Business »

In this blog post series I will go season-by-season and episode-by-episode (starting with the latest season, season four) through the television show, Mad Men, to examine the various business lessons that can be taken away from the characters and the companies of the show.

Mad Men: Season 4 (Episode 1 – “Public Relations”)

“A modest man is usually admired, if people ever hear of him.” – Edgar Watson Howe

In the opening of episode one, Don Draper, proves an elusive interview subject for a reporter from Advertising Age.  Draper attempts to portray himself as modest man from the Midwest to avoid the extra publicity that could possibly lead to the discovery of his real identity as Dick Whitman.  Don blows the interview by not giving the interviewer enough details with which to write an article.

Don’s feigned modesty results in the failure to publicize the success of a recent advertisement (Glo Coat), which he mentions in the interview, but is so overshadowed by his enigmatic personality that the reporter opts to not include it in his story.  The agency also loses a large client, a consequence of Don neglecting to mention and emphasize their project in the interview.

At the end of the episode, Don is set up on another interview, this time with the Wall Street Journal, where he proves that he has since learned his lesson from the first.  Draper explains the intriguing story behind the formation of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce from out of the sale of Sterling Cooper’s parent company (Putnam, Powell, and Lowe) to another firm.  The story included convincing Nathan Pryce, the liaison between Sterling Cooper and it’s parent company to buy in to the idea of starting a new firm by firing Sterling, Cooper, and Draper to effectively break their contracts and allow them to start the new firm.  Nathan Pryce then resigned from the parent company and a skeleton staff assembled to start the fledgling firm.  As the episode rolls into credits, it is evident that this interview is newsworthy and will attract free advertising for the new firm.

Don has learned that for his start-up company to succeed, he at times must step outside of his role as Creative Director.  There are other hats Don must wear to help advance the young company.  Earlier in the episode, partner Bert Cooper explains, “Turning creative success into business is your work!”.  We each have our own particular gifts and skills.  In any company, it is the responsibility of each person to translate their particular skills into business whether directly or indirectly.

Lesson: Every assignment either within or outside one’s role presents opportunity and peril.  Prepare appropriately and respect your audience whether it is a new client, reporter, or a group of colleagues.  Figure out how your skills and the successful practice of them translate into business for your company.

Popularity: 13% [?]