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Mike Bollen
Owner/Creative Director Helsinki Agency
Professional Background
Mike Bollen is a seasoned advertising professional with decades of experience in the field, making significant contributions to various agencies both locally and internationally. He began his career in the 1970s, a decade marked not only by his vibrant life as a rock musician but also by a notable transition into the world of advertising and creative direction. This unique blend of artistic talent and business acumen has propelled Mike to be a reputable figure in the advertising industry.
Having honed his skills across multiple roles, Mike has held prestigious positions in renowned agencies. Currently, he serves as the Creative Director of Helsinki Agency, a role that showcases his leadership and creative insight. Before taking on this prominent position, he was the Owner and Creative Director at the same agency, guiding it through essential growth phases and overseeing innovative campaigns that resonate with clients and audiences alike.
Mike's journey through the advertising landscape has included stints at esteemed establishments such as DDB Melbourne, where he served as Creative Director, and Reality Group Melbourne, where he was both Partner and Creative Director. His leadership at these agencies has not only transformed the brands he represented but has also set new benchmarks for creativity and efficacy in advertising. Notably, during his time at Sputnik Agency as Head of Art, he demonstrated an exceptional capacity for visual storytelling, ensuring that narratives were compelling yet aligned with marketing objectives.
What sets Mike apart is his philosophy regarding advertising. As an 'old school' professional, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the new digital landscape. Rather than adhering strictly to traditional divides of above-the-line and below-the-line advertising, he embraces a holistic view where creative thinking plays a pivotal role in achieving commercial success, regardless of the medium or budget.
Education and Achievements
While specific educational details are not extensively recorded in Mike's bio, his journey is heavily underscored by the practical skills acquired over decades of work. His relentless passion for applying creative strategies in diverse environments underscores his intellectual engagement with both art and commerce. Mike's philosophy centers around utilizing his expansive experience to navigate the evolving digital marketing arena, ensuring that he remains relevant and impactful in his approach.
His transformative leadership roles across various agencies have not only benefited the brands he's worked with but have also molded a generation of advertising professionals. Through mentoring and his hands-on leadership style, Mike has left an indelible mark on the industry, making him a sought-after guide for young creatives aiming to carve their niche in advertising.
Achievements
- Over 40 years of experience in the advertising industry, offering a unique mix of artistic creativity and commercial insight.
- Successful leadership of multiple advertising agencies, including Helsinki Agency and DDB Melbourne, where he has driven many campaigns to success.
- Recognition among peers as a thought leader in creative strategy, emphasizing the importance of merging traditional advertising practices with innovative digital approaches.
- A lifetime member of the advertising community known for fostering creativity and collaboration across teams, inspiring the importance of well-rounded creative thinking in achieving marketing goals.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
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