From his perch as CEO of one of New England’s largest and most influential marketing innovation firms, Patrick Griffin chronicles nearly 30 years in the advertising business, drawing on his experience with diverse clients, from politicians to iconic consumer brands including Coca-Cola, Cigna Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anheuser-Busch, and multiple state lotteries. Griffin delivers a funny – sometimes cynical – look at mass media advertising at an historic crossroad, unabashedly “biting the hand that feeds him.”
Along the way, Griffin explains how we have arrived at the confluence of media and technology, and how under this new paradigm neither will ever be the same. Today’s consumer is mobile, prepared to DVR through commercials, and views advertising and entertainment content on their terms: on demand, online, and on the move.
As a long time political consultant, Griffin pulls no punches as he discusses his experiences in New Hampshire presidential politics. He provides a unique look into several campaigns including those of President George H.W. Bush, Governor (now US Senator) Lamar Alexander, and President George W. Bush. Griffin takes sharp aim at former presidential advisor Karl Rove, whose megalomania Griffin says cost George W. Bush the crucial 2000 NH Primary – and nearly lost the Texas Governor the presidency. From Ted Williams to Rich Little, from Playboy Bunnies to Powerball, Patrick Griffin dispels the illusions of celebrity, power, and politics.
