The Melding of Strategic Positioning and Execution (a biographical account)

by D. Bruce

During his early years in advertising, Norman Lowe became fascinated by the integration of strategic positioning with creative execution. Then, as now, the two were generally kept distinct and separate. However, because this was the heyday of creative revolution, and because strategy had not yet become so rigidly orthodox (except as practiced by the large packaged goods companies), Lowe was able to make incursions into the strategic role later denied "creatives".

During his early years in advertising, Norman Lowe became fascinated by the integration of strategic positioning with creative execution. Then, as now, the two were generally kept distinct and separate. However, because this was the heyday of creative revolution, and because strategy had not yet become so rigidly orthodox (except as practiced by the large packaged goods companies), Lowe was able to make incursions into the strategic role later denied "creatives".

Lowe applied integrated strategic/creative thinking and execution to the brands of Canada's large packaged goods companies. Examples: Two candy brands surged to leadership positions; a hair product rose steeply from introduction to a 22% share in 18 months; Fiat enjoyed the only successful model launch in its sorry North American history via a campaign which likened front wheel drive performance (then new to North America) to a Roman chariot - and gave the car a tough Roman image.

When he formed his own agency in 1973, Lowe took these attitudes and practices a stage further. He applied creative marketing in such diverse fields as BMW automobiles, diamond jewelry and packaged vacations. Further, he integrated media advertising with other forms of marketing communications - more common now, but not practiced at that time.

Norman Lowe Associates worked for well-known, blue chip corporations on the one hand and helped build businesses from scratch on the other. It became highly respected. After 14 years, Lowe sold the agency to Canada's largest agency group. It was merged to form a larger agency which Lowe managed for two years.

In 1989 he resigned to evolve further. Fueled by personal computer development and an increasingly competitive environment, the "cottage industry" of pre-industrial revolution days had been reborn. Concurrently, media advertising was losing its pre-eminent position in marketing communications; its principal new challenger was an emergent business, database marketing. Lowe determined to merge these twin pillars of communication - both strategically and executionally. Lowe sought out leading practitioners of the new discipline; as a result of this activity, JMC Marketing Communications became a partner.

The outcome : A new iteration of consistent, proven principles, broader in its roles, leaner and flatter in its organization : Norman Lowe & Partners. The new company utilized key former colleagues of Lowe (now in their own businesses) as and when they were needed; Lowe returned to doing much of the creative work himself, rather than managing it. The pay-off to clients is two-fold: lower prices and higher standards.

Norman Lowe & Partners sought clients with whom it could get to the heart of the business and play a vital role in their growth. In many cases, this was in the business-to-business arena (traditionally neglected by agencies in quest of big budgets to fuel their expensive, layered organizations). Lowe has always believed that helping companies to sell to other companies is both complex and fascinating; helping to build new businesses from the ground up is equally fascinating. These activities are not all that Norman Lowe & Partners does - but they are its prime focus.

A Stray Thought from Norman Lowe: Indeed, there may well be no marketing communications company in North America that has done so much, with so many emergent businesses, over so many years, with so much success... For so few dollars, come to think of it.