Cheers to ComGroup’s 35 Years

Dan Cowling lll and Dane Cowling were determined to create a family-focused, innovative advertising and marketing agency in 1987. This year, the brothers are celebrating the milestone of The Communications Group’s 35th anniversary.

As they reminisce on their journey, they share 35 lessons they learned over their three-and-a-half decades of experience dealing in the communications business.

1. The only things that really count in life are relationships. The single most important relationship is with God.
   
   
2. When you make a mistake, fess up. Quickly. Explain how it happened, what you can do to correct it and how you will prevent it from happening again.
   
   
3. Beware of becoming stagnant. Don’t get comfortable in your day-to-day operations. The world is constantly changing, and you must change with it. When ComGroup opened, social media wasn’t on the radar; now digital marketing and social media strategy are vital to any business. Adapting is essential to the success of our customers and company.
   
   
4. The message is EVERYTHING.  Outstanding execution without the right message never works. ComGroup developed MessageMAPPING™, a one-page document providing everyone within an organization an index to the same fundamental message that you need your audience to hear, retain and understand.
   
   
5. Team building is important. The best results for any business happen when your staff believes they are teammates that know their opinion will always be heard and respected. 
   
   
6. Pay attention to what your clients say. Our attitude has always been that many times clients have the best ideas.
   
   
7. Pay attention to what your clients don’t say. You might find an opportunity they are unaware of.
   
   
8. Make time for your family. Although we place great value in our careers, it’s important to prioritize your loved ones.
   
   
9. Hone in on unique abilities. Everyone is born with a unique, God-given talent. Management’s job is to identify unique abilities and help employees realize their achievements.
   
   
10. Prioritize client relations. A business mentor of ours used to preach, “Steady work comes from taking care of customers.” It’s a straight, simple to-the-point attitude that guarantees success.
    
    
11. Research, research, research. Before you do anything—whether it’s with a client, conflict or any issue—evaluate the available information to make well-informed, strategic decisions. Click here to learn how we help our clients through sound research.
    
    
12. Never over-promise. We strive to be the best, but that also means being realistic. If you’re unsure about deadlines or deliverables, it’s better to impress the client by surpassing the goal rather than missing it. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out and let you know.”
    
    
13. Encourage humor. We try very hard to have fun and laugh a lot. It improves attitudes and relationships.
    
    
14. Evaluate underserved industries. One reason for our success is working with non-typical agency customers. There was a huge need for agencies that understood industrial manufacturers, agricultural industries and governmental educational programs.
    
    
15. Never, ever compromise your integrity. Stick to your core values, and let those guide your decisions.
    
    
16. Take care of your people. We wanted to create a “Family Comes First” environment. Family is the bedrock of everything else you strive for in life.
    
    
17. Try to avoid early morning meetings. Unless you are in a bind, schedule meetings after 10 a.m. Employees and clients will thank you.
    
    
18. Become industry experts. Very few ad agencies understand the unique challenges industrial manufacturing marketers face every day which differs from the typical agency customer.
    
    
19. Virtually all consumer decisions are based on emotional needs. It’s our job to adapt to that.
    
    
20. Work and play don’t have to be separate. Cultivating a fun, engaging atmosphere increases creativity and boosts morale.
    
    
21. Creativity is vital to innovation. Think outside of the box, and create original work. This will make you stand out from the competition.
    
    
22. Focus, clarity and simplicity. These are three of the most important words in communication.
    
    
23. It takes a combination of youth and experience to be successful in business. Meet the people on our team, and learn about the unique value they each bring to the agency by clicking here.
    
    
24. Knowing what an employee will do is as important as what an employee can do. You can coerce cooperation but not commitment.
    
    
25. Be adaptable. Whether it’s a client crisis or the COVID-19 pandemic, level-headed decisions will always best serve your stakeholders.
    
    
26. Creative work may receive recognition, but great work produces results. Our goal is to produce results.
    
    
27. It’s acceptable to have 5 cups of coffee a day… or more. Just embrace it.
    
    
28. Every goal has corresponding obstacles. These obstacles are always present but sometimes unstated. All should be addressed and corresponding strategies should be developed to overcome them.
    
    
29. Interns are a valuable asset. College students are the next generation of public relations, marketing and advertising professionals. Not only does our CGXperience provide interns opportunities for hands-on agency work, but they also help us out in our day-to-day activities. We committed from the beginning to interview and sometimes hire college students or recent graduates interested in ComGroup.
    
    
30. Everyone in a business meeting comes to the table with three agendas: corporate, positional (based on their job description), or personal. Of the three, personal is the most powerful.
    
    
31. Be honest. No matter what, just tell the truth.
    
    
32. Know industry trends. At ComGroup, we stay ahead of the curve by not only reacting to trends but anticipating them with consistent monitoring and sound research. One of the tools we provide our customers are annual trend reports to help stakeholders develop their yearly marketing plans.
    
    
33. Be future-oriented. Be mindful of what you do now because it will affect what you do down the road.
    
    
34. Prioritize professional development. It provides growth and development opportunities for your staff and brings new ideas into your company. We’ve been doing this for almost 40 years, and we learn something new every day. Each month our account service team comes together for what we call ‘Huddle,’ as an opportunity to develop and grow as a group in our professional development. Keep up with our Huddle Up blog series each month to learn along with us.
    
    
35. Always embrace change. In today’s business environment, constant change is a given. When you embrace it, you will be rewarded personally and professionally.

The Cowling brothers’ business has transformed since 1987 and continues to evolve. They cannot help but give credit and gratitude for their long list of clients throughout the years. As ComGroup enters its 36th year in business, we would love for you to join the journey. Contact us to learn how our team can help you.