Essay 333

Only in America.

In June 2004 Adweek reported Burrell Communications’ changing of the guard, as founder Thomas Burrell handed the proverbial reins to three successors — Fay Ferguson, McGhee Williams and Steve Conner. The article’s headline read, “Burrell’s New Leaders Hunger For Entire Pie.”

The visionary management team sought to position Burrell as a “thinking creative company” that would “pursue more accounts in their entirety, rather than just pitch for the [Black] portions.” Williams said their experience with segmented marketing and Black consumers should put the agency in the driver’s seat on brands. Looks like it turned out to be a “Driving Miss Daisy” scenario.

Now Advertising Age named Burrell Communications as Multicultural Agency Of The Year. Citing the shop “employs its insight into the urban consumer to build blue-chip client base,” AdAge praised the agency for its numerous achievements in Black advertising. Plus, Burrell even pitched and won new clients — the Black portions, of course.

Ferguson, Williams and Conner apparently found satisfaction with the slice of pie already on their plate, ultimately turning failure into success. Does it all demonstrate the difficulty of repositioning — or the futility of escaping one’s pigeonhole in a segregated industry?