4A's Looks to Future

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. — Despite few tangible signs of economic recovery, speakers at last week’s management conference of the American Association of Advertising Agencies sounded a positive note. Acknowledgements of last year’s down economy were accompanied by talk of recovery and challenges for the future.

Outgoing 4A’s chairman Brendan Ryan urged agency executives to “regain control” of the new-business process, while incoming chair Ken Kaess challenged them to quantify brand-building results.

Speaking Friday at the 84th annual meeting of the 4A’s, DDB president and CEO Kaess asked executives to “help clients understand the power of these elusive-yet very real-ingredients that we add to brands.”