Tom Mullin talks to marketing professionals. A lot. “I constantly hear nightmarish stories about creative vendors they’re using and previously used,” he says.
The former Columbus ad agency business-development exec decided to do something about this creative conundrum. He established
Connected in May to help locate the right creative people needed for marketing and advertising projects.
Negative experiences with creative vendors typically come from not having the right person for the job, he states. “Unfortunately, the creative and design profession is highly unregulated. You have a lot of people claiming to offer services that just aren’t in their professional skill set.”
Using what he calls a “robust” interview process that evaluates and clarifies the skill set, customer service record and pricing of creative vendors, Mullin acts as a professional match maker between marketers and creatives.
“This due diligence enables us to take the guess work and time spent mulling over options out of the equation,” he explains. In addition to streamlining what is typically an arduous process, Mullin says he creates an environment built around honesty and transparency. “Simply put, we know who does what, who does what well, and who can be problematic to work with. Marketers who come to me with a project receive an unbiased professional opinion as to not only who’s qualified for the job but who’s going to provide the biggest return on their investment.”
His goal with Connected, he says, is to make marketing professionals’ lives easier and more productive.
Philanthropy is an important aspect of Connected’s business model. Mullin donates a portion of his net profit from each project to the marketer’s charity of choice. “I grew up in a very philanthropic environment and was taught to give back whenever possible,” Mullin explains. “It’s my way of thanking the marketer for allowing me to help them build brand loyalty.”
Source: Tom Mullin, Connected
Writer: Lynne Meyer