We believe your marketing should be
as innovative as your products.PJA likes to figure out the hard stuff. We find the hidden truths your competitors are ignoring and that your buyer cares about. Those insights drive marketing programs that go beyond advertising, winning attention at key decision moments to keep your product and services in demand. So you can gain an unfair advantage in tough markets.
work
Brother
Consumer Brand Awareness Campaign
Small office businesses place high emotional value on their printer output, yet rarely, if ever, do they think about their actual printer. Until there's a problem. Through an integrated advertising campaign that included national TV spots and engaging consideration content, PJA helped Brother tap into this idea by bringing the printer to life, making it so reliable that small businesses didn't even know it was there.
Iron Mountain
Think inside the box
Companies everywhere are looking for ways to improve efficiencies and cut costs. One of the easiest places to start is often the most quickly overlooked: the way paper documents are managed and stored. In 2011, PJA helped Iron Mountain engage financial leaders in mid-sized businesses, offering them an untapped opportunity to save money.
Limelight
Lead Generation Campaign
The opportunities for marketing with rich media are huge. But many marketers simply aren't aware of what they're capable of doing with video, interactivity and analytics. In 2011, PJA helped Limelight Networks use its own best practices and capabilities to showcase the possibilities for in-banner engagement with an integrated lead-generation program that was truly engaging.
Novell
WorkloadIQ
In 2010, Novell introduced a new approach to enterprise computing, called WorkloadIQ. Through innovative online ad units and a series of 30-second videos, PJA helped tell this complex story to show how WorkloadIQ helped businesses leverage technologies like cloud computing while maintaining compliance, security-and a cool demeanor-throughout.
TE
Brand Re-launch
Look around. If you see something that uses electricity, chances are TE Connectivity's technology or thinking is inside making it work. In 2011, PJA helped to rebrand this $14B company and rally its global workforce around a new name, a new vision for engaging customers, and a new way of thinking about themselves.
Trend Micro
Consumer Brand Awareness Campaign
No one really thinks about their internet security-until they realize they've been hit by malware. Or worse. Following the successful consumer launch of Trend Micro Titanium, PJA continued to raise awareness of just how fast, powerful, and seamless internet security can be with a highly emotional appeal to consumers, on a level that just about everyone can understand.
Trend Micro
Titanium Launch
Slow, burdensome internet security is a fact of life. It's just something we have to live with, right? That's just the type of mindset Trend Micro wanted consumers to re-think with the launch of their new consumer internet security product, Titanium. And PJA delivered with a highly integrated campaign centered around a very simple, very big truth.
Extreme Networks
Brand Awareness Campaign
Extreme Networks was a pioneer in Ethernet networking solutions. In 2010, PJA was asked to help reclaim that status by repositioning the company as the only solution provider truly prepared to deliver against the challenges of network mobility. We created a full suite of branding assets to bring their new tagline "Make Your Network Mobile" to life.
with small businesses.
Tyco Electronics as TE Connectivity.
approach
Competitors outspend you. Market perceptions can be outdated, inaccurate, and frustratingly hard to change. Buyers are elusive. And the channels, content, and devices they care about are changing constantly. Our mission is to turn the tables. To win you the attention and credit you deserve. To give you, in other words, an unfair advantage. Put simply, our promise is a more predictable return on your spend.
How? Click that arrow over there to see more.
The PJA way is equal parts investigation, creativity, and invention. Here are the four strategies we use to get you more than your fair share.
Market to humans
Your buyer is a person who reacts to messages rationally and emotionally. Our mission is to know your buyer better, so we know what channels he cares about and what content moves him to action. GO HUMAN
Truth over imitation
Creative and media that imitate are only ads for your competitors. Standing out means skirting conventional wisdom, and tapping the hidden truths that actually move your buyer. VIEW A TRUTH
Build brand and demand
Your buyer doesn't separate the two, so neither should your marketing. WATCH CASE
Read between the hype
In-between the hype of marketing technologies and their commodification is advantage. It is our job to find this advantage and make it work for you. NUMBERS THAT MATTER
about
PJA Select Client List
Phil Johnson
CEO
Phil wants to make PJA Advertising + Marketing great. That leads him to ask a lot of questions. How can we find and develop people so that we're better than we were yesterday? How can we make our agency a valuable destination for our clients? How can we improve on what agencies do?
He sees the ultimate role of agency CEO as a never-ending quest for undiscovered talent. He is a firm believer in hiring better and smarter than himself and is often in awe of the people at PJA. He's fascinated by the technologies that are changing the art and science of marketing, but still believes most answers can be found in understanding what makes people tick. He's relentlessly curious, and spends time writing for AdAge and running a speaker series for the Business Marketing Association of New York. He's frequently overbooked serving on the boards of the Boston Museum of Science, Partners in Health, and the Cambridge Community Foundation. He lives in Cambridge with his wife and two sons, although he needs to be reminded that one son is actually away at college.
Mike O'Toole
President and Partner
I feel privileged to live in these most interesting of times for marketing. While the ends haven't changed at all (make me famous, help me sell), all the means (channels, content, devices, who's in control) are changing constantly. Which means it's a great time to be an agency helping clients figure all this out.
As President, I oversee operations on both coasts, and advise clients on marketing strategy. I'm an occasional speaker and blogger for MarketingProfs, the BMA, and at SXSW. I thoroughly enjoy hosting PJA Radio's "This Week In Digital Media," a two-year old thought experiment where I get to discuss topics ranging from the impact of HTML 5, why humor matters in B2B marketing, and Social Media and the Middle Class Musician.
When it comes to PJA, I'm most proud of the agency's culture, and its collection of people who genuinely like each other, and work exceedingly hard to get clients the credit they deserve.
When it comes to home, I spend my free time coaching soccer, driving around my four kids, and hoping for a Notre Dame football return to glory. Ask me about my family's deep dive into the analog world, the Summer of 72 books.
Hugh Kennedy
EVP, Planning and Partner
Demographic
- 46-year-old male, 20 years marketing experience
- BA from Yale, but don't hold that against him
Work Life
- Works closely with C-level clients on marketing strategy and with Office Manager to ensure Nespresso capsules are stocked in kitchen
- Travels frequently between US cities and between desk and Wakefield schools to drop off and pick up children
Online Media Consumption
- Reads The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CIO, eWeek, Wallpaper and International Wine Cellar
Signature Quote
- "I'm working toward the day when every client is as daring in their marketing as their favorite campaign out in the world."
Doug Powell
Media Director
Doug's first lunch in advertising was at the legendary Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago (cheeseburger and chips-no Pepsi). Although he never went back, he did go on to work on many other iconic brands including Levis Jeans, Taco Bell, Pillsbury, MTV, Amazon.com, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, and Cisco. His curious nature for discovering how media can drive business growth and brand success makes him an asset beyond his profession. Meanwhile, he's also raised the bar significantly on where to go for a good lunch.
Greg Straface
VP, Business Development
As head of Business Development for PJA Advertising + Marketing, Greg leads the agency's efforts to identify and secure strategic partnerships, while expanding PJA's footprint from BtoB to BtoC. Greg brings extensive strategic marketing and business development expertise to PJA having worked with global agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, Publicis, BBDO and most recently Doremus where he helped launch the San Francisco outpost of that Omicom agency. Greg has a driving passion for building relationships and has been able to connect the strategic vision of PJA with innovative brands like Yahoo, Trend Micro, Brother International, CA Technologies, EMC, Boston Scientific, Novell and TE Connectivity.
Greg is most proud of his involvement in PJA being named Agency of the Year by AdAge's BtoB Magazine in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011.
Aaron DaSilva
VP, Executive Creative Director
For more than fifteen years, Aaron has driven creative thinking for numerous companies including Novell, Trend Micro, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Brother International, Chase Sapphire, State Street Bank, TE Connectivity, GE Healthcare, Juniper Networks, VH1 Classic, Jet Blue and Boston Scientific. His work has been honored numerous times by the One Show, Creativity, the Effies, the Telly Awards, The Hatch Awards, ANDY, Print, MITX, and the BMA Awards. In addition to providing creative leadership and direction across all client accounts, Aaron's role is to push the agency to create new experiences that disrupt category conventions and influence audience behavior. His trademarks include his booming laugh, impeccable haircut, and, more recently, white sneakers—which frankly, just isn't normal.
Robert Davis
SVP, Digital Marketing
I love working in an era that I see as defined by an interesting paradox: on the one hand, we have the bandwidth and development chops to rapidly create all kinds of digital content and functionality-from sites and social media content to QR codes, cheap video, mobile apps, and on and on. On the other hand, the relative ease with which we can make these things should be the thing that frees us to almost forget about the technology and to think very freely about how brands can behave-in the context of peoples lives-so that we can remove friction from the things they want to get done. So we can identify and suggest connections between things they didn't know to connect, or so we can be engaging enough to compete for their scarce attention or even their affection. It's this idea of finding ways to enable brand behavior that makes me think this is a great time to be a marketer.
Oh, yeah- the details: The list includes Think New Ideas, Ingalls, Chiat/Day, Lintas. Started out as a creative, jumped to strategy and am vain enough to say that's what makes creatives love me. American Express, AOL, AT&T, Capital One, CVS/pharmacy, Dell, EMC, GE, IBM, Infor, Mars, SAP, TE Connectivity. Green vehicles, heirloom tomatoes, assorted pets, my wife and two boys—all in reverse order.
Nicole Ciacciarelli
VP, Finance
Nicole is responsible for the financial operations of PJA, focusing on financial strategy and planning for the company. She sees to it that both our Cambridge and San Francisco operations practice fiscal responsibility in business dealings and ensures the agency is on track for profitability. A 12-year veteran of PJA, Nicole and her administrative team are also responsible for managing pretty much all things infrastructure at PJA including human resources, legal and our famous bottom-less snack bowls—salty and sweet.
Janet Carlisle
VP, Client Services
If you’re looking for someone who can think on her feet, articulate any marketing situation in human terms, or just make you laugh, few compare. Janet began her career over 20 years ago in New York working on consumer brands such as General Mills, Fisher-Price, Perrier, and Gillette. Since that time she's worked at agencies big and small, honing her skills in marketing strategy to deliver results-oriented programs domestically and globally. Most recently, she’s been serving as our trusted advisor to the brand leaders to clients such as Infor, GE Healthcare, Limelight, Iron Mountain, Brother Printers, and TE Connectivity.
When she's not running the client service department or tweeting like a rock star, she keeps us all honest and makes sure we're having a blast while we're at it.
Frank Schumacher
SVP, Managing Director, PJA West
SVP, Managing Director, PJA West
Frank leads PJA's San Francisco office and has more than twenty-five years' experience building global brands and delivering B2B and B2C marketing results, both as a former client and as a strategic agency leader.
In his early career, Frank worked at Apple, directing field marketing, product introductions, and worldwide advertising. His agency experience includes leading the Kodak business at Ogilvy, the global HP business at Publicis and, more recently, a diverse list of innovative clients including Cisco, Yahoo!, Trend Micro, Juniper Networks, Life Technologies, eBay, PayPal, Jamba Juice, SanDisk, Bio-Rad, and Hitachi.
Frank's strategic work has earned three EFFIE Awards (the American Marketing Association's award for marketing effectiveness), but he is arguably most effective at enjoying life in San Francisco.
Latin3
Sao Paulo, Brazil
The leading digital marketing firm for global corporations catering to Latinos in the United States and Latin America, Latin3 creates, develops, and optimizes digital experiences across multiple channels. Latin3 has offices in Miami, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, and Mexico City. VISIT SITE
The NetworkOne
London, UK
The NetworkOne is an international network of 270 independent agencies in 156 cities across 64 countries. Our relationship gives us the opportunity to custom build PJA's agency partner network using best-in-class specialist agencies in both the technology and health science segments. VISIT SITE
Chugai
Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China
Founded in 1938, Chugai is Japan's oldest B-to-B agency as well as the first Japanese B-to-B agency officially licensed in China. VISIT SITE
news & ideas
FOLLOW PJA ON TWITTER 
What's New @ PJA
Brother International Taps PJA Advertising + Marketing As Agency of Record for Printer Business 2
August 1, 2011, Boston, MA
PJA Advertising + Marketing Unveils Latest Interactive Ad Campaign Creative for Limelight Networks®
July 6, 2011, Boston, MA
Phil's Small Agency Diary
10 Things to Do to Improve Service in 2012
Jan 04, 2012 by Phil Johnson
Ten things to do in 2012 that will improve an agency's service to clients, including mastering social media, developing talent and cultivating partnerships.
The Secret Life of the Life Scientist
Pharma companies, meet the automakers
Dec 14, 2011 by Hugh Kennedy
There was a long stretch of history, of course, when the last people you'd want to turn to for advice on productivity improvements was the auto companies. Depending on whether you were talking about Dodge or Ferrari, their approaches were either too generic or too personalized. Fast-forward a few decades, and that's exactly who drug [...]
This Week in Digital Media
The Mobile Unfair Advantage
Dec 08, 2011
Guest: Matt Magee, VP, Digital Strategy Mobile offers smaller brands a few ways to gain an unfair advantage over their bigger, better funded competitors. While some of these are temporary opportunities that exist at this time because of where mobile marketing is on the maturity curve, others come from unique characteristics of the mobile device experience. Join Mike O’Toole with guest Matt Magee, VP, Digital Strategy, PJA as they discuss the these issues and why brands should act now to take advantage of the benefits of mobile.
culture & careers
Want to work @ PJA?
Maybe you’ve never heard of nanodots. Or know nothing about cloud computing. But you're smart and curious and love a challenge. We set a fast pace. Strive for brutal honesty. And think great creative can make people uncomfortable. Join us and make innovative marketing programs that defy the rules.
Email us at careers@agencypja.com.
We are seeking a take-charge Office Manager to assist us in maintaining a highly efficient and professional office environment. This position will oversee or handle all office activities to achieve maximum expense control and productivity. The Office Manager will serve as a focal point for all facilities and office infrastructure needs.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Greet and direct agency guests as well as answering and directing phone calls to the primary agency line.
- Handle all facilities-related tasks, including building and parking maintenance, office esthetics.
- Ensure all office equipment is running efficiently, including phones, printers and copiers.
- Order all office supplies and equipment.
- Set up office space for new employees.
- Maintain the company handbook
- Distribute mail, send and receive Fed EX and UPS packages.
- Maintain office master schedules (calendars, vacations, employee extensions, etc.).
- Responsible for the hiring and supervision of administrative temporary staff on an as-needed basis.
- Keep office organized and clean.
- Provide catering support for internal and external events.
- Handle administrative requests (i.e., faxes, mailings, couriers) and errand requests (keys made, lunch pickup, etc.)
- Assist with new business development, including portfolio inventory and mailing
- Arrange travel according to company policy.
- Provide support to Phil Johnson and executive team relative to scheduling, travel, hospitality and administrative support.
- Plan special office events such as holiday party and company retreat.
- Provide back-up to other administrative staff as needed.
Required Skills:
- College Degree;
- 3- 5 years of relevant experience
- Proficiency Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Outlook);
- Strong interpersonal and organizations skills;
- Excellent attention to detail and ability to prioritize;
- Positive attitude;
- Solid communication skills, both written and oral;
- Ability to multi-task;
- Ability to take initiative
- Ability to work well under pressure and adhere to deadlines;
- Dependability
- Solid work ethic.
PJA is looking for a seasoned Account Supervisor to join our Cambridge, MA office. If you have 6-8 years of progressive experience in a marketing or advertising agency environment, a proven ability to partner with clients to create and execute strategic marketing plans, strong presentation and persuasion skills, and the ability to lead a cross-functional team, we would love to speak with you. We're looking for candidates with significant experience in managing integrated digital campaigns. Experience in direct marketing, including familiarity with database management and customer segmentation is a requirement.
contact
San Francisco
PJA West
214 Grant Avenue, Suite 450
San Francisco, CA 94108-4628
T: 415.200.0800
F: 415.200.0801
New Business
Greg Straface
VP, Business Development
T: 415.200.0811
IM: gstrafacePJA
VIEW THE MAP
Cambridge
PJA East
12 Arrow Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-5105
T: 617.492.5899
F: 617.661.1530
New Business
Greg Straface
VP, Business Development
T: 617.234.7371
IM: gstrafacePJA