Loomis Advertising Agency Seeks a Challenge

“If you’re not the leader, you’re a follower. There can only be one company at the top. Everyone else is a challenger. While there may be many challengers, not all of them think like the challengers they are. There’s real power in thinking like a challenger. In fact, there’s something energizing about being discounted. True challengers don’t follow the norm. They’re disruptors,” the President and CEO of LOOMIS, Mike Sullivan, told The Dallas Express.     

The LOOMIS Agency is located at 17120 Dallas Parkway in Dallas. According to their website, “LOOMIS is a full-service challenger brand ad agency that’s been helping brands succeed for more than 35 years.”   

This agency is passionate about being “the voice of the underdog” and has proven records of driving “business results for challenger brands,” the website mentions. LOOMIS helps guide the underdog brands to fight smarter, think differently, and find new ways to win.       

LOOMIS has a blog on its website, and one of the articles explains how underdogs should not quit against their rivals. The blog was written by Tina Tackett, who is the co-executive creative director for the agency. On October 26th, she talked about Coca-Cola versus Pepsi.       

Pepsi was established in 1898, six years after their “rival” was founded. Pepsi began as a challenger brand against the wide-known, extremely popular brand, Coca-Cola.       

Pepsi executive. John Sculley was a marketer and strategist who created “The Pepsi Challenge” in 1975 to spark interest in potential consumers. The marketing strategy he made invited individuals to play the game. This game determines which is better by a simple taste test. Pepsi has a sweeter taste which consumers started to notice and enjoy.       

Coca-Cola made a mistake when trying to defeat Pepsi and the awareness that the public had been giving them.

On the blog, it states, “For a decade, the Pepsi Challenge cut into Coke’s market share aided by flashier, more expensive television ads, cooler, more varied package graphics and the introduction of the 2-liter bottle.”      

As the website for LOOMIS states, “Never underestimate the underdog.”    

The LOOMIS Agency was established in 1985, founded by Paul Loomis. He was in a rock band, and when he stepped down from that role, he opened up a music production company. Paul Loomis began working with local advertisers, creating jingles. During this time, he met Robby Van Winkle, better known as Vanilla Ice.       

Mike Sullivan told The Dallas Express, “In 2000, I partnered with Paul to help build a separate advertising agency brand and that’s when LOOMIS, as we know it today, was started.” LOOMIS evolved into “a top southwest advertising agency,” their website mentions.      

Today, The LOOMIS Agency has a total of sixty-three full-time employees that perform “smart, expertly executed communications programs that help challenger brands win.” The agency is a “top Dallas advertising agency for digital, social, mobile, and user experience.” They have expertise in restaurants, retail, franchise, and health care.      

LOOMIS has partnered with Texas Oncology, Murphy USA, Golden Chick, Sun Tan City, Stanley Steemer, Black Bear Diner, Rug Doctor, Papa John’s, United Methodist Church, Texas Dairy Queen, Fitness Connection, The Maids, The Container Store, Massage Heights, Rib Crib, National United Bank, First United Bank, McAfee, Gateway Mortgage, Pier1, Tuesday Morning, Raising Cane’s, Long John Silver’s, and many more companies.          

When The Dallas Express asked Sullivan what his favorite part of the job is, he expressed, “I’ve always loved the business of driving business, which is what advertising and marketing is all about. That interest has never waned, but today I’d say my greatest personal satisfaction comes from building and cultivating the culture that drives our own company’s success.”

He continued, “We use culture as a strategy at LOOMIS. Creating the kind of company where people want to work isn’t easy, but the rewards are many. It helps us recruit and retain top talent, and that helps us attract and retain great clients. If you do culture well, it becomes a significant point of differentiation.”     

The Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Business Journal designated The LOOMIS Agency as a “Best Place to Work” a total of seven times. Not only that, but Advertising Age Magazine labeled LOOMIS as the “Small Agency of the Year.”

LOOMIS has also gained six Telly Awards this year in the advertising competition, in which more than 12,000 entries are received per year from around the world.       

The culture that’s in place reflects information about who the company is and what they stand for. LOOMIS stands tall and is proud of its culture, but it is equally vital for a challenger brand to obtain it.

“Company culture is the most fundamental advantage challenger brands possess. And it doesn’t matter how large or small the company is in their market. Putting culture first is transformative. Challengers can wreak havoc on competitors by showing up in a way that’s anything but expected. Challengers take consumers and competitors by surprise, which in turn provokes something every marketer desperately wants and needs – a response. Love them or hate them, true challengers will not be ignored,” Sullivan told The Dallas Express.       

Sullivan talked about a time where the agency decided to turn down a big national retail chain, even though the job would have doubled the size of their firm.

“You may have heard the saying that each of us is the average of the five people closest to us. There’s no escaping the influence our most important relationships have on us – for better or for worse,” he told The Dallas Express.

To explain the decision better, after the agency did a project for this retail chain, he said, “The reason was the way they behaved. I knew after our initial experience that their culture was incompatible with ours. They didn’t have the same regard for their people, and it showed up in all sorts of behavior that conflicted with the kind of work environment we enjoy. The positive and enthusiastic feedback I got from my team about the decision sealed the deal for me on culture. Bending values to serve the wrong interests will break culture in half.”      

Even though LOOMIS accepts challenges and has a fierce talent of marketing strategy, there are challenges of their own while “building and sustaining a company of any size over time,” explains Sullivan.

“I think the biggest challenge is finding the right people. You must get the people right for anything else to go right. And again, that comes back to creating an attractive culture built on shared values and aspirations,” he said about forming the LOOMIS team, which ultimately leaves the CEO to be thrilled with the team he has.       

Sullivan is the true “leader of the pack,” with more than thirty years of experience within the advertising business. He has built up “some of the country’s most successful companies,” while building up the brands of his ad agency.

The pandemic has been a struggle for businesses, but the challenger brands partnered with the LOOMIS agency are now on the rebound.

“The biggest challenge facing each of our clients right now is recruiting. Whether it’s nurses and home caregivers or restaurant and retail workers, finding employees is as difficult as it’s ever been,” Sullivan stated. With a positive outlook to the near future, he added, “Even so, we’re excited about the prospects for a strong 2022 for all our clients.”      

The LOOMIS Agency has published a book titled The Voice of the Underdog. Sullivan explained how the book could help guide challenger brands to success.

He stated, “In the book, we explore the way leaders can intentionally cultivate cultures that support their outward brand expression. It starts with an honest assessment of the current environment, exposing gaps that need to be closed, and a plan for making important and sometimes difficult changes.”      

A review on Womply from Sean Mitchell says, “I have been a professional vocalist for live events around the world, as well as in and out of tons of studios, working with various agencies in the commercial industry for TV & Radio, for over 35 years… Hands down, The LOOMIS Agency, is at the top of the list! They really know how to deliver what I would call a next-level product.”       

The LOOMIS Agency has produced 19,564 videos, 14,561 radio spots, 5,733 logos, and 334 productions for challenger brands.     

LOOMIS takes the challenge of building up a challenger brand and bringing it to the winner’s circle with their talent and tools, comforting cultural values, and looking at the challenge with a unique angle to drive success.       

For more information on The LOOMIS Agency, visit theloomisagency.com.