Mar 2, 2022
Subtitle:
February 25th, 2022 is the day when Russia launched their initial attack on Ukraine. There are many fears, opinions, and politics circulating, creating a thick cloud that hides the reality of what’s happening in Ukraine; innocent people are dying. In this week’s episode, we stand with Ukraine, we acknowledge that what is happening right now is unacceptable, answer discuss how businesses can help. We share how we believe this tragic war will affect not only the countries directly involved, but also Europe, the United States, and agencies and technology. We also discuss some practical ways, as agency owners and citizens of the United States to help those that are hurting.
Summary:
In today's episode, we strive to understand the effects that this war will have on economies, financial systems, the technological community, as well as the role of the government in the affairs of international companies, and what we can do to help. The first step is in order to help those that are hurting, we must first fix the division in our own country. And it turns out marketing agencies have real power there. How are we to help others if we can’t even help and agree with each other? We must also be wise and mature in the way we speak about our current leader or leaders past. We are only hurting ourselves and our country by damaging their reputation on a worldwide scale. We must learn from the mistakes made, apply what we learn to our own agencies, and grow. The primary takeaway from this episode is that what is happening in Ukraine is wrong, but in order to help fix it, we must first fix ourselves by being wise, mature, forgiving, and most importantly, kind humans.
Top 3 Curtain Pulls in this episode:
For more tips, discussion, and behind the scenes:
About The Guys:
Bob Hutchins: Founder of BuzzPlant, a digital agency that he ran from from 2000 -2017. He is also the author of 3 books. More on Bob:
Brad Ayres: Founder of Anthem Republic, an award-winning ad agency. Brad’s knowledge has led some of the biggest brands in the world. Originally from Detroit, Brad is an OG in the ad agency world and has the wisdom and scars to prove it. Currently that knowledge is being applied to his boutique agency. More on Brad:
Ken Ott: Co-Founder and Chief Growth Rebel of Metacake, an Ecommerce Growth Team for some of the world’s most influential brands with a mission to Grow Brands That Matter. Ken is also an author, speaker, and was nominated for an Emmy for his acting on the Metacake Youtube Channel (not really). More on Ken:
Show Notes:
[0:43] Bob opens this week’s episode by informing the listeners that this episode is a special, current event episode, prompted by the invasion of Ukraine, where the guys will break down how war, cyberattacks, and sanctions impact agencies. “We could talk a little bit about war or sanctions or cyber attacks, and how they might come into play and affect what we do as agency owners and people working in agencies.”
[1:41] Brad contemplates the government’s role in deciding to shut down international companies’ access to and business with Russia, as well as how it will affect other US businesses. “I'm not not saying we shouldn't do sanctions. I just don't know what the effect will be.”
[4:55] Ken discusses an interview he found with Putin and how after listening to the interview, he’s begun to realize that cyberspace is the new battlefield. “A lot of people view cyberspace as the new, like, Battlefront. It's like a profound shift when, you know, when we view that as an actual battlefield.”
[6:57] Ken continues his discussion about cyberspace being the new battleground and relates it to the tech community. “What we don't realize is that as the tech community, being on the forefront is very important. It is like having a strong military.”
[9:25] Bob talks about a conversation he had with a retired veteran recently about how there is a very possible threat, “if Russia and China were to get together and say, we're going to have a plan cyber attack on, you know, countries that oppose us, (the US and other NATO backed countries) it's something to be concerned about and something that we should really prepare for, and it's yes, as agency owners, but also as citizens.”
[12:31] Ken discusses how the idea of casting blame is very detrimental. “It happens a lot inside of our country. It is a cliche that, you know, we appear divided, and so it's really easy to threaten us.” … “The great thing about the US is that you have freedom of speech, and we’re not squelching that it's just wisdom. Like it's not wise to be publicly disrespecting the leader on a world stage.”
[15:09] Bob talks about the importance of working together as a team in order to set a good example for other countries and ourselves as we understand and overcome this crisis. “When we have international threats, we really should show the world, ourselves, and each other, what it looks like to be good human beings and to play as a team.” … “It's a great application all the way down to our businesses.”
[19:06] Ken discusses the positives of being able to speak freely without fear of being punished for your opinion, but advises that one speaks wisely. “We don't have to agree. But we can at least respect each other.”
[22:06] Ken talks about one of the main things he believes we can do in the midst of this crisis.
[26:39] Bob says that one of the most important, practical things we can do is, “At the very least, show some solidarity for the people of Ukraine.”
[27:45] Ken discusses the importance of learning from this experience. He also talks about how it’s important to continue growing and becoming the best at technology when considering that it’s the newest battlefield.
[28:36] Bob mentions that it’s important to be aware of opportunities to help such as, “people who may be displaced out of their home, they don't have opportunities to continue to support their families.”
[29:35] Brad talks about the challenges of truly wrapping your head around the reality in Ukraine.
[31:28] Bob discusses the importance of securing all of your and any clients’ data and info. “Make sure everything is secure. Double and triple check, make sure everything's updated. It's probably a really good time to do that right now.”
[32:16] Ken wraps up by talking about how learning and maturing as a country is the most important thing anyone can do during this heart wrenching time. “I think there's a lot we can learn. Maybe there are some things that we can do. But learning I think is critical in this type of thing. It's sad to see the immaturity, so I would love to see people just kind of mature up so that we can be a united front.”