by Matthew Jones

Ken Matsubara has had an interesting time since he graduated from Boston University in 1997.  He has worked at some of New England’s largest and most influential agencies, as well as some of their smallest and freshest.  His client roster has spanned from Marshall’s to Nortel Networks to McDonald’s.  As an art director at Arnold Worldwide, Matsubara has learned enough to know that there is always more to learn.

Matsubara has been at Arnold Worldwide for about six weeks, but he is no stranger to a big agency environment.  Matsubara started his career at Hill Holliday Advertising – one of Boston’s larger shops.  After a strong run there, he left to go to a smaller agency – Smash – where he was able to take on greater responsibility and “do more.”  He went from there to a small startup agency called Liquid Advertising after Smash fell victim to an economic downturn.

Most creative professionals in the marketing industry move from small agencies to big ones, but Matsubara was determined to get his hands dirty, and learn as much as he could in a short time.

“There’s more opportunity at a small agency,” said Matsubara. “You get to help shape the agency.  You can have a bigger, quicker impact.”

Advertising agencies live or die on their ability to generate fresh and interesting ideas, and Matsubara has been able to succeed by capitalizing on his natural curiosity. He’s never comfortable laying back – only moving forward.  After an engaging run with smaller agencies, Matsubara is ready, once again, to be part of a big agency.

“You learn something new every day,” said Matsubara of his love for advertising.  “You’re not stuck on one product, or one brand.  (Change) keeps it interesting.”

Matsubara is somewhat unique in that he has known what he’s wanted to do since he was a teenager.  In high school, he took art classes and was intrigued by the fact that an entire career could be built around being creative.  According to Matsubara, it was an article in the New York Times that first nudged him towards a career in advertising.

Ever since he made the decision to pursue an advertising career, the pace has been fast and furious; but Matsubara wouldn’t have it any other way.

Like many successful creatives, Matsubara draws inspiration from many sources: the world around him, as well as his insatiable curiosity about life and what makes people tick.

Matsubara is not one to sit in a dark room waiting for an idea to come to him.  He prefers a more engaging approach.

“Keeping up with the ever-evolving culture is crucial,” explained Matsubara.  “A lot comes through doing my own research on the Internet, watching TV, buying an obnoxious amount of CDs, reading various magazines and just talking to friends, family and colleagues.”

Matsubara is not bound by preconceived notions regarding creativity.  As far as he is concerned, information from any source can be valuable, if you are able to find the underlying truth.

“I’m open to listening to critiques from anybody, regardless of title or occupation,” he continued.  “Some of the best inspiration comes from people who aren’t in advertising.”

Finding and Nurturing Diversity in Boston, and Beyond

Matsubara has found plenty of inspiration in Boston.  However, when people think of the City of Boston, diversity isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind.  Compared to other major metropolitan areas, Boston tends to have a lower diversity profile.  However, Matsubara believes Boston, and the rest of the marketing industry, will continue to embrace diversity – not just from a social standpoint, but from a business perspective as well.

“I think they get it at Arnold,” Matsubara explained.  “Rhonda (DeSilva, Arnold’s newly appointed director of diversity) has done a great job getting diversity into the agency.  It’s such a different vibe.”

Like many of today’s smarter and more aggressive marketers, Matsubara understands that neglecting an organization’s diversity needs means giving away a competitive advantage.  “You don’t have the breadth of vision (without a diverse workplace),” said Matsubara.  “(Other agencies think) they’re playing it safe (by not investing in diversity).”

While some agencies may choose to ‘play it safe,’ leading marketers and manufacturers are aggressively trying to figure out the diversity puzzle – if not in their own staffing, at least in their marketing efforts.  That includes many of Matsubara’s clients.

“If you have cookie-cutter creatives, you’re not going to get fresh thinking,” said Matsubara regarding the value of diversity among the creative ranks.  “Clients know that.  They want to get pushed (outside the box in terms of their thinking), even when they aren’t comfortable, or (when they) disagree.”

Many industry observers see great promise in the growing number of marketing and advertising firms that are attempting to establish racial and gender equality among their employees.  However, Matsubara sees the changes as being subtle – more of an evolution than a revolution.  “I haven’t noticed a large change,” said Matsubara.  “In TV, and sometimes print, they try to hit all walks of life in one effort.  You have your African American woman, your Latino male.  In the end, the decision usually turns out to be financial.”

Matsubara cited one of his current clients, McDonald’s, as an example of a leader who invests in a concerted diversity marketing effort – utilizing the combined talent of a general market, African-American and Hispanic agency.  “McDonald’s is such a diverse brand that spans so many different countries and languages – it was a great opportunity to see what I could bring to the table by looking at it from my perspective.”

As slow as it may be, the increased awareness of the power of diversity is making a difference at the agency level, with industry organizations like the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) and marketing recruiters increasingly on the lookout for ethnic employee candidates.

Nurturing the Next Generation

Recruitment is only part of the battle – not only from a diversity perspective, but also from an overall growth standpoint.  The issue of retention is a factor, and frequently an obstacle, when it comes to building a diverse workplace.  Many organizations find it hard to hang on to talented minority employees when those employees feel disconnected and unappreciated by their employers.

According to Matsubara, the employer that nurtures employees rather than squeezes them, will not only get better work, but will get more loyal employees.  “You can get great work (out of your creative team) if you push, push, push,” said Matsubara.  “But you can get the same great work if you nurture and teach your team.  People say there’s no employee loyalty in advertising.  That’s bull.  You can build loyalty.  If your team loves you, loves the work, and loves the people they’re working with, they’ll stay around.”

Matsubara’s success in advertising has been, in no small part, due to his ability to build loyalty, and to help instill an effective, growth-oriented creative process among his team.

“A successful art director needs to be able to teach,” Matsubara explains.  “(Creative directors) are managers (who happen to have) creatives under them.  It’s their job to bring the group up.”

The difference, according to Matsubara, is mentoring and teaching.  “If you have copywriters on your team, they should be performing as well as an associate creative director, or even a creative director – with the right guidance,” he added.  “You should be able to go in, explain how the account works, and the politics, and teach the mid- and lower-level creatives (how to add to the creative process).”

With regard to his own mentors, Matsubara feels very fortunate to have been able to learn from people with a clear sense of balance in their lives.

“They were family people,” said Matsubara of his previous mentors.  “They always had their priorities straight.  Family came first.  If it meant coming in at 5:00 am so they could catch one of their kids’ baseball games, that’s what they did.”

“We’re not saving lives,” added Matsubara as he reflected on the industry.  “We’re selling product.”

An important mentor for Matsubara was Dave Gardner, who was a creative director at Hill Holliday Advertising when Matsubara interned there.  “He was the best mentor – the best teacher.” said Matsubara who acknowledged that he learned may things from Gardner, including the concept that product and promotion need to live together.  Matsubara recalled that Gardner often cited the example of a leading pizza giant that had great advertising, but a product that didn’t deliver on the promise.  That pizza company is no longer an industry giant.

Peers also contributed to Matsubara’s career development.  He said he learned from them in ways that were more indirect, but equally significant.  He cited a friend and former colleague, Jen Hall, as a great source of inspiration.

“She bounced around different departments at Hill Holliday,” he explained.  “She was in accounting, then client service and finally art buying.  That’s where she really wanted to be.  That drive, that determination, it really did wonders for me to see that.  When I talked to her about taking the job at Arnold Worldwide, she said ‘Follow your instincts.’  She asked, ‘Is it going to (ultimately) make you a better creative director?’”

Matsubara reflected on Hall’s question and advice, and chose to follow his instincts.

Reaching out to the Community

Those instincts ultimately lead Matsubara back to the community, to giving back in the best way he knows how – creatively.  Matsubara does a lot of pro-bono design work for local area charities, focusing mainly on web site and corporate I.D. design.  He has done work for such notable organizations like Outdoor Explorations, and the Roxbury Weston Program, affectionately called ROXWES.

The Roxbury Weston Programs seek to increase multicultural exchanges, but with a unique twist.  Originally, ROXWES brought children from Roxbury, a predominately Black neighborhood, into the neighboring city of Weston, a White area – and vice-versa.  Today, ROXWES serves more than ten communities throughout Massachusetts.

Matsubara is well equipped to make positive contributions, both to progressive community-based organizations and to the field of advertising.  The breadth of his contributions reflects his varied professional experiences, his personable and nurturing approach to leadership, his creative talent, his activities in the community, and of course, his passion and curiosity for the business.  He has worked at variety of different sized organizations – from the biggest to the smallest; and has handled many different types of clients.  While Matsubara is relatively new to Arnold Worldwide, he’s ready for the challenge – and for the change.

“I see it as a chance to roll up my sleeves again,” said Matsubara.  “I can get back into television and billboard.  I still have all my knowledge of web development and alternative media that I learned at Liquid.”

“In the end, (my diverse professional path) has made me a better creative.”

The End