How Mad Men inspired our business

In September 2015 I finally got around to watching the iconic US drama Mad Men.

I’d read the five-star reviews and listened to friends rave about it, so my wife Emily and I sat down and binge watched all seven series.

For those who haven’t seen it, Mad Men tells the tale of a 1960s advertising agency based on Maddison Avenue – hence the Mad.

There’s a lot to like about the show – the great storytelling, the meticulous attention to detail in capturing the look and feel of the era and, of course, the dysfunctional characters!

The story revolves around Don Draper, Head of Creative, a handsome narcissist in a sharp suit with a flair for original campaigns.

“Creative” Don would drawl when he summoned his team of copywriters and designers. Creative, I thought…I like the sound of that.

Why are you called Content Connective?

“Content Creative!” I said to Emily. “That’s what we’ll call ourselves.” I knew it had to be content, because that’s what we do – we write, shape, edit, and create content for those who need it. But I knew I had more to offer.

I’d worked for 16 years in the newspaper industry and picked up a large amount of management experience, overseeing a number of successful projects, and building and leading successful teams. So, we can also offer content strategy too, as well as provide training and mentoring if you are looking to sharpen up your writing skills or those of your team.

So, you are an advertising agency then?

No, we’re not an advertising agency. Our speciality is the words. We write for those who struggle, or don’t have time, to write for themselves. We help you define what you’re trying to say and who you want to say it to.

You might not be ready to take on a full agency, because of time or cost or perhaps you already do some of your communications in-house? Your business could simply need a bit of help getting your message out there, whether it’s web copy, blogs, PR, or marketing collateral.

But don’t worry, if your business needs design, photography or video then we work alongside colleagues who are experts in these areas and can easily join forces to provide these services.

But you’re not called Content Creative

Yes, the sharp-eyed among you may have spotted something here. Because, of course, things don’t always go to plan.

Content Creative, brilliant as we had convinced ourselves it sounded, had already been taken. So, it was back to the ‘mood boards’, or rather the brainstorming on the sofa between episodes.

What are we trying to do here, I said? ‘We bring people together, we connect them through content,’. As elevator pitches go I could see it needed a bit of work. But we felt we were on to something. So, we tried Content Connect. But, again, the name had gone.

“What about Content Connective?”

I’m not sure what Don Draper would have made of it, but I liked it. And the name of our business was born.