming to Greece now and wanting to have a foot here and working with people, you definitely had an influence on even what I'm doing, right now, today.

Peter Economides: 9:11

That's amazing. I'm really happy to hear that. A hundred percent.

George Stroumboulis: 9:14

But it's a big deal and you ignited that and it wasn't just someone here. It was like wow, and this guy has done this on a global scale and has affected and influenced people buying stuff. Again, I sound like a fanboy right now, but I just want you to know like it's been.

Peter Economides: 9:28

Thank you, thank you, thank you, it's been a big deal, thank you.

George Stroumboulis: 9:31

So the yinite happens. Talk about the positive aspect and then just the backlash from the typical, the yinite of toshomalakas, you know, like I'm sure there was negative.

Peter Economides: 9:40

You know, I'm a great believer in the innovation curve, right, the adoption of innovations. And I know who is reacting to what I was talking about the guys at the beginning of the curve, the guys who get it okay, there's always the tail end who are not going to get it. Yep, okay. So there was a lot of backlash. There was a lot of backlash from people who just don't believe that it can be done Right. Well, forget about them. You're not going to change their minds. But I think that what has happened in this country, and it's really important, is that the guys who can make a difference and show the way forward to others, they have changed. They have changed. You know, something really significant is that 20 years ago in this country, if you asked a young kid what he wanted to be when he grew up, he'd say to you I want a good job in the public service. It was to work for a couple of years and retire. As simple as that.

George Stroumboulis: 10:33

See, actually retirement was their ultimate goal. Yeah.

Peter Economides: 10:35

It's not like that anymore, right, and that's significant.

George Stroumboulis: 10:39

Did you see recently that Greece, I think there was a million, 800,000 to a million youth that left during the crisis? Right, I just read I think it was last week there's a brain gain now the opposite effect, and again it's a few thousand people coming back but that's what it takes.

Peter Economides: 10:54

That's amazing. You know, what's happened is that Athens has become one of the world's favorite destinations, but more than that, it's also becoming one of the world's favorite habitats. People want to live here. I've got friends who've been coming to Greece for years and they come here these days and they say to me you're so lucky to be living here. I wish I was living here. And they're living in amazing places around the world.

George Stroumboulis: 11:18

Right. So your first time coming to Greece was in the 80s, so we're going to come back to this. Yeah, talk to me career-wise, right. So you're South African, born and raised in Johannesburg, correct, right. So talk to me about just that path.

Peter Economides: 11:31

Okay, so, third generation South African. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be an architect. That was my passion. I'm still passionate about architecture, and my dad had other thoughts. My dad wanted me to take over his business. He was a very successful entrepreneurial character, very successful, and I did a business degree at the University of Cape Town and one of my favorite subjects was marketing. And I worked with my father for a short while and one day I said to him Dad, this is not what I want to do. He said well, what do you want to do? I said I want to be a big deal on Madison Avenue. He says to me where the hell is that? So I explained it to him and he looked at me and I shall never forget this. He looked at me with a huge smile on his face and he said go and show them who we are.

George Stroumboulis: 12:23

Jeez, which was phenomenal.

Peter Economides: 12:25

How old were you at this age I was let me think about this I was 22. Come on, yeah, go and show them who we are. Okay, with a huge smile on his face. And I've written about this. It's, in fact, in a book which andy manatos wrote called the extraordinary greeks, and, and there's a piece which I wrote which is inside there, where I talk about the fact that I was on my own. But I was never truly on my own. I knew that my father was with me and that was phenomenal. That's phenomenal. It was really amazing. He achieved that people don't.

George Stroumboulis: 13:00

But just on that point, people don't realize. Unless you have that, just imagine saying you know what I'm going to do it and you didn't have the support of your loved ones or your parents, you'd be different. Oh, absolutely Like. I'm sure you went there and I'll never forget on that point.

Peter Economides: 13:16

I was in Hong Kong and a friend of my father's came to Hong Kong. He was there on business and we went out for dinner together and over dinner he said to me your father needs you. You should go back to South Africa and help your father. And I said no, my father and I have got the kind of relationship where if my father needs me, he will tell me. And I really knew that that's powerful. That was very powerful. That's powerful. I said to him no, whereas if I didn't have that relation with my father I might have done it. Yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 13:47

I might have done it. You didn't have that security right yeah.

Peter Economides: 13:48

Very, very important. So just to pick up on the story then. So I joined McCann Erickson in South Africa because I figured this was the way to get to Madison Avenue, was to join a big multinational American-based ad group, and sorry for the listeners at that point who don't understand the advertising world.

George Stroumboulis: 14:09

It's the equivalent of if you wanted to get an IT to go work for Google Exactly.

Peter Economides: 14:14

Exactly, mccann Erickson was the world's biggest, the world's most globally spread accounts like Coca-Cola, nestle, I mean, unilever, it was massive. Gillette, it was it. Okay. So I joined McCann Ericsson, worked there for a couple of years in Johannesburg and then they offered me a job in Hong Kong okay, as a regional coordinator, which I grabbed, and I went to live in Hong Kong and I was there for two years when I got this call from somebody at head office in New York and he says to me you're Greek, aren't you? I said yep. He said you speak Greek. I lied and I said yes, fluently, and they sent me to Greece as the CEO.

George Stroumboulis: 15:00

Zero imposter syndrome right there.

Peter Economides: 15:03

And I was a very young CEO. I mean, I was like in my late 20s when I came here and I learned Greek. That's huge, I learned Greek. I remember ordering one day a window shutter salad Badzouria instead of Badzaria Badzari means beetroot and Badzouri means window shutter the window shutter. So I ordered a window shutter salad.

George Stroumboulis: 15:26

Minor details right.

Peter Economides: 15:29

Worked here in Greece for about six years I guess eight years, seven years, something like that and did some wonderful stuff. We did this piece of advertising for Campari, which was the first time that Greece won a prize in Cannes. Actually, oh wow, yeah, it won a major award at the Cannes Advertising Festival. This is in the 80s now. This was in the 80s.

George Stroumboulis: 15:50

Okay.

Peter Economides: 15:50

And I must tell you about this ad because it's one of my favorite pieces of creative ever.

George Stroumboulis: 15:54

Before you tell us, can we put it up on the video while you're talking about this, I think so.

Peter Economides: 15:59

I think so it should be somewhere. I'll look for it and I'll find it.

Peter Economides: 16:04

So what it was all about was this the distributor of Campari in Greece had a meeting with me and he says to me every home has got a bottle of Campari but people don't drink it because they don't really like the taste and the color's a little weird, that bright red. He said I'd like you, please, to promote for me Campari with orange juice. So I said that's not a good idea. He says why not? I said because, before you know it, people will be drinking vodka with orange juice. You're going to get used to them drinking alcohol mixed with orange juice.

Peter Economides: 16:35

Not a good idea. You'll lose your characteristic bad taste and you'll lose your characteristic bad color. He says well, what do you think I should do? So I said I'll get back to you. And we put a lot of thought behind this and we went back with an idea which was a black and white commercial with incredible sense of style to it, okay where just the product was red and what it said was the more you drink it, the more you like it said, was the more you drink it the more you like it, because there's only one Campari.

Peter Economides: 17:11

Wow, it was bold. That was bold. Yes, it was both. And the client loved it. Wow, he loved it. So we put that on air and Campari became firmly established as one of the leading drinks in this market.

George Stroumboulis: 17:23

It was phenomenal. So from that brilliant campaign you could see the sales after that back set up and support.

Peter Economides: 17:28

Oh, absolutely, so you may have laid the way for like Ursus.

George Stroumboulis: 17:31

Remember Ursus was red? Yeah, it was amazing, that's phenomenal, Just phenomenal.

Peter Economides: 17:36

And this client was amazing. I remember he said to me I said I'd like to show you the story, but he says no, no, no, go and make the movie, I'll look at it when you're ready. And I went and I actually made the commercial.

George Stroumboulis: 17:47

He allowed me to take the risk.

Peter Economides: 17:49

It was phenomenal. It was phenomenal.

George Stroumboulis: 17:51

That's incredible. Yeah, so that was in the 80s. What other type of campaigns in the 80s were?

Peter Economides: 17:56

Oh, we did it, we did. I'm trying to think of all the really really sticks out in my head. Well, there's tons of stuff. I mean we were running the cover cola business here right, lots of work for nestle.

George Stroumboulis: 18:09

So just on the compari, how does that process even work at the time? You're the ceo in this region, right? You're working with the creative team. They're coming back, so everything comes through you, the visuals, everything like. How does that process? Well, it depends.

Peter Economides: 18:22

It depends on on on who you are and what your experience is and where your skillset is. Okay, my skillset was always strategy, but strategy interpreted into a powerful idea. That's what I've always been focused on. Okay, that's always been my focus. So I was very much a CEO driven not into running the company but in helping the company to do the best at what it could do, and my contribution was always strategy, but strategy culminating in a powerful idea.

George Stroumboulis: 18:59

Yeah, from my experience with you, even talking about my business over these dinners and everything you do the Socratic approach right Like I know nothing. Let's start from scratch.

Peter Economides: 19:10

Yes, is that accurate? A hundred percent.

George Stroumboulis: 19:12

Has it always been like that?

Peter Economides: 19:14

No, I'll tell you where I learned that In Hong Kong, okay, and I'll tell you why. I arrived in Hong Kong as what I thought I was Smart, young South African kid who'd done well at McCann Ericsson in Johannesburg. Therefore, he'd been transferred to Hong Kong as a regional account coordinator, okay, but what I realized was that I knew nothing, because I was surrounded by a culture which I didn't understand. Right, you know, you present work to a Chinese and he's nodding his head, with a smile on his face, but he's actually saying I hate it, but if you can't see that, you're going to make huge mistakes. And then, when you get down to working on advertising in that kind of culture, you've got to be thinking fresh. You have to. You can't assume anything. And that's where I learned the power of ignorance. And I always say to myself the only thing you know is what you know, nothing more than that.

George Stroumboulis: 20:10

That's powerful nothing more than that ignorance so did you get burned? Going in there in the beginning like and that's how you were, I I felt I was about to get burnt okay, which is why I very quickly stepped back and self-aware Wow, that's incredible.

Peter Economides: 20:26

I realized I was about to get burnt.

George Stroumboulis: 20:28

Yeah. So then you're climbing this career. Athens, you have this great You're winning the Oscars of the ad world right.

Peter Economides: 20:34

You're winning these awards.

George Stroumboulis: 20:35

They scoop you up and take you to New York, to Mexico, to Mexico. Okay, so Mexico.

Peter Economides: 20:39

City. So Mexico City was the next move. Very large mechanics and office, the second largest in the world.

George Stroumboulis: 20:45

Were they servicing all of Latin South America?

Peter Economides: 20:48

No, Mexico was focused on Mexico, which is a very big market, but I was appointed, at the same time, senior vice president for Latin America, right, working together with the guy who was running the whole of Latin America, oh wow, okay. So he was based in Brazil and his job was to run Latin America, but I was appointed as a senior vice president for the region at the same time Spent six years there.

George Stroumboulis: 21:15

Six years.

Peter Economides: 21:15

Yeah, was it six? No less than that. I spent four years there, and then I moved to Madison Avenue, which is where I wanted to be.

George Stroumboulis: 21:25

Now, where are you, age-wise?

Peter Economides: 21:27

Let me think about this. I moved there, I was 40.

George Stroumboulis: 21:30

40, okay, and relationship-wise, all these moves like were you, I, was you mean personal relationship.

Peter Economides: 21:36

Personal. Yeah, yeah, personal. I was with my second wife. I've been married twice, twice, okay, yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 21:41

Yeah, I'm just curious, like with all that travel, well, I met my first wife in South Africa.

Peter Economides: 21:46

She came with me to Hong Kong. We came together to Greece. We separated in Greece. I met my second wife while I was here, but she was from South Africa, she was visiting, and we went together to Mexico and New York and we separated in New York and she lives in New York now and I'm back here.

George Stroumboulis: 22:08

Okay, I mean, that's not listen for anyone moving that many cultures and lifestyle.

Peter Economides: 22:11

That's hard for two people at the same time.

George Stroumboulis: 22:12

Right it's just got to be hard. You make it to Madison Avenue really quick though. Mexico right, there's a crazy story about Mexico. Right, you were kidnapped. Yes, that's right, just talk to us about that, because that's just an insane.

Peter Economides: 22:26

I was kidnapped by the Mexican police, believe it or not.

George Stroumboulis: 22:30

It seems very believable with all the stories I hear.

Peter Economides: 22:32

actually, what happened was that one of our clients in Mexico was General Motors and, having General Motors as a client, my personal car was Cadillac, which is not a good idea in Mexico City.

George Stroumboulis: 22:45

Drug dealer status right.

Peter Economides: 22:46

Drug dealer status. And yeah, drug dealer status.

Peter Economides: 22:48

And of course I had a driver who was also a bodyguard right, because you need it and I was out at a client dinner one night on the other side of the city from where I lived and I said to my driver you go home Because he lived on that part, on that side of the city. I said I'll drive myself back. He says, are you sure, senor? I said don't worry. And I drove back home and I did what you do in Mexico City late at night. You don't stop at red traffic lights, okay. And I went through a red traffic light and all of a sudden the police car pulled me over and I wind down my window and I gave the guy, the policeman, my driver's license together with $100.

George Stroumboulis: 23:34

That's what you do down there. Standard. It's exactly what you do.

Peter Economides: 23:37

I got back my license without the money Standard. It's exactly what happens. So everything was going according to plan at that point and all of a sudden my passenger door opens and his partner gets in and he pulls out a gun.

George Stroumboulis: 23:51

Standard, what always happens right.

Peter Economides: 23:54

And he says to me now you're going to do whatever I tell you to do. Oh geez, and he starts giving me directions through Mexico City to parts of the city I've never been to before and I said to myself, wow, I've got to get out of this mess.

George Stroumboulis: 24:08

Are you drunk at this point? Did you have any kind of no? No, no, no, no.

Peter Economides: 24:11

And I managed to steer the car very close to the Four Seasons Hotel and I made a snap decision and I drove the car into the front entrance of the hotel. I didn't have to ram it, no, but I kind of like slid and stopped in front of the door. I opened the door and I ran inside. Jeez, okay, saved your life, unbelievable. He gets out of the car. His partner, by the way, was following us. He gets into the patrol car behind us and he disappears. At that point he knew exactly where I lived, because he'd been rifling through the papers in my car, et cetera. So I called up my wife and I said to her come over here right now. We spent the night there. We went back to the house the next day and from that point on we lived with armed guards in the house until we left.

George Stroumboulis: 25:03

Wow, did that accelerate you wanting to leave? No, the plan was already there, it was already there.

Peter Economides: 25:08

It was already there.

George Stroumboulis: 25:09

It was already there, jeez. So you can't leave your guard down. Is the takeaway here? You let the guard go and that's insane, yeah, yeah. So you moved now to New York. So now I moved to New York, where carjackings are still common.

Peter Economides: 25:25

So I moved to New York and I found myself not quite on Madison Avenue I was on 3rd Avenue, but figuratively it was Madison Avenue at the head office of McCann Ericsson Worldwide and my position was executive vice president, global director of client services, and my specific responsibility was running the Coca-Cola business worldwide Jeez.

George Stroumboulis: 25:47

You don't get bigger than that it was great.

Peter Economides: 25:49

It was great. So I spent my time between New York, atlanta and the rest of the world, right Traveled like crazy. It was unbelievable, which I love doing. It was fine. It was absolutely fine. Yeah, that was incredible, it was amazing.

George Stroumboulis: 26:04

So while you're there yeah, you had shifted careers right To another agency.

Peter Economides: 26:13

Yeah, that happened afterwards. So I spent quite a few years at McCann Erickson running the Coke business, and my client, by the way, is a guy called Sergio Zeman, the very famous Sergio Zeman, who used to call the Ayacola. He's a very difficult guy. You had to work with him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but he was great, very smart man, very smart man. He's the guy, by the way, who launched New Coke. Okay, if you recall the story, which was a disaster.

George Stroumboulis: 26:38

Refresh us on this.

Peter Economides: 26:39

What he did was Pepsi had started something called the Pepsi Challenge, which was a taste test against Coke, because they discovered in research that people actually prefer the taste of Pepsi. Sergio's response to this was to launch a product called New Coke, which, if you think about it, is an admission that Coke needs to be renewed. In other words, it's supporting Pepsi's claim. So that didn't go too well, so that was pulled off the market. New Coke was not a success, and he was retained as marketing officer. Chief marketing officer. Oh wow, he was a smart guy though.

Peter Economides: 27:21

That was a big mistake, but he was a smart guy, absolutely.

George Stroumboulis: 27:25

Madison Avenue ad ad agencies. If people don't know the industry, like if you've seen, uh, what women want, right, it's kind of that world right with. Remember that, or, madman, like it's just it's a very cutthroat on even winning the accounts. What?

Peter Economides: 27:39

you have to do like.

George Stroumboulis: 27:41

Has that made you like? That must have changed you right. Having the deal in there and then having your work just axed, go back to the table. Like you, you have to have thick skin to be in the space you.

Peter Economides: 27:51

you've either got to have a thick skin, or you've got to have it's a thick skin, or it's it's it's. It's a set of skills which are working right. Okay, I didn't feel the need for a thick skin, frankly, because I think at that point my experience was such that I had figured out my own way of working within the ad business and it was working.

Peter Economides: 28:15

It was working, obviously it was working it was working, Because I was not your typical advertising agency management person. I was very much involved in the product of the agency right Through strategy, always culminating in a powerful idea. That's what I've really always been about.

George Stroumboulis: 28:38

And still to this day, with Felix B Very much, very much.

Peter Economides: 28:40

That's what I'm, that's my focus, right, that's my focus. And I also believe that there are not multiple solutions to an issue. There is a solution, there is a very good solution, and it's incumbent on us to be looking for that solution, and not with alternatives that the client will readily buy. Okay, okay, let's look for the solution, and that's always been my focus.

George Stroumboulis: 29:09

Yeah Well, what you do is you get people emotionally tied right With a brand. It's not about the product, it's not about Apple it's not about the computer, which is just a great segue to talk about Apple, the Think Differing campaign. Anyone who knows Apple knows of the Think Different campaign. It just changed the world right. It was iconic at the time. You were part of the creative team, Not the creative team I was part of the management team.

Peter Economides: 29:36

The management team, right, but working in the way that I work? Yes, okay, not the creative team. The creative team was led by a guy called Lee Clow, which was located in our office in Los Angeles. I was in New York, I was the global head of clients client service and Lee was the global, the worldwide creative director based in Los Angeles, and he's the guy who led the creative team.

George Stroumboulis: 29:59

The creative team, so, being a part of that whole movement, you interacted with Steve Jobs.

Peter Economides: 30:04

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. In fact, my first interaction with Steve Jobs was to convince him that he should be working with TBWA globally. Jeez.

George Stroumboulis: 30:14

Did he see the value? Because this guy, he was a visionary with products. Did he see the value? He was a marketer himself. Yeah, right, yeah. So how was it even pitching to him or getting him to? You know my pitch to.

Peter Economides: 30:27

Steve because Steve came to TBWA because of Lee Clow. Lee Clow is the guy who did that very iconic commercial for Apple called 1984. Yes, Okay.

Peter Economides: 30:38

Okay, that's a famous piece of advertising that was done by Lee. And as soon as Steve Jobs went back to Apple, his mind went to Lee Clow as the guy that he'd want to work with on the relaunch of Apple Gotcha. So my first contact with Steve was to reassure Steve and to convince Steve that TBWA was an agency, a global agency, with the right kind of credentials to support a relaunch of Apple globally. Okay, yep, and that was the job that I needed to perform. But there was already a very good connection with Lee. So I didn't have to sell Steve. I had to reassure Steve, reassure.

George Stroumboulis: 31:18

And to do it globally across cultures.

Peter Economides: 31:21

Correct, correct, correct. That's incredible, which is exactly what we did. Yes, I think the big lesson out of Apple and it's something that I live with today very much is that brand is not so much what you say about yourself. Brand is your ethos, who you fundamentally are. The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. It's a statement of ethos. Change the world are the ones who do is a statement of ethos. It's not a selling line.

George Stroumboulis: 31:48

Right.

Peter Economides: 31:49

It's a statement of ethos Right, think different. It wasn't even about computers, no, right, it was about thinking differently. The word computer was not used once in the entire commercial. That commercial is all about establishing a way of looking at the world. Okay, think different, think different. And if you think of the people that it showed, I mean from John Lennon to Einstein to Maria Callas it was all about genius.

George Stroumboulis: 32:15

Yes, Good Greek influence there too right To get her in there.

Peter Economides: 32:19

Well, you know, there was a Greek called me and there was another Greek called Bill Tragos, who's one of the founders of TVWA.

George Stroumboulis: 32:25

Okay. So I mean slam dunk right there. So talk to me now, when you see marketing today and we have these AI tools and chat GBT, and people think that oh I just I created a logo and now that's my marketing and there's so many points to just cringe at what you see, right, and I know, you know I'm in lighting right now. So when I walk into a room I look at lights and I'm already judging and how would I do things differently? I'm sure you do that on the daily right, anytime you come across stuff. What's that influence on digital AI? How is that changing your methodology and how you approach stuff?

Peter Economides: 33:00

Yeah, well, I got a general point of view about AI, and that is that. Let me step back. Technology is about how stuff works. Anthropology is about how people work. Right, we need techno-anthropology, which is about how stuff works for people. Okay, and that takes me to my point on AI. I believe that AI should be there to do stuff that we don't need to do, to enable us to do more of what only we can do. Okay, and I think that is where technology should be a facilitator and not a replacement of human creativity, because it can't replace it, in my opinion.

George Stroumboulis: 33:47

Clip that right there, because that's incredible. So if you use it right, it helps you, so you're not doing it.

Peter Economides: 33:56

Absolutely. It allows you to do more of what only you can do, and this, to me, is the magic of technology. I think it's a big mistake to expect AI to discover the ethos of a brand. Forget about it, all right, forget about it, but it can do lots of stuff in implementing that and making that happen. That's another story.

George Stroumboulis: 34:21

Yeah, that's a big deal. Well, think of it. So now Felix BNI is you've worked with all these major global agencies. You step back into your entrepreneurial roots with your family and your father, right. And even though you're a creative and you have the strategy, you're running your own business now, right? So how do you go and find new clients Cause I'm sure you're turning away clients, right? You're not out there advertising Peter. And then over the years, like you're working with major global brands on your own, with Heineken and that yacht company in Scandinavia, and just being able to embody and get into their company, how do you manage it being a one person type operation?

Peter Economides: 35:00

Well, first of all, I don't think that Phoenix BNI is that much entrepreneurial, as it was, in my view, far more of my return to what I fundamentally love about what I do, okay, which was to focus on strategy culminating in a creative idea. Okay, because what I discovered was that the higher I climbed up in the corporate world, the more distant I was from what I truly love about the business Okay, what I truly love about the business, and that's why I really steered myself towards doing Felix BNI. I've been very fortunate in that I've never really found the need touch wood to be chasing, looking for clients. I've had a steady, big enough stream of people knocking on my door. I've been very fortunate in that way.

George Stroumboulis: 35:55

You put yourself in that position, right. And after decades in this space, speaking engagements, right You've become a public speaker. How was that? Do you do that more from a personal branding? Obviously, people want to hear what you have to say. Just how was that?

Peter Economides: 36:11

process. I just love talking to groups of people. I just, I really enjoy it Right, particularly the young people. I really, really enjoy it.

George Stroumboulis: 36:23

Why, why?

Peter Economides: 36:23

young, Because when I'm talking to a room full of people and I can see them truly listening, truly being impacted and then coming up with questions which are truly focused in a particular direction, it gives me a great deal of satisfaction, frankly, that I'm passing something on to somebody else.

George Stroumboulis: 36:50

Absolutely. And you again, I've seen your presentations online, I've been in it. What you use, the way you use even the screen behind you is so powerful. It's imagery, right, like curated, and few words, sometimes like a single word. Yeah, they're billboards, they're billboards, but like you could tell just the thought that goes into it and how it's impactful and it just it resonates.

Peter Economides: 37:12

Yeah, no, they're billboards. I believe that putting words up on a screen is forget about it, right, forget about it. You need to put a thought up on the screen which captures the essence of a lot of stuff, okay.

George Stroumboulis: 37:26

Absolutely. When you're talking to youth and young people come up to you. You know what. What are some do's and don'ts? Right, Anyone that can get time with someone like you. You want to be respectful of the other person's time, Right, but what? What are some things? Don't do this. If you're trying to come to me like you know people, hey, Pete, can you do this, do this, this and this for me. And it's like whoa, pump the brakes. Right, but what are some? Some pieces of advice, because you see a lot of people always trying to get something from someone.

Peter Economides: 37:54

Yeah, yeah, my, my. My single bit of advice would be if you don't really have a question, don't ask it. If you don't really have a point of view, don't express it seriously, seriously, but if you. But if you've got a question, please ask it. And if you've got a point of view on something, please express it. But don't just talk for the sake of talking. For God's sake.

George Stroumboulis: 38:18

To show that yeah.

Peter Economides: 38:19

Yeah, that doesn't work.

George Stroumboulis: 38:20

That's great. What are you seeing in the youth right now, like future marketers who want to have a career, like Peter. What is that advice to get in the space Because it's shifted over the years right on what it is.

Peter Economides: 38:31

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, my, my, my first and, I think, most important bit of advice is be sure that you are passionate about it. I think being passionate about particularly this kind of work is terribly important. I find that my work is not really work. I find that when I'm working on a project, what I need to do is fill my mind up with information around the project and just let it brew. Okay, because invariably the answers pop up, right, okay, and then I run to a computer to capture them. Okay, and sometimes they come in the middle of the night. But I find that's the process with which I work and that can only come if you are passionately involved in what you're doing. It's not going to come otherwise, right, it's not going to happen. If this becomes a, you know, a nine to five kind of thing, forget about it. Doesn't work like that, doesn't work like that. My girlfriend Maria often says to me that I'm always working, but on the other hand, I'm never working, and I think she's right, it's a great way.

George Stroumboulis: 39:41

Shout out Maria, amazing person too, yeah, but you amazing person too, yeah, but you're always working because, again, even if you're having dinner and you're just you're thinking about something, I, I get the little experience I have with you.

Peter Economides: 39:52

You know, when I'm like, oh, he's on a tangent, his mind is already yeah but it's not so much that I'm thinking of something, but something is floating around inside me, right? You know what I'm saying? Yeah, and if it connects with something else, I will quickly try to grab that.

George Stroumboulis: 40:05

Yes, how are you integrating? Like social media, like this is a whole different platform of marketing. You're seeing a lot of people I see it too in my space of like oh, I'm a professional marketer and they just post on Instagram or TikTok or whatever, with no strategy, with nothing.

Peter Economides: 40:19

Yeah, yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 40:21

It's different, it's fickle yeah.

Peter Economides: 40:28

Yeah, yeah, look, you know, I I've got a very, a very, I've got a very, I've got a point of view about what, what marketing and what branding is all about. It's, it's, it's the sum of what you do and what you don't do, and what you say and what you don't say. And if you think about the power of social media, it's a big part of who you are through what you express. Okay, at the end of the day, brand is not what you say about yourself, it's what others say about you, and they are influenced by all those little posts that you might do, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So, without strategy and I wouldn't even call it strategy without a clear sense of who you are, you need to be very cautious, right, very, very cautious. It's not about clever posts, it's about a true, honest expression of who you fundamentally are.

George Stroumboulis: 41:14

And setting that whole thing and there's a big difference.

Peter Economides: 41:16

Yeah, so if you don't know who you are, find out before you post.

George Stroumboulis: 41:21

Absolutely. I mean, I personally struggle in our company with identity. Yeah Right, it's great, you win accounts, you pay bills, you do that. But then you shift and you constantly want to know like who are we? What are we trying?

Peter Economides: 41:33

to do? What is that emotion I find in our world?

George Stroumboulis: 41:36

Yes, we're not making emotional connections. Personally, I may have a good relationship with someone who makes the buying decisions and they're like you know what. He's good, His business partner's good. They're always there. But are we really making emotional connections? And I know it. I guess the positive with me is I'm cognizant and I know that I don't think I'm making those emotional connections with my company's brand. You know what I mean.

Peter Economides: 41:58

Yeah, absolutely, and at least I know that Absolutely. And what complicates that is that it's not just what you express, it's what everybody working inside your company expresses. And the second point about brand is, once you know who you are, make sure that that's expressed as a culture that everybody inside the company subscribes to Everybody. Very much where my work is focused is on getting that fundamental ethos right, developing a narrative around that and then building a culture that everybody understands within the company, because once you get that, they can then express it with what they do.

George Stroumboulis: 42:41

Okay, so how, when you're creating this ethos, this messaging this who we are, how do you go from then deploying that to the team, because everyone will say we have the best company culture, we're this, we're that. 90% of it's bullshit, yeah Right, you really don't. But how do you sit there and how do you deploy that? I'm just curious.

Peter Economides: 43:01

Okay. So what I do is the following I always start with one-on-one interviews with the people who truly shape the future of the company Okay, the CEO, the senior leadership team, possibly the board of directors, possibly some of the owners, right, to make sure that I'm truly understanding the ethos. Okay, and these are individual, one-on-one, in-depth interviews where I'm listening, listening, okay. What I then do is I deconstruct that stuff, reconstruct it and look for the essence of what it's all about. The next step is going one level lower into the organization and doing workshops with people, which has got a dual function. Number one it checks that against what other people are feeling, but it's also a way of disseminating that, okay, within opinion leaders within the organization, which allows your culture to start spreading, and it's terribly important to do that, because if it's just something coming from top management, it's not worth much.

Peter Economides: 44:14

Everybody's going to feel it. They will say, yes, that's who we are, that's who we are.

George Stroumboulis: 44:20

That's so powerful. And you've done this repeatedly. And here's the thing across industries, you're industry agnostic, correct Right, and cultures, you're working with the Dutch and then the Germans, and then here, yeah, so obviously your methodology works, yeah, right. But for it to work across cultures.

Peter Economides: 44:38

it's got to be universally relevant, and that's another point. A good brand must have universal relevance.

George Stroumboulis: 44:45

But that's on you. So when you're there, you're creating that relevance. And then you need ownership senior team to bite off on it, right yeah, that's a lot of moving parts to align.

Peter Economides: 44:55

But you've got to be relevant to humanity, not to a subgroup of humanity. You've got to be expressing fundamental human truths. You've got to be expressing fundamental human truths. I did work, for example, for a medical company where I spoke about true care. I said there's care and there's true care. True care is for body, mind and soul, not just for the body. Okay, and this became a culture inside this organization, a very powerful culture.

Peter Economides: 45:26

So emphasizing more on mental health and Well, not just on mental health, but on making sure that we're looking after the patient holistically. And this came to me because I was in a clinic. They do kidney dialysis, by the way. I was in a clinic where there were patients tied up to machines busy doing dialysis on their bodies, and I saw a nurse walk up to a patient and touch the patient's hand like this, and a huge smile broke out on the patient's face and I said that's true care.

Peter Economides: 45:56

Just that little touch. By the way, it gets me back to what I was saying earlier about technology. Let technology take care of the body. This is what we need to do, and only humans can do that. Only humans.

George Stroumboulis: 46:09

hey, I can't do that, yeah cold metal doing that across your head. You're not gonna get that.

Peter Economides: 46:14

Can't do it, that's okay. She had anyway.

George Stroumboulis: 46:18

I want to talk about your philanthropy Make-A-Wish Foundation. Right, You've been your title.

Peter Economides: 46:23

I was chairman of the board. Internationally.

George Stroumboulis: 46:25

Internationally. So you do a lot of stuff. I'm sure you're getting pulled in a lot of directions, or they try to pull you.

Peter Economides: 46:30

Well, I'm no longer involved with Make-A-Wish. I was there for what? Seven years, so I became chair of the board, which was amazing. It's a phenomenal organization. But beyond Make-A-Wish, I'm involved with quite a few philanthropic causes. One of these is the Orchidee Foundation in Washington, which is in honor of the Greek Orchi, the famous Greek Orchi when they said no to the Germans back in during the Second World War. Yeah, I think philanthropy is something the world needs. It, for God's sake.

George Stroumboulis: 47:10

And if you have a voice and an influence and a following, yeah, yeah, I think that we should be expressing it Absolutely. I want to do a couple rapid fire questions for you, because I know you've been amazing with your time. I know we have like a few more minutes here. If you could rebrand anything today, like if you got to pick something that just it's not even about money or business something that you could rebrand that just maybe drives you nuts or you think you know that's iconic.

Peter Economides: 47:38

I want to think about that. Think about that, I want to think about that, I want to think about that.

George Stroumboulis: 47:41

We're going to come back to that. What's your routine with brainstorming? So you had mentioned earlier. You get up during the night If you have an idea, you go to your laptop, your computer, but when you're sitting there and diving into something new, where do you go and draw inspiration? You know, is it physically your space at home? Do you need to come out here? Do you need to fly? Are you caffeine Like? What is it that gets you into that zone where you're just like man, I'm rocking on all cylinders?

Peter Economides: 48:06

All of that stuff put together. Okay, it's just living my life. Okay, I love traveling, I love good restaurants, I love walking on the beach. I love all that stuff. I love being on the boat, right, all of that stuff I love, and this is what stimulates my thinking. All this stuff I love doing, it's all of that stuff I love and this is what stimulates my thinking.

George Stroumboulis: 48:23

All the stuff I love doing, it's all doing that, living in greece, that kind of brings it all that's all about it too. Yes, absolutely yeah even, uh, three months ago. We're grabbing dinner beautiful view of the acropolis, and you, who've been living here so long, have seen that millions of times. Yeah, you're sitting there in awe taking photos of the Acropolis with the sunset. It was amazing.

Peter Economides: 48:45

It was amazing, but it's amazing.

George Stroumboulis: 48:46

You know, it's just cool seeing that, how much you still, and it's not the same, like I know people that live here in Athens and they're just, they stop and they, they admire it Right.

Peter Economides: 48:56

It's just it's a different world here, right, it's what I love about living in this country by way, the food, the nature, the people.

George Stroumboulis: 49:05

I love it. Yes, it stimulates me well, and you were saying before so many friends want to move here that aren't even from here yes, and you've seen from the 80s, which was a whole other world back then, early 2000s. Yeah, right before you know, we kind of peaked and then austerity. And then you also said something that just resonated during covid, when we had met up at one point and I'm like how's it going for you? And I remember this resonated You're like no problem, we've been preparing for this for the last decade plus.

Peter Economides: 49:30

Yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 49:30

I'm like well, what did he mean? I'm like oh, basically I remember you saying something like that and it's like yeah, resilience here, Right.

Peter Economides: 49:39

Yeah, it's true.

George Stroumboulis: 49:40

So we already talked about career advice. Your routine here's. Here's just the fun one. Take any historical figure. If you could rebrand someone creatively who's a historical figure that you think could use some work, could again putting you on the spot. I know you need time to think about it.

Peter Economides: 50:01

I want to think about that one. I want to think about that one too.

George Stroumboulis: 50:05

Absolutely Yep. So, and then, just talking about Athens in general, what's your top restaurant, like, I think, a lot of people that want to come here, what are your top types of food here, like what's a happy place for Peter?

Peter Economides: 50:17

Okay For Peter. First of all, I grew up in South Africa where we used to eat a lot of meat, okay, and I hardly eat meat anymore because this place is just brilliant for fish, right, right, and not just for fish, but also for the Greek Mediterranean diet generally. It's just so beautifully balanced, right, and I find that that with find that with Greek food, there is no real conflict with what is good for you and what is good right. It's like taste and well-being just go together. Right, all right, and that's what I love about Greek cuisine. I guess I've got many favorite types of cuisine. I love restaurants that manage to do what my grandmother used to do even better than my grandmother could do it. I love that.

George Stroumboulis: 51:06

Absolutely.

Peter Economides: 51:07

And there are a couple of places that come to mind where that is the case.

George Stroumboulis: 51:11

You should never admit that though right, it's never better than you guys.

Peter Economides: 51:14

Exactly, exactly, and I love a good fish restaurant. There's one in particular in the city which I call the best fish restaurant in the world, and it's one of the best in athens can you drop the name free advertising it's called. It's called durambe. Okay, I just love it. It's superb. You got to put that on my list. I love it. And my other favorite, which is my grandmother's kind of cuisine, is a place called papadakis. Do you know papadakis? You've taken me, me there, there you go yeah, the chef. Love it.

George Stroumboulis: 51:44

Barbariga yeah.

Peter Economides: 51:46

Argyro.

George Stroumboulis: 51:47

Up in Kolonaki. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was a great dinner there. Oh, I love it. Yeah, I love it. What are you seeing in Athens right now? All these international brands are coming, lux hotels, everyone's coming here. Athens. You can't even rent a monthly apartment. Everything's Airbnb, there's so much money coming here. There's positives and negatives to it, so let's talk about the positives. Why is that good?

Peter Economides: 52:11

I think it's very, very good, because I've always said that Athens, greece, can and should be the West Coast of Europe, and I think that I see signs of that happening. Athens is attracting people, but it's also attracting investment. It's also attracting some of the world's best hotels. It's doing all sorts of wonderful stuff, and I really think that Athens, greece, is poised to really carve out a new kind of future for itself, and I can see the evidence of that all over the place. Probably the most important part of that is this mindset shift that we were talking about earlier. There's been a significant mindset shift amongst the new generation, which is now moving to positions of power in business, and that mindset shift is all about creativity. It's all about doing stuff from scratch, it's about getting stuff done, it's about yinete Yep, and it's amazing that that's happening. Okay, it's amazing, and I think that's being reflected in so many things. Absolutely.

Peter Economides: 53:14

In this city, so many things.

George Stroumboulis: 53:16

When yinete, just coming back to that, when you came up with that, it was known, everyone talks about it. Some back to that when, when you came up with that, it was known, everyone talks about it. Some people embodied it. The the ones that maybe matter, that can cause influence, but from a government standpoint, did you ever hear any backlash or feedback or what's this?

Peter Economides: 53:34

guy talking about. No, on the contrary, I found a lot of politicians um embraced it. I had meetings, many, many politicians at that time and they embraced it. They embraced it very readily, very, very readily, and I think that it's part of what's been happening in this country has been government expressing a lot of that kind of thinking over the past few years, which I think is a very positive thing.

George Stroumboulis: 54:04

Things are changing.

Peter Economides: 54:05

Things are changing, but there is a negative side, okay, and I think the negative side is number one. Things in the city are becoming expensive, in certain areas especially, and quickly and quickly, which means that those whose incomes are not being affected by this shift in what's happening, or not being affected in the short term, are suffering. I get it and I think that's something that we need to be very aware of and pay attention to. And the second thing the more people that Athens attracts, both as tourists and as permanent residents here, we've got issues with the infrastructure, absolutely. For example, getting from home in Vula to the city is a nightmare. It's a nightmare. We need to be aware of these negative aspects and make sure that we deal with them.

George Stroumboulis: 54:57

So how do you again? You're not a politician, but you know these people right, you have influence. How do you fix it? Is it as simple as all right? Minimum wage is going up to X, and then now we're causing hyper inflation across the board. When I vacation here in the summers and I've said this several times on different episodes you know, for a few days we'll maybe go to a resort, right, because there's pools and whatever. And you where?

George Stroumboulis: 55:19

the pricing was this past summer the highest it's ever been, and I see not 3%, 4%, 5%, it's like 15% more 15% more and I talk and I have friends at workout resorts and they're the waiters and servers and bar staff and I love talking with them. It's like what are you making all in every month? Right, and that's not increasing by 10%, 15% and resentment, I feel, grows.

Peter Economides: 55:44

Absolutely.

George Stroumboulis: 55:44

And it's no different than Americans or Canadians vacationing in Cuba or Dominican, and you're spending and they're making dollars a day. So I feel like that's happening here.

Peter Economides: 55:54

Yeah, I think you're absolutely right.

George Stroumboulis: 55:55

And what's the solution though?

Peter Economides: 55:57

Well, I think that we've got to be terribly aware of that problem and make sure that there are multiple solutions addressing those issues. There must be, and I'm not sure what the answers are, but if we are aware of them, then we can deal with them. I think there's another issue in Greece which is terribly important. For quite a few years, there has not been effective opposition and I'm talking about political opposition, which I think is terribly important which means that those who are feeling the negative effects of the positive stuff that is happening right don't feel that they have a voice representing them, and that's very, very unfortunate. Yes, because I think it's important that government has got diversity inside it, and right now we don't have that.

George Stroumboulis: 56:42

Has Greece ever had that I know. And again, this is all from the outside. Every party. It's like a rebranding is what I see. Again, we're from the outside, so we don't live it day to day and I know some of the local listeners will be like, well, you don't get it, so you can't comment. Fine, fair, fair point. But you have this leader of this current administration who's got a great image outside of the country. Everyone who knows of this prime minister yeah, he's doing a good job, he speaks well, he presents well, so we assume he's a great leader. I don't know, so I fall in that category. Then the other opposition's like, well, let's put this guy and they just recycle back and forth. So from the outside, looking in, it seems like there's really no challenge to it. What are your thoughts and opinions of someone from the outside coming in and possibly taking a run at it who's not connected in these parties?

Peter Economides: 57:27

Yeah, why not? Is my immediate answer to that. I think what we're looking for is relevance to the position that the country is in at this point in time, and if that relevance comes in the way that you are suggesting absolutely, why not? Right, absolutely, why not? But I think what it does need is alternative voices, diversity in the expression at the top.

George Stroumboulis: 57:56

I think it's terribly important, absolutely, terribly important, so are you going to throw your hat in the ring?

Peter Economides: 58:00

No Way too many skeletons on the closet. Itribly important, so are you going to throw your hat in the ring? No Way too many skeletons on the closet.

George Stroumboulis: 58:06

It's amazing but coming here and then the other side is, it is becoming a global hub, even for my operations here. We're servicing Europe and being able to do it here, and the talent.

Peter Economides: 58:15

That's terrific, congratulations.

George Stroumboulis: 58:17

It's exciting, thank you. But the other side is you challenge part of the DNA. Here too. It's always been. It's just breaking that the yin and the and sometimes you don't even have to say those two words the yin and the. Sometimes it's just like you see it on their face with just stuff and it's like let's just shift that. The other night when I landed here, we went for dinner and drinks with a bunch of random people and I was just inviting some clients you weren't available, all this stuff and partners, and there's a guy that moved in from Chicago and this guy from Las Vegas and it was this group with other Greeks and the energy was just cool. People are moving here. It was just a very collaborative type thing and I I'm hoping that also is influencing the younger people to say, hey, you know what? There there's opportunities on the flip side. If you're growing up here and you see that system and there's no change, it's a tough system to want to excel Absolutely.

Peter Economides: 59:09

You're absolutely right. You're absolutely right and I think that you know giving people the sense of yinete. It's not just expressing it, it's about once somebody is saying Once somebody is saying let's help them, let's assist them to make it happen.

George Stroumboulis: 59:27

Right, absolutely.

Peter Economides: 59:27

And it doesn't mean with handouts, that's not what I'm talking about. Let's make sure we've got the kind of society that is willing to support that kind of spirit. I think it's terribly important, absolutely Terribly important.

George Stroumboulis: 59:40

Two last things that I would love to cover. I'm one of those things. I'm coming back to those historical figures, if there's someone that needs some rewriting.

Peter Economides: 59:49

And it's okay, we can do it on a future episode, okay.

George Stroumboulis: 59:51

But I've always been curious what was it like? Growing up, you said you studied in Cape Town, you went to university. What was that culturally racial divide? Because you're you're a man of the world, you've lived in all cultures, you know, you see, just a human. But what was that world like? Because people don't get it, I don't even get it.

Peter Economides: 1:00:10

Yeah, south Africa. When I think back on the world that I grew up in, it was a weird world. It was a world where there was public transport reserved for people with white skins and public transport reserved for people with black skins, for example, which, if you think about it, that's just an absurd idea, insane, totally insane. And not just transport. Everything in that society was like that Blacks didn't vote. And I'm talking about a society where there were, if I'm not mistaken, south Africa's population at the time was 40 million, 36 million didn't vote. And I'm talking about a society where there were, if I'm not mistaken, south Africa's population at the time was 40 million, 36 million didn't vote. Come on, it was that big of a percent.

Peter Economides: 1:00:49

Oh, yes, it was true, colonialism which had survived from the 17th century, for God's sake, jeez. So it was a weird, weird kind of place to live in. But I grew up in a family where I must say place to live in. But I grew up in a family where I must say my family. Never I can't recall at all within my family an expression of superiority or of racial divide and that kind of thing.

George Stroumboulis: 1:01:16

I can't recall it as a kid From your family outwards like just yeah yeah, or within the family discussions. We'd have it never, ever touched those issues well, I'm sure it didn't, because your family came from another part of the world and you're trying to assimilate right, and my and my family came from.

Peter Economides: 1:01:34

They were refugees from the period of the, when the turks took over the island that they used to live on.

George Stroumboulis: 1:01:41

So your great grandparents oh yes, my grandparents emigrated, so I was actually a third generation and the Turks took over the island that they used to live on.

Peter Economides: 1:01:43

So your grandparents oh yes, my grandparents emigrated, so I was actually a third-generation South African. Okay, wow, I was just a South African with a funny name, right, by the way, I remember when I was in the South African Army compulsory service down there, when it came down to roll call, when they came, came to the word, to the name economides, on the roll calls it would be silence I'd say yeah, here I am smith jones yeah, yeah, here I am.

Peter Economides: 1:02:12

It was funny, it was funny. So yeah, it it was. It was a strange place. How?

George Stroumboulis: 1:02:19

was it from the outside in, though, like was there resentment.

Peter Economides: 1:02:22

What do you mean Meaning?

George Stroumboulis: 1:02:24

from the 36 million to the four? Were the four million treated differently because?

Peter Economides: 1:02:31

Well, there was. I mean, if you think about it, you know, nelson Mandela used to be the head of a party. The party still existed. It not used to be head of the party. The party called the ANC. The African National Congress was regarded in South Africa at some point as a terrorist organization. Wow, there was sporadic violence in that country from time to time On both sides. There would be violence from whites towards blacks, but there'd also be black uprisings here and there. Okay, so there's a lot of that kind of stuff going on. It was a place of conflict, right Of institutionalized almost conflict. Couldn't imagine, yeah, it was something else. It was something else. It was something else. And here we're talking about just what. 30 years ago, yeah, 40 years ago.

George Stroumboulis: 1:03:18

It's unbelievable. Well, the reason why I ask? Because you were saying you went to a documentary premiere last night.

Peter Economides: 1:03:22

Yeah.

George Stroumboulis: 1:03:24

Worth mentioning.

Peter Economides: 1:03:25

Absolutely the legendary George Bezos. George Bezos, greek South African, born in Greece, korani, emigrated to South Africa I believe in the 40s, if I remember correctly, and he became an activist lawyer and he eventually became Nelson Mandela's attorney. Remarkable guy, absolutely, remarkable guy, absolutely. I mean talk about that Greek spirit of Orhi. I mentioned the Orhi Day Foundation earlier. George Bezos encompasses that 100%, 100% Remarkable guy. So there was also, at the same time, that kind of thing going on and george bezos was not on his own. There were, there were a lot of people who who were, he was very significant but he was not on his own. There were a lot of people expressing that kind of um objection, uh to to the system as it existed I can't wait till that comes out hopefully mainstream to be able to see that?

Peter Economides: 1:04:23

No, it will be. It will be.

George Stroumboulis: 1:04:24

Amazing, peter. In closing, what's Peter Economides working on now, in the future, anything coming up that the listeners? We're going to share all your links so people could get in contact. Please spam him, ask him for his free time. Don't do that, but we'll share all that stuff. But what's on the horizon for you?

Peter Economides: 1:04:47

Yeah, I need to be. I don't want to disclose any confidential information, but I've got a couple of projects on the go right now, Some of them outside of Greece, but also a couple of them inside Greece and there's something which I'm personally involved with, which I'm very excited about. I think I've told you about this. It is the renovation, the reconstruction of this incredible building in downtown Athens called the Arsakio Megaro, the Arsaki Mansion, which is a beautiful building.

George Stroumboulis: 1:05:21

Can you spell Arsaki? Just so we.

Peter Economides: 1:05:22

A-R-S-A-K-I. Arsaki, Arsaki, okay, Arsaki this building designed by the German architect Schiller no classical building built in 1803, if I'm not mistaken, this is an entire city block in the middle of Athens we are renovating this and turning it into a food hall dedicated to the Greek Mediterranean diet. It's going to be delicious, Insane, Absolutely delicious. So it'll be a bit about being able to buy special produce produced by Greece's top not necessarily well-known producers, small producers, the best chefs in Greece. Wine tastings, cooking lessons, food tastings all sorts of wonderful stuff Sounds magical. It's going to be amazing.

George Stroumboulis: 1:06:07

So an Italy Greek version.

Peter Economides: 1:06:09

An Italy Greek version.

George Stroumboulis: 1:06:11

So this sounds like international play.

Peter Economides: 1:06:14

Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. That's the whole idea.

George Stroumboulis: 1:06:17

Can you share what the brand is going to be? What it's going to be called? It's called Stoa.

Peter Economides: 1:06:21

Stoa. Stoa in Greek means arcade. Yes, and I've written a narrative about this. An arcade is what connects people. Okay, it connects the past with the present right, it connects traditional Greek cooking with contemporary, it connects Greek Greece with the world, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So it's called Stoa.

George Stroumboulis: 1:06:46

That's going to be amazing.

Peter Economides: 1:06:48

When are we opening? We're opening in, hopefully, by the time that summer comes around in 2025. That's exciting. It's going to be very exciting.

George Stroumboulis: 1:06:59

If you don't have lighting hooked up, I'm going to hook you up with the lighting, let me be your international guy. That's exciting, if you don't have lighting hooked up, I'm going to hook you up with the lighting. Let me be your international guy. That's exciting and we're going to share. There's some articles online, so I want to put that up there as well.

Peter Economides: 1:07:08

That's exciting. Yeah, yeah, you're curating the messaging.

George Stroumboulis: 1:07:11

You're part of this. That's a big deal. I'm a shareholder in this, but I'm branding Awesome, I appreciate you sitting down.

Peter Economides: 1:07:29

It's an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, brother, thank you so much.

George Stroumboulis: 1:07:31

Thank you, thank you, thank you, and we're going to come back to the historical figure on a future episode. Put you on the spot, man, by the way. Tell me.

Peter Economides: 1:07:35

Aristotle is one of my ancient heroes. If I think of anybody who cracked branding, it's Aristotle. He spoke about ethos, about who you fundamentally are okay, as being a very, very important component in rhetoric. He spoke about logo, which is what you say. He spoke about pathos, which is the reaction you evoke, but he said ethos is at the center of it who you fundamentally are. That's what Branding is all about. Aristotle spoke about it.

George Stroumboulis: 1:08:10

Jeez, I mean, there you go, call that a rap. That was amazing. So that's the guy.

Peter Economides: 1:08:17

That's the guy. He spoke about something else, by the way. There's a fourth component which people very seldom remember, called keros, which means timeliness You're to do things at the right time.

George Stroumboulis: 1:08:27

At the right time. Wow, amazing, that's amazing. Well, there you go, that's our inspiration right there. Jeez, have you been to the Socrates prison cell here, have you ever? No, someone was just there All the years I've been here and it's just right at our feet. Got to check that out. Amazing, Peter, you're amazing man.

Peter Economides: 1:08:49

Thank you so much, thank you, thank you so much this was so good, thank you.

George Stroumboulis: 1:08:52

Thanks for listening to this episode of invigorate your business with George Strombolis. Please hit the subscribe and like buttons and follow me on all the main podcast streaming channels. Also, please share your comments when you can. I appreciate your help in expanding this network to a worldwide audience. Until next time, stay invigorated.

CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO

00:00:00 Brand Strategist Peter Economides

00:03:00 Rebranding Greece Talk with Peter Economides

00:03:40 Greeks are Self Denigrating

00:06:10 Den Ginetai Malaka - Famous Greek Word

00:07:49 Internship in Corfu for George Stroumboulis

00:9:30 The Ginetai Mindset Movement

00:10:39 Brain Gain in Greece

00:11:40 Father Blessing Career Path to Madison Avenue

00:13:50 McCann Erickson Global Advertising Firm

00:15:30 Campari Wins Ad Award in Cannes

00:19:00 Taking the Socratic Approach to Branding

00:22:15 Kidnapped in Mexico City by the Police

00:26:32 The Coke Zero Disaster Against Pepsi

00:29:24 Behind Apple's "Think Different" Campaign

00:32:54 Techno Anthropology Is What We Need

00:34:30 FelixBNI Agency by Peter Economides

00:36:50 How to Effectively Present to a Large Group

00:37:27 Don't Ask Meaningless Questions

00:40:05 Social Media For Marketing Purposes

00:42:42 How to Find Your Company's Ethos

00:47:40 Brainstorming Routine for Creativity

00:48:30 Still Mesmerized with the Acropolis

00:49:11 From Austerity, to Pandemic, to Prosperity

00:51:52 Is Global Investment in Greece Good?

00:54:09 Negatives of Global Investment in Greece

00:56:36 Next Prime Minister of Greece from the Diaspora?

00:58:35 Shifting Society to Help The Youth

00:59:54 Growing up in South Africa with Apartheid

00:1:05:01 Stoa Food Hall in Downtown Athens, Greece

00:1:07:35 Aristotle was the Ultimate Branding Genius

HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE BRAND STRATEGIST

Becoming a successful creative brand strategist requires a blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and business acumen. Here’s a roadmap with key steps to help you on this journey:

1. Develop a Strong Foundation in Branding and Marketing

  • Education & Training: Start with a strong understanding of marketing, branding, and business principles. This can be gained through formal education (e.g., degrees in marketing, communication, or business) or by taking online courses in brand strategy and creative advertising.

  • Read Industry Literature: Books like "Building a StoryBrand" by Donald Miller, "How Brands Grow" by Byron Sharp, and "Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind" by Al Ries and Jack Trout are essential readings.

  • Stay Updated: Keep up with industry trends, consumer behavior, and shifts in digital and traditional marketing through blogs, podcasts, and trade publications like AdAge and Fast Company.

2. Cultivate Creativity and Strategic Thinking

  • Creative Problem Solving: A successful brand strategist isn’t just a marketer; they need to solve problems creatively. Practice exercises in brainstorming, lateral thinking, and ideation to fuel creativity.

  • Think Big Picture: Learn how to see the broader brand vision while connecting it to practical, actionable strategies. Familiarize yourself with brand architecture, positioning, and messaging frameworks.

  • Collaborate with Creatives: Work with graphic designers, copywriters, and creative directors to understand how different creative elements (visuals, words, etc.) bring a brand to life.

3. Hone Research and Analytical Skills

  • Market Research: Understand how to gather insights on target audiences, competitors, and industry trends. Tools like Google Trends, social media analytics, and surveys can provide valuable insights.

  • Data-Driven Decisions: Brand strategies are often guided by analytics, so learn to interpret data to measure the success of branding efforts. Understanding KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) like brand awareness, engagement, and customer retention is crucial.

4. Build a Strong Portfolio

  • Real-World Experience: Start by working with smaller brands or non-profit organizations to develop their brand strategy. Document the process, challenges, and outcomes to build case studies.

  • Freelance or Agency Work: Gain hands-on experience by working at a marketing or creative agency, or start freelancing as a brand consultant. Agency work exposes you to a variety of industries and clients, helping you broaden your skill set.

  • Showcase Creativity: Your portfolio should reflect your ability to think strategically and creatively. Include branding campaigns, rebranding efforts, and case studies that show your process and results.

5. Build a Personal Brand

  • Define Your Own Brand: As a brand strategist, your personal brand should be a testament to your expertise. Develop a consistent online presence through a personal website, LinkedIn, and relevant social media platforms where you share insights, case studies, and thought leadership.

  • Content Creation: Write blog posts, create videos, or host a podcast discussing branding, marketing, and creative strategy. Sharing your knowledge builds credibility and attracts potential clients or employers.

  • Networking: Build connections in the industry through networking events, conferences (e.g., Cannes Lions), and professional groups. Engage in online communities for marketers and creatives to stay connected and find opportunities.

6. Work on Communication and Storytelling Skills

  • Pitching Ideas: As a brand strategist, you’ll need to pitch your ideas to clients or internal teams. Learn how to tell compelling stories that communicate your vision clearly.

  • Copywriting: Effective brand communication relies heavily on words. While you may not be a copywriter, having a solid understanding of persuasive and brand-aligned writing will enhance your strategic thinking.

  • Client Management: Understanding client needs and translating them into a strategic direction is a key skill. Always listen, ask the right questions, and build rapport.

7. Stay Versatile and Adapt to New Platforms

  • Social Media and Digital Branding: Today’s brands live on digital platforms, so mastering digital marketing and social media branding is critical. Learn how brands succeed on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more.

  • Brand Strategy Beyond Products: More brands are evolving their identity around purpose and values. Learn how to craft strategies that resonate with socially-conscious consumers and align with larger cultural movements.

  • Adopt New Technologies: From AI to augmented reality (AR) and the metaverse, staying on top of emerging technologies and their branding potential will set you apart.

8. Build Leadership and Team Skills

  • Lead Creative Teams: Successful brand strategists often lead or collaborate closely with design, marketing, and creative teams. Cultivate leadership skills to manage cross-functional teams and foster collaboration.

  • Mentorship and Feedback: Seek out mentors who have worked as brand strategists or creative directors. Also, give and receive feedback to continuously refine your strategies.

9. Understand Brand Culture and Global Perspectives

  • Branding Across Cultures: As brands expand globally, a successful strategist must understand cultural nuances and how to localize branding efforts. This could mean adapting a brand’s tone, visuals, or message for different regions.

  • Internal Branding: Successful branding isn’t just external; the best brands live their values internally. Learn how to implement employer branding strategies that resonate with employees and cultivate company culture.

10. Measure and Iterate

  • Track Brand Performance: After a brand strategy is implemented, it’s important to measure its success over time. Use brand audits, customer feedback, and analytics to assess performance and adjust the strategy as needed.

  • Adaptability: The landscape of branding is constantly evolving. Stay agile and adaptable to changing trends and consumer expectations.

Key Tools to Master:

  • Creative Software: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), Canva for mockups, and presentation design.

  • Branding Tools: Understand tools like Brandwatch, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social for social listening and brand monitoring.

  • Data Analytics: Google Analytics, HubSpot, or SEMrush for data-driven decisions on branding strategies.

Conclusion

Becoming a successful creative brand strategist involves mastering the art of storytelling, data analysis, and creative thinking while staying ahead of industry trends. It requires ongoing learning, adaptability, and building strong relationships both with your clients and your creative teams. A deep understanding of both the creative and strategic sides of branding will ultimately set you apart.

WHAT ARE THE TOP ADVERTISING AGENCIES IN THE WORLD AND HOW HARD IS IT TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP OF THEM

The top advertising agencies in the world are renowned for their innovation, client portfolios, and ability to produce creative, high-impact campaigns that shape global brands. These agencies are part of large multinational holding companies, and breaking into them can be highly competitive. Here's a list of the top advertising agencies and insights into the challenges of making it to the top in these companies.

Top Advertising Agencies in the World

  1. Wieden+Kennedy (W+K)

    • Headquarters: Portland, Oregon, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Nike’s “Just Do It”, Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”

    • Specialty: W+K is known for its creatively bold, culturally impactful campaigns. They’ve built a reputation for long-standing relationships with major brands, especially Nike.

  2. BBDO Worldwide

    • Headquarters: New York, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Snickers’ “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry”, Guinness’ “Surfer”

    • Specialty: BBDO is renowned for its focus on “The Work,” meaning they prioritize delivering exceptional creative ideas that drive results. They have a vast global presence and work with big brands like PepsiCo, Ford, and FedEx.

  3. Ogilvy

    • Headquarters: New York, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Dove’s “Real Beauty”, Guinness’ “Made of More”

    • Specialty: Known for their strategic insights and creative execution, Ogilvy focuses on branding, advertising, digital marketing, and public relations. David Ogilvy, the founder, is often considered the father of modern advertising.

  4. TBWA Worldwide

    • Headquarters: New York, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Apple’s “1984” and the ongoing “Get a Mac” series

    • Specialty: TBWA is a part of the Omnicom Group and focuses on “disruptive” advertising, aiming to push boundaries and challenge norms. They work with top brands like Apple and McDonald’s.

  5. Droga5

    • Headquarters: New York, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Under Armour’s “I Will What I Want”, Prudential’s “Bring Your Challenges”

    • Specialty: Known for its cutting-edge creativity and emotionally impactful campaigns, Droga5 has become a go-to for clients seeking memorable, culture-shifting work.

  6. Leo Burnett Worldwide

    • Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Always’ “Like a Girl”, Marlboro Man

    • Specialty: Leo Burnett is famous for creating iconic brand mascots and emotionally resonant, human-centric advertising. The agency focuses on “human kind” communications, producing work that connects deeply with audiences.

  7. DDB Worldwide

    • Headquarters: New York, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Volkswagen’s “Think Small”, McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It”

    • Specialty: As part of the Omnicom Group, DDB is known for creating breakthrough, enduring advertising that stays culturally relevant and drives business results.

  8. Saatchi & Saatchi

    • Headquarters: New York, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Toyota’s “Go Fun Yourself”, P&G’s “Thank You, Mom”

    • Specialty: Saatchi & Saatchi is known for its “Lovemarks” philosophy, which focuses on creating deep emotional connections between brands and consumers. They work with brands like Toyota and Procter & Gamble.

  9. Grey Group

    • Headquarters: New York, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Gillette’s “The Best a Man Can Get”, E*Trade’s “Talking Baby”

    • Specialty: Grey is focused on producing “famously effective” work, balancing creativity with business impact. Their client roster includes Coca-Cola, Volvo, and GSK.

  10. McCann Worldgroup

    • Headquarters: New York, USA

    • Famous Campaigns: Mastercard’s “Priceless”, Microsoft’s “Empowering Us All”

    • Specialty: McCann is known for campaigns that become a part of culture, such as the long-running Mastercard “Priceless” campaign. They emphasize integrated, global brand solutions across various platforms.

Challenges of Making It to the Top of These Agencies

Breaking into these top advertising agencies is incredibly competitive, and ascending to leadership positions or gaining recognition as a leading strategist or creative takes time, talent, and persistence. Here are the key challenges you’ll face:

1. Highly Competitive Entry Process

  • Getting In: Landing a job at a top-tier agency often requires a stellar portfolio, strong networking, and previous experience at smaller, reputable agencies. Internships and junior roles at these firms are often flooded with applicants.

  • Impressing with Creativity: Creativity is king in the advertising world, and standing out with innovative work is essential. Candidates are often expected to show not only execution but also their ability to think strategically about brand positioning and long-term vision.

2. Building a Diverse Skill Set

  • Multidisciplinary Skills: Top agencies look for people who have not just advertising skills but also an understanding of digital marketing, data analytics, consumer behavior, and creative technologies (such as AI, AR, and VR).

  • Cultural Awareness: Since these agencies handle global accounts, understanding global cultures and being able to create campaigns that resonate across diverse markets is crucial.

3. Delivering Consistent Creative Excellence

  • Pressure to Innovate: Clients of top agencies expect cutting-edge, breakthrough ideas. There is constant pressure to deliver innovative, high-performing campaigns, often within tight deadlines.

  • Collaboration Across Teams: You need to work well with creative, strategic, account management, and production teams to deliver successful projects. Leadership in these agencies demands excellent communication and teamwork skills.

4. Climbing the Ladder

  • Time and Commitment: Rising to the top in these agencies requires years of dedication, long hours, and consistently strong performance. It's not uncommon to work for years as a junior creative or strategist before gaining leadership roles.

  • Networking and Mentorship: Internal politics, mentorship, and networking play significant roles in career advancement. Building strong relationships with senior creatives, strategists, and clients is crucial.

5. Adapting to Changing Industry Trends

  • Staying Relevant: The advertising industry is evolving with the rise of digital platforms, social media, influencer marketing, and data-driven approaches. To stay relevant, you’ll need to continuously adapt your skills and stay on top of new trends and technologies.

6. Work-Life Balance and Burnout

  • Intense Workload: Top advertising agencies are known for their demanding work culture. Employees at the junior and mid-levels often work long hours, including nights and weekends, to meet campaign deadlines. This can lead to burnout if not managed properly.

7. Standing Out Among Industry Giants

  • Competition Among Top Talent: Even within the agency, you're competing with other talented professionals. To rise to the top, you must consistently outperform, develop unique ideas, and make significant contributions to high-profile accounts.

Tips for Making It to the Top

  1. Start at a Reputable Agency: Even if you don’t start at a top agency, begin with a strong mid-tier agency to build your portfolio and network.

  2. Network Extensively: Build relationships within the industry by attending industry events, joining creative organizations, and connecting with industry leaders on platforms like LinkedIn.

  3. Master New Platforms and Tech: Stay on top of new advertising trends, digital platforms, and emerging technologies like AI and machine learning to bring fresh ideas to your work.

  4. Focus on Collaboration: Successful ad campaigns are created by teams, so being a great collaborator and communicator will help you rise within an agency.

  5. Embrace Continuous Learning: Stay curious and constantly seek out new information, whether it's about creative trends, consumer behavior, or new media platforms.

In summary, making it to the top in these prestigious advertising agencies requires dedication, creativity, and resilience. The competition is fierce, but with the right combination of skill, networking, and perseverance, it's possible to rise through the ranks and become a top creative or strategist at a world-leading agency.

HOW HAS GREECE REBRANDED ITSELF OVER THE DECADES

Greece has gone through several phases of rebranding over the decades, shifting its national image and messaging to align with changing global trends, economic challenges, and cultural priorities. Here’s an overview of how Greece has rebranded itself and shaped its identity on the international stage:

1. Post-War Recovery and Classical Heritage (1950s–1970s)

  • Focus on Classical Greece: After World War II and the Greek Civil War (1946–1949), Greece worked to position itself as the cradle of Western civilization, heavily emphasizing its classical heritage and contributions to democracy, philosophy, and the arts. This was a way to both attract tourism and build national pride.

  • Tourism Boom: In the 1960s and 1970s, Greece's tourism campaigns featured images of ancient ruins, whitewashed buildings, and idyllic islands like Mykonos and Santorini. The message was clear: Greece was a paradise with deep historical roots, perfect for holidaymakers and cultural explorers.

  • Famous Campaign: “Live Your Myth in Greece” was a tagline that encapsulated this period, playing into the allure of Greece’s mythology and ancient history.

2. Political Turmoil and Rebuilding (1970s–1980s)

  • Shift After the Junta: The fall of the military junta in 1974 and the restoration of democracy led to a period of political transformation. During this time, Greece's image was somewhat overshadowed by political instability and economic struggles, though it continued to rely on its historical legacy to maintain a positive image internationally.

  • EU Membership: Greece joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1981 (later the EU), and this helped reframe the country as a modern, European nation. The messaging shifted toward economic growth, democracy, and integration with Europe, though Greece continued to emphasize its rich past.

3. Cultural Renaissance and the Olympic Games (1990s–2000s)

  • Modern Greece and Globalization: In the 1990s, Greece aimed to modernize its image. The country began to focus on a more balanced image that included both its classical heritage and its potential as a modern European nation. With a growing economy and expanding tourism, Greece aimed to promote itself as a vibrant and hospitable destination.

  • Hosting the 2004 Olympics: The 2004 Athens Olympic Games marked a pivotal moment in Greece’s rebranding efforts. The event gave Greece a platform to show the world that it could combine ancient history with modern infrastructure and global relevance. Leading up to the Games, Greece emphasized themes of renewal, modernity, and pride in its ancient roots. The official slogan, “Welcome Home”, played on Greece being the birthplace of the Olympics.

  • Infrastructural Overhaul: The Olympics spurred massive investments in infrastructure—new airports, roads, stadiums, and telecommunications. These developments projected an image of Greece as a dynamic, forward-looking country with the ability to execute major international events.

4. The Financial Crisis and Rebuilding (2010s)

  • Debt Crisis and Negative Image: The Greek debt crisis, which began in 2009, significantly damaged the country’s international image. Media coverage portrayed Greece as a financial liability within the EU, with discussions centered on austerity, bailouts, and economic mismanagement. This period saw a dip in the country's reputation, as it was often associated with instability and economic failure.

  • Rebuilding Confidence: Post-2015, Greece worked on restoring confidence in its economy and international standing. Despite the economic challenges, Greece leaned into its tourism sector and natural beauty to maintain some positive international perception. Greece also positioned itself as a “safe and affordable” travel destination, appealing to budget-conscious tourists during the global recession.

5. Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power (Late 2010s–2020s)

  • Cultural Initiatives: In recent years, Greece has increasingly used cultural diplomacy and soft power to enhance its image. Initiatives like the promotion of Greek food, film, and fashion, along with government support for arts and creative industries, helped diversify the country’s appeal. For instance, the Greek film “Dogtooth” garnered international acclaim, putting Greek cinema on the map.

  • Greek Diaspora & Global Contributions: Greece has leveraged its diaspora to highlight the country’s global influence, promoting prominent Greek personalities in fields like art, science, and technology. Figures like Giannis Antetokounmpo in sports, Steve Vranakis in design, and Peter Economides in branding have become cultural ambassadors.

  • Sustainability and Innovation: Greece began focusing on sustainable tourism and eco-friendly initiatives, showcasing its islands as pristine environments. The government and private sectors started to emphasize Greece as a destination for innovation, promoting start-ups, digital nomad visas, and the growth of sectors like renewable energy and technology.

6. Post-Pandemic Resilience and Tourism Revival (2020s)

  • Handling the Pandemic: Greece’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was initially praised internationally, helping to reshape its image from a country once defined by crisis to one demonstrating responsible governance. Greece emphasized safety and health measures in its tourism marketing, branding itself as a safe destination for post-pandemic travel.

  • Digital Nomad and Remote Work Hub: Greece has pivoted to appeal to digital nomads and remote workers by offering special visas and promoting its coastal and island regions as ideal places to work remotely while enjoying a high quality of life. This new focus has positioned Greece as more than just a holiday destination—now, it's a place to live and work in the new digital economy.

  • Greece as a Film and Production Hub: More recently, Greece has marketed itself as a destination for film production, with generous incentives attracting Hollywood productions. Films like “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” and TV shows have been filmed in Greece, leveraging its stunning landscapes and cultural backdrop.

7. Reclaiming Cultural Heritage and Promoting National Pride (Ongoing)

  • The Parthenon Marbles Debate: In recent years, Greece has intensified its diplomatic and cultural efforts to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum. This campaign has reignited discussions about cultural heritage, sovereignty, and national pride. Greece’s government and cultural institutions have used this issue to project a strong, united national identity.

  • Branding through Sustainability: In line with global concerns about climate change, Greece is increasingly branding itself as a leader in sustainability, particularly in tourism. Greek islands like Tilos and Astypalea have received international recognition for being pioneers in renewable energy and green infrastructure, reshaping Greece’s image as an environmentally conscious nation.

Key Themes in Greece’s Rebranding Efforts:

  • Classical Heritage + Modern Innovation: Greece has consistently highlighted its ancient past while also making efforts to modernize its infrastructure and embrace technology.

  • Tourism Focus: Tourism has remained central to Greece’s image, but the messaging has evolved from purely historical sites to lifestyle, adventure, and now sustainability.

  • Resilience and Rebirth: From financial crises to pandemic recovery, Greece has rebranded itself around the idea of resilience and bouncing back from adversity.

  • Cultural Diplomacy: Greece has used its rich cultural history and prominent diaspora to foster international relationships and enhance its global reputation.

Conclusion

Greece's rebranding over the decades has been a balancing act between showcasing its rich ancient history and demonstrating its modern capabilities as a European nation. Through major events like the Olympics, its handling of crises, and efforts in sustainability, tourism, and culture, Greece has continually evolved its identity, building a multifaceted image that reflects both tradition and progress.

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