Daily
The Egotist Interviews: Benjamin Ray
For those of you who remember years back (alright months) when we put out a request for questions to ask Xylem CCI’s Benjamin Ray, and even for those of you who don’t remember, the wait is now over.
We apologize for the delay, as it was mostly our fault for taking so exhaustively long to finally put together a solid set of questions for the intriguing Growth Officer. Regardless, it appears Mr. Ray took the time to put some real thought into his answers, so we hope you find the interview worth the wait.
Q: Your title, Chief Growth Officer, is one we haven’t heard before. Can you begin by telling us what you do on a daily basis and on more of a macro level at Xylem CCI?
A: I realize I’ve gotten a lot of flack about it, but if you Google ‘Chief Growth Officer,’ it comes up over a million times as a common title for officers who are fueling the growth of a company.
Specifically, for me, growth is about new ideas. Growth is about learning. Growth is about excellence. Growth is about quality. Growth is about relationships. For over 20 years I have been working with clients to help them realize their dreams, to reach higher, to believe anything is possible. Our business is about helping companies grow. My job is to see the relationship from the client’s point of view. Everything we do should be in the interest of helping companies think better, act better and deliver superior products and services to their customers. Our job is to educate clients and lead them to greatness. In terms of growth, if our clients do not grow, as in sell more burritos, attract more people to move into their communities, open more franchises, make hair more beautiful or continue to live a stronger healthier lifestyle, we have failed as a company and I have failed at my job. In terms of what I do everyday? – continue to cultivate long-term relationships and look into developing new markets for our business.
Q: What was the primary objective of the merger between your company and Creation Chamber, and how successful has the combined team been at achieving that objective over the past 11 months?
A: We were working together for a few years, so it really made sense. Xylem was focused on the brand / marketing side and CCI was more about technical development. We were turning a lot of work away and so were they. Also, neither of us were getting invited to the larger deals because of a horsepower issue and the ability to get the work out fast enough. There were also a few times when we were competing for the same work, so we sat down over a few beers, a few monster white board sessions, and out came Xylem CCI. It was a relatively easy decision for all of us. We have only begun to realize the power of our combined strengths. 2008, so far, has been incredible for us and with each passing quarter, we will really see the benefits.
Q: There seems to have been a high degree of turnover since the merger, including two senior level team members – Creation Chamber President, Rob Davis, and Creation Chamber Chief Technical Officer, Gary Clift. What events led to their leaving the new company?
A: Whenever you merge companies there are always a lot of things that have to happen; some long-term, some overnight. When we got together, there was no room for mistakes. We had some incredible clients with incredible deadlines. We quickly had to figure out who was going to do what and we kind of all did everything to make sure no balls were dropped. Once the dust settled, we realized there was a little bit of overlap in a few departments. In addition to this, we had to address issues like speed, quality, hiring, efficiency, morale, etc. – and all of us had to be on the same page. Everyone had to share a common vision of the new company to be successful and, unfortunately, there is always fall out following a merger. I hate to see anyone I respect leave, especially a partner, but that’s how it goes in business. And you have to remember that we did transition two partners out but added two as well, John and Corey, positioning our partner team for longer term adherence to our growth strategy.
Q: Xylem CCI mentioned that the joined forces would total over 55 employees, with the intent of adding 20 more by the end of 2007, and that the merged entity would be the largest independent “interactive practice between Los Angeles and Chicago.” Why is size so important to your agency?
A: We are introducing hyper-creative ways to grow better, not just bigger. Also, when you are small, you can’t really service any of the big clients. We decided about 4 years ago to go after nationally and internationally branded, full-service clients where we could work on large integrated campaigns. We intentionally did this so we could affect their business more on a larger scale. If we are doing one-off mom and pops we really can’t help the clients too much. One-offs are a commodity, clients and campaigns are strategic. Also the benefit of being larger, consequently getting bigger clients, is to provide the staff with many more opportunities to have the world see their creativity. It is just a lot more fun for everyone to work on the bigger integrated campaigns.
Q: In the world of interactive, the promise of quality has become cliché. Quality is sometimes seen as an incidental to each client delivery, as opposed to an independent, critical phase of the delivery. Because QC is usually very compressed at the tail end of an interactive project, the overall commitment to the caliber of work produced is inherently compromised. Considering that QUALITY goes a long way toward giving a company a good name (and thus, growing the company), how will you do your part to save the industry from a decline in excellence?
A: Quality should be seen as organic. Many clients see faults if things are not working correctly the day an application launches. I feel Web sites should always change, and never be perfect, never be finished. The only way to improve on something is to take what we have learned every day and apply this to the next and continually evolve. In terms of a decline in excellence, we are just beginning to see this industry evolve. Companies are only starting to use technology for marketing; really, for the past 4 years or so. Traditional advertising has been around for 50 years and pretty much has been the same. Once the mainstream truly embraces digital in every promotion, there will not be such a critical eye on quality, because companies will realize things they never thought possible, in terms of customer insight, message segmentation, personalization and actually giving users information that is truly desired, as opposed to just spewing out things the industry thinks is cool. I actually think things are getting better, because there are more choices, and many more non-elitist ways of getting messages out in this world.
Q: In one sentence, what makes Xylem CCI different from other agencies both here in Denver and throughout the industry?
A: We think very hard each and every day, constantly asking ourselves, what can we do to be better?
Q: Congratulations on re-engaging Jimmy John’s after a two-year hiatus with the client. Tell us more about your plans for that account in 2008.
A: Thanks. Big, big ideas. JJ is a great client. We can do anything that we think will grow their business. We have had some amazing ideas, some have been bought off on, some haven’t, but we are consistently raising the bar for craziness. The problem with being able to do anything is that if we put ourselves out there and fail, we’ll lose the account. If on the other hand we are successful, which for me is the only answer that comes out of my mouth, we will have them for many years to come. There is just a lot of pressure, but I don’t think the guys would want it any other way. Jimmy is a crazy cat, but I do love him.
Q: Many argue that the first Chipotle Web site, designed and developed by the original founders of Xylem Interactive, was what really elevated Xylem to become a major player in the interactive field at a national level. Now that the original founders of Xylem are no longer affiliated with your company, how has the work product changed, and how does it compare to the work from that era?
A: The original Chipotle site was excellent. It truly has staying power, and will still occasionally drive new business inquiries to us. We still work with some of the original guys in some way or another. And, yes, we did use Chipotle as a way to launch us on a national level. Chipotle has been very good to us over the years and they continue to be a friend of XCCI. In terms of the partners leaving, their influence is still ingrained in everything we do. I think the great thing all four of the original partners did was to have a vision of excellence and innovation, and this still holds true today. People have come and gone, but the ideals of the company still hold strong.
Q: Speaking of the original partners, what are your feelings about HIM Creative, the new startup run by Jeremy Irwin and Joe Mease?
A: Josh and I are starting to do business together, and we have continued to work with Joe. I ran into Jeremy for the first time since he left about a month ago, and it was good to see him. There is so much business in this space for the taking, and I am really excited to see smart people come up with cool new ideas. I think their business plan is a good one, and if they are able to be disciplined and stay true to their plan they will be very successful. I look forward to continuing to network with them.
Q: As we understand, the Xylem CCI operation is run out of Denver, how does London fit into your growth strategy?
A: Doing business in the UK and Europe has been great for us. It has opened doors that never would have been possible if we were just in Denver. We have had about 15 clients there over the past 4 years. They have all been pretty small, but the multicultural experience has been invaluable. The best experience has been in designing Web sites and promotions in multiple languages, with different cultural positioning. So far, the office has really been about sales, and our associate there, Bill, is a branding expert. We partner with him on most of the work, and in Q2 we will be breaking out some exciting news regarding expanding operations; not just in sales, but also in digital strategy, IA, creative and production.
Q: What percentage of your business is in Denver versus national/international? Where do you prefer to focus?
A: About 70% is national, 30% international. I like to travel and the experience of working with people from countries with different view points is exciting to me. The more international companies we work with, the better we become. When we work only with companies from around here, we have a very limited view. I think as the world gets smaller, our reach will grow.
Q: What are your feelings about the degree of animosity directed towards Xylem CCI from members of the local interactive community? What are your plans to improve your image locally?
A: I would tend to disagree that there is animosity. When you’re at the top people are bound to focus criticism; look at Microsoft and now even Apple. Over the past 6 months our culture seems to be emerging as one of the truly great places to work in Denver. It is the best group of people I have ever worked with. Regarding the comments on TDE, our concerns and focus have always been to take care of our growing and talented staff, doing great work and pleasing clients. I do feel badly about anyone who doesn’t work out in our company, but I have been working for about 23 years, and I know that not every place is a perfect fit for every employee. I understand our agency is not for everyone, but everyone who is here understands what we are trying to build and they are very dedicated. We, in management, have to be leaders. And leaders have the responsibility to the masses, not to the idiosyncrasies of every individual. We do what we have to do to move the company forward and our decisions are not always popular. But this isn’t to say we don’t care or take issues seriously. In fact, if anyone out there truly feels there are still hard feelings, I invite you to meet with me over a beer, and we can talk and hopefully clear things up.
Q: They say hindsight is 20/20. Knowing what you know now, and having endured the trials and tribulations of a merger, what would you do differently next time? If you had the chance to go back and do it all over, would you?
A: I have been through three and I am sure there will probably be more. Each one is a learning experience, and each one gets easier, because we know what not to do the next time. Even though we know what not to do, there are still hundreds of details that have to be tied together. Mergers are difficult, but yes I would do it again, and yes I would have joined Xylem with CCI. The only thing different I would have done is hired a “Minister of Culture Change” or something like that to help ease everyone into different ways of thinking – new ways of thinking.
Q: Where do you see Colorado in the scope of the creative/interactive industry now and in the future? Where do you think Xylem fits in?
A: Colorado has a great future in the industry. The problem is that we have no clout nationally, and it is hard to find enough people to get all the work done. It seems that every day local companies are moving their business to LA, Chicago or Manhattan. It sucks for us. I think we need to continue to strive for excellence and promote the hell out of all the great work we create. Also, I have often thought about getting everyone here to join together in some sort of strategic alliance or joint venture with a hip name and go after some of the work our national competitors are getting. We could accomplish a lot with 500 people, and this for sure would raise the level of awareness in Denver. Wouldn’t it be great if we started taking away work from the big boys, getting the word out that we are just as smart, cool and creative as the guys on Abbot Kinney, the West Loop or Bleeker? XCCI fits right in here as we continue to swing hard and never give up the fight.
Q: Who would you say is the strongest agency in the Colorado interactive community and what are the reasons?
A: There is a lot of talent here. All of us have won awards, grown business for clients, promoted cool products and come up with innovative ideas. Most people have worked at numerous agencies here so I really consider all the agencies to be one, competing against all others out of Colorado. I have many friends in competing agencies and because of this competition we are all stronger and continue to become better and more innovative every day. I do have to say it has been great having Crispin around, as this has raised not only the level of creativity, but also talent and national awareness. Of course, my personal bias is toward XCCI, which if I were a client, truly would hire over anyone else. I believe this because we spend every waking moment focusing on being the best. Being the best for us is about providing far-reaching integrated digital strategy; providing superior creative and account management; and flawless execution.
Q: How will the looming economic recession affect your business and the interactive development community as a whole?
A: It can only help digital agencies. As corporate belts tighten, traditional ad budgets get smaller, yet companies still need to promote to remain competitive. We will continue to see digital budgets increase. This year digital is projected to be about 30% of ad budgets, next year probably up to 40%. I see no slowdown for our business, in fact we have been hiring over the past month, due to a lot of new business. We have specifically received the business because the companies have less to work with, but know we can do more with what they have.
Q: Where do you see Xylem CCI in the next five years? Where do you see yourself?
A: In five years XCCI will have numerous global offices and we’ll continue to expand in digital services. We will continue to lead clients to the digital frontier and continue to innovate. We will be one of the hottest, strongest, brilliantly creative and most recognized top digital agencies of 2013. Or, who knows, the whole staff might be sitting on a beach somewhere…
Myself? Always growing… personally and professionally.
36 days ago / / Link
He may be wordy, condescending and self righteous but this guy definitely has a gift for spin. If this ‘Chief Growth Officer’ thing doesn’t work out, he has a bright future as a PR guy in the Oil and Gas Industry.
As for Xylem CCI – more power to them. As far as I know, the core of the creative department is still there and I’m sure they’ll continue to crank out good work. That is, until they’re all snapped up by CP+B and turn into rockstar design gods.
Another well crafted interview egotist, it was nice to see that you used the questions posted by readers. Well done.
AP
— Alexia Peese · Apr 7, 12:55 PM · #
We had (and they continue to have) chief growth officers at IPG and some of its agencies. It’s actually pretty common in the firms that are (or act) big. Kudos to Ray and the Xylem CCI team for their ambition… which is lacking in many of the smaller groups in and around Denver (isn’t this perspective why the Egotist came about in the first place?). Kudos to TDE for a good article as well!
— Jeremy · Apr 8, 04:22 AM · #
I’ve never personally met Ben, but we at LeeReedy know and respect the work he and his company do. Along with Eric Kiker, we’ve paired with Xylem CCI on two huge branding initiatives (Naked Juice and now Atkins). The results have been great for everybody involved.
— Jamie Reedy · Apr 8, 03:00 PM · #
Thumbs up, Ben. Rockin’ interview.
— Jimmye · Apr 8, 04:52 PM · #