by Bob Brown
It was in this environment that Jason was being tested. So far, he had managed to succeed by doing things his own way.
Jason knew the nature of the business from talking with others in the industry, including Merle Perkins at WADP. He knew that the ad game was played for keeps. But Jason reasoned that as long as he produced results, he would have the flexibility to play by his own rules. He had every intention of working the same way he was living -- as a Christian.
*****
Jason’s first crisis of conscience came some weeks after the Chamberlain deal. The afterglow of that success had long since faded. As the new quarter loomed with the reality of new numbers, Jason was for the first time concerned about his ability to produce the all-important results. He was under enormous stress and feeling somewhat insecure. There was only one thing he could think to do: Road trip.
The next weekend, Jason and Kyle drove to Peoria, Arizona for two days of spring training baseball with the San Diego Padres. Only about six hours from San Diego, Peoria was just north of Phoenix and an easy round-trip for a weekend. The two had left early on a Saturday morning and were now comfortably stretched across two rows of seats just down the line from the Padres dugout. It was the eighth inning, and the Padres were five runs down.
Some things never change.
“Alex and Sam are asking me to develop an advertising proposal based on a branding arrangement at Red Rock,” Jason said. He and Kyle were pretty much alone in their section, most of the Padres faithful having long since seen enough and gone home.
“I’m not sure I even know what that means,” replied Kyle. “I wasn’t an honor graduate at USD, so you’ll have to spell it out for me.”
Jason gave his friend a playful shove and continued. “Well, Red Rock is a local beverage manufacturer. They create signature beers, sodas, flavored waters, sports drinks, and specialty iced teas -- basically anything available in cans, bottles, and plastic. They want to expand their products into other regions. So far, they’re stalling. They’re afraid to make the leap and won’t contract for advertising until they do. Alex and Sam want me to give them a push.”
Jason paused as he waved at a vendor for another bag of peanuts. As he handed over a couple of bills, he continued. “Like most expansions, Red Rock needs new customers. So far they’ve been unwilling to cut their prices enough to entice new customers through standard incentives. And they don’t figure to save enough through economies of scale from the expansion. So they’re paralyzed, doing nothing.”
Jason looked at Kyle. He was actually surprised that Kyle seemed to be paying attention. “Stop me if I’m boring you.”
“Not at all. This is good stuff. I like learning about how other businesses get the business, so to speak.” He smiled.
“Well,” Jason continued again, “in a branding situation, Red Rock would find a product that has brand recognition in the geographic areas where they want to expand. They would then enter an arrangement with the brand to distribute Red Rock’s products via the same super-regional distributorship used by the brand name. With the branding, Red Rock gains access to customers, because customers associate the new product with the known brand.”
Kyle looked puzzled. “Sounds like a good plan to me. So why is that a problem?”
“Branding itself isn’t necessarily bad. However, it becomes a problem if the brand name company simply sells its name, thereby misrepresenting the new product to customers and duping them into believing that the new product has the same quality and guarantees as the brand name product.
“In this case, the branding isn’t the problem. The problem is that Sam and Alex insist that I create an advertising campaign based on the branding of a single product, while anticipating returns based on multiple products.”
Kyle gave Jason a look that made it clear he wasn’t following the explanation.
Jason paused, thinking of how best to proceed so that Kyle would understand. “For example, say Red Rock enters into a branding arrangement to sell one of their most popular sports drinks. What we would do is create an ad campaign for that drink. Then, in order to entice Red Rock into buying the campaign, we would convince them that a certain level of revenues could be expected. However, our numbers would be based on Red Rock pushing more than just the single branded drink through the distribution channel.
“So in addition to selling Red Rock on our advertising capabilities, we would also be selling Red Rock on a set of unrealistic revenues.”
“And why would Red Rock management buy your proposal?” asked Kyle. “They’d have to either be very stupid or very gullible.”
“I suspect mostly the latter,” replied Jason. “Remember, Red Rock is strictly local at this point. They have a limited market, flat sales, and increasing competition. Their future consists of two options: Expand, or sell out to a competitor. They’re looking for something, anything. So we tell them exactly what they hope to hear.”
Jason and Kyle sat in silence. “So what would you do?” Jason finally asked.
“Pray,” came the response.
“Pray?”
“I don’t mean pray in the sense that you tell people to ‘pray that things will work out’. I mean really pray. Ask God to guide your conscience, so that you will see the opportunities as they are and have the integrity to make the right choices when challenged to do so.”
“Sounds like good advice. But really, what would you do?” Jason put the emphasis on ‘you’. He wanted to know what Kyle would do if confronted with the same situation.
“Pray,” Kyle said again. “Look, I’m not trying to be a wise guy. But clearly you have a situation here where Sam and Alex expect you to do something you obviously don’t feel comfortable doing.
“So I would pray. Fervently and frequently. I’d pray for God’s guidance. And I’d pray that a solution would present itself that would allow you to accomplish your goal without compromising your integrity.”
Kyle paused, and Jason waited for the Bible verse which typically followed. He wasn’t disappointed. Kyle reached into the pocket of his cargo shorts and extracted the tattered pocket Bible he carried everywhere.
“Jason, you’re faced with a difficult choice. But guess what? Each day is a day of choices. It’s the choices that make life worth living. Without choices, we’d be nothing more than slaves, doomed to the sameness that comes from having all decisions made for us.”
Kyle opened his Bible and read from Romans 8:35-39:
“‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’”
Kyle closed his Bible and looked at his friend. “Jason, no matter what challenges you face, ultimately you’ll find your way. Pray for guidance. Ask God to reveal what he would have you do. Stay focused on the journey.”
*****
By the time Jason and Kyle finished their conversation, the game was over, the stadium was nearly empty, and the players were disappearing beneath the stands in right field. They got up and headed toward the concourse and the parking lot beyond.
Jason put his arm around Kyle’s shoulders and said simply, “Thanks. Sometimes I get so caught up in the details that I forget what things look like from a distance. Thanks for giving me back my perspective.”
Chapter 29
Jason and Kyle spent Saturday night in a hotel near the ballpark in Peoria, then caught the Sunday afternoon game between the Padres and the Brewers. After the game, they made the short drive into Phoenix and
had an early dinner with a friend of Kyle’s who was an assistant professor of paleontology at Arizona State University. Dinner conversation was light-hearted, and Jason found himself riveted by details of dinosaurs in North America. It was a pleasant diversion from the discussion the day before.
The drive home began just after dark and ended shortly before midnight. Jason dropped Kyle at his condo and then made the short drive to his apartment. Despite the long drive, he found that he wasn’t particularly tired. He pulled a beer from the refrigerator and sat down on the couch in front of the TV, not really interested in turning it on. He took a long pull on the beer and closed his eyes.
During quiet times on the drive home, when Kyle was napping, Jason had considered his options with the Red Rock account. Like Red Rock, he was feeling paralyzed.
After less than a year at Jagged Edge, Jason hardly carried enough clout to disregard the directions of Sam and Alex. But he also felt strongly about his principles and was certain he could never knowingly pursue a deal that was unethical, even one that was so transparent that Red Rock should easily see it as a fraud. He felt trapped, unable to decide.
Almost before he realized it, Jason found himself silently praying, asking for God’s guidance, just as Kyle had suggested. He trusted that, in His own time, God would make clear the correct path.
*****
Jason slept well that night, comforted by the fact that he had put his problem to prayer. Then, just before dawn, he awoke suddenly. Somewhere, from a sound sleep, something had penetrated his subconscious. It was not necessarily a revelation, a vision, or a voice. It was just a thought. But a good thought. And since he had been asleep, could it really have been his own thought?
When Jason got to work the next morning, he made a few notes to capture the thoughts from the night before. Then he called his friend Merle Perkins. Jason agreed to buy Merle lunch in return for some advice.
*****
Jason and Merle met that afternoon on the sixth floor of an office building in Mission Valley. The building was home to one of the most popular Italian restaurants in town.
Lunch was scheduled late, so by the time Jason arrived, most of the normal lunch crowd had long since come and gone. As Jason entered the dining room, Merle was already seated, looking out a large window toward the busy freeway in the distance.
Merle smiled as Jason approached the table, holding up a glass in his right hand. “I took the liberty of ordering a drink, since I knew you were buying.”
“No problem," Jason replied. "I have an expense account now.”
They both laughed as they picked up the menus. Things were a bit different than they were a year ago, when Jason was broke, cramming for finals, and alternating time between Garrett Motors and WADP.
When the waitress arrived, they ordered quickly and then wasted no time getting down to business.
“So, you sounded like you were in a bit of a crisis when you called this morning,” said Merle. “Want to tell me about it?”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to come across as desperate. And I apologize for the short notice. Truth is, I do have a bit of a situation at the office. I think I know what I want to do, but I’d really like to run it by you. I value your opinion, both as an advertising executive, and as a Christian.”
Jason began by giving Merle a little background on Jagged Edge and its two owners. He talked briefly about some of the projects he had worked on, concluding with his most recent contract. By agreement between the two, Jason never used the names of any of his clients. He didn’t want to jeopardize his personal or professional relationship with Merle by violating client confidentiality.
When he finished with the background, Jason proceeded to discuss the details of the Red Rock situation, again without mentioning names. He concluded by presenting Merle with his proposed solution to the contractual and moral impasse.
Through it all, Merle sat silently, hands folded calmly in front of him, occasionally sipping his scotch and soda.
When Jason finished and sat back, Merle offered simply, “Sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into this. And you’ve prayed about it?”
“Yes, sir. Fact is, I’m pretty sure that it was in answer to my prayer that I came up with the alternative and the idea to invite you to lunch.”
“Well, in that case, please feel free to pray frequently. I can always use a free lunch.”
Jason laughed with his friend. Merle was obviously trying to take the edge off the situation.
Merle thought for a moment, then he offered, “Since you’re buying, allow me to offer you something in return. Here’s what I think: First, I think your instincts are exactly right. You don’t want to get mixed up in the scheme being proposed by Sam and Alex. It may not be illegal, but it’s definitely unethical.
“Second, I applaud you for being willing to stand your ground. Your integrity will be tested often in this business. That you have chosen to take a stand at the first instance speaks highly of your character.
“And third, I think your alternative proposal displays creativity and class. All things being equal, it should be enough to deter Sam and Alex from their advertising scheme. But it may not. If not, it might be because they don’t believe the idea will sell the customer. Or it might be they’ll be resentful that you came up with something they hadn’t considered. Either way, the real test to your character will come if they decide against you.”
Jason thanked Merle for his candor. Merle’s comments were a reaffirmation to Jason that God had indeed answered his prayer.
Lunch came, and the two friends enjoyed a pleasant meal, accented with stories about shared acquaintances at WADP. The Red Rock business was settled.
Chapter 30
The weekly management meeting the next day began the same way it always did. Sam and Alex tag-teamed their way through a summary of sales and revenue figures projected on a screen at the front of the conference room. With rare exceptions, this was not a pleasant review, as results rarely matched projections and past performance was nearly always made to appear better than the present.
“Prospective clients. Jason.” This time Jason had his own agenda.
Jason stood. “Nothing has changed from last week,” he began. “So I won’t take up your time reprising week-old status.”
He looked down the table at the glares from Sam and Alex.
“I’ve spent the last week working solely on the Red Rock account and have given careful consideration to your direction to create a proposal based on a branding arrangement which we would encourage Red Rock to pursue.”
Jason paused, then moved quickly forward. “In my opinion, the arrangement you outline poses legal risks and represents a departure from the ethical standards which I believe should be at the core of this business.”
Sam’s reaction was immediate and her sarcastic response resonated off the walls. “Are we to assume that you have something else to propose, Mr. Matthews? Or is it your position that we should just write Red Rock off, since they seem unwilling or incapable of making a decision on their own?”
“And by the way,” added Alex, “when we make a decision about something, we expect you to act on it. That goes for each of you,” she said, glancing at Michael and Tricia. Then returning her gaze to Jason she concluded, “If you’ve got something to say, then please do so. But it had better be good.”
Jason already suspected he was on thin ice. Sam’s use of ‘Mr. Matthews’ instead of his first name just confirmed it.
“Thank you,” Jason replied, “I actually have quite a bit more to say.”
“Before I begin, let me just say that I’m not necessarily opposed to branding, as you will hear in a minute. But before I tell you what I think we should do, let me tell you why I think we should not do what you have proposed.” He paused long enough to let the directness of his tone sink in.
“First, your approach assumes Red Rock will buy into a branding. Thi
s may or may not be the case. After all, there will be costs and a certain loss of control associated with entering an arrangement with a larger, more established brand.
“Second, and this is related to the first point, your approach is dependent upon Red Rock even finding a partner willing to represent one or more of their products. This might be easier said than done.
“Third, your approach presumes that in order for Jagged Edge to sell this ad deal to Red Rock, we’d have to misrepresent the potential sales revenue. You want an advertising campaign quoted to advertise Product ‘A’, but you want us to make the advertising campaign appear more attractive by projecting returns based on Products ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’. This is just an advertising shell game which poses potentially significant legal risks.
“Fourth, your approach assumes that Red Rock will be gullible enough to simply follow our lead. We suggest to them that branding will propel their expansion, then we parade our estimates and expect that they will simply ignore due-diligence. This is an unrealistic expectation.
“And finally, this is not how we should do business. I respect that this is your company. But we have enough talent, credibility, and resources to compete in the ad business without resorting to tricks and slight-of-hand. We’re too good for this kind of nonsense. Our reputation should be worth more than this.”
That was it. Jason got it all out. He waited for the firestorm to follow. As he waited, he glanced across the table at Michael and Tricia. Both had blank, disbelieving stares that seemed to say ‘been nice to know you.’
Alex spoke first. “That was quite a speech, Mr. Matthews. Are we to assume that with your many years of business experience and your equivalent expertise in advertising that you now believe you can manage this company better than we can?” The question was thick with sarcasm.
Jason looked directly at Alex, more than ready to defend himself. But before he could respond, he heard another voice. Surprisingly, it was Sam.
