Cranford’s Elegance (Craig Douglass On Consumers)

Wayne Cranford

Tone and timbre. Those represent the quality of what we hear. Now tone, as the word is sometimes currently used, may signal the point of view of those from whom we hear it, as in being “tone deaf.” It just didn’t sound right. Misunderstood at best, condescending at worst. Off key.

Wayne Cranford was a student of quality. A master of tone. Not only in the written and spoken word, but also in the way it was written and spoken. How it was presented. What impression it made, and how it fell on the ear.

Wayne was elegant. Not just in manner and dress, but more importantly adhering to what elegant truly means: simplicity. During the 15 years I was fortunate to work for Wayne, the power of simple ideas became clear.

In 1978, after being for only a month or so at the Cranford Johnson agency Wayne founded in 1961 with Jim Johnson, Wayne one day said, “Want to be an expert in advertising?” It was rhetorical. “You have to answer, and get our clients to answer, two fundamental questions: Who are we trying to reach, and what do we want them to do?” Elegant. Simple.

The agency employed all forms — called platforms today — of marketing communications. The messages and the media the agency created understood their intended audience. Wayne, and those he taught, knew how to talk to consumers of all stripes. In just the right tone.

Major businesses, institutions, nonprofits and professionals sought out the noticeable balance in Wayne Cranford’s communications skills: conspicuous yet discreet. And they came to appreciate, and were willing to pay for, advertising and public relations counsel that vested them with a high-minded credibility that ultimately fell to the bottom line.

The agency known originally as Cranford Johnson, and many times simply as Cranford, also strove to be the best rather than necessarily the first. But the firsts seemed to happen. Cranford was the first agency in the mid-South to place a national television advertisement. It was in color, which was also a first, and ran in the Sugar Bowl game for Middle South Utilities (now Entergy). The agency was the first in this region of the country to win a national Obie Award for excellence in outdoor advertising, thanks to the creative brilliance of Jim Johnson. Cranford was also, in the early days of desktop computers, the largest Apple network in the state. And Wayne Cranford, although shy in demeanor, mandated a bold move by insisting the agency compete in a national competition to create a new product for McDonald’s Corp. The agency won that competition by creating the breakfast burrito! (Who would have thunk it?)

Treating agency clients with respect was foremost. Meticulous instruction in how to show respect for clients was first evident when being trained by Wayne on how to set up the agency conference room for a client meeting. Coffee was always served in china. And every cup and saucer had to be set just so, with each cup handle angled exactly the same way. That attention to detail, not at all trivial, but critical and noticed, demonstrated how Wayne Cranford built one of the most enviable companies in our state and region. And how clients of Cranford Johnson, and the successor names of the company, but always starting with Cranford, achieved success after profitable success.

The company Wayne led was and is about people. The company’s inventory goes down the elevator and out the door every evening. Wayne took care of the business that took care of the people. Including an impressive, unselfish and benevolent profit-sharing plan. He didn’t have to do that.

Every aspiring advertising newbie or grizzled old pro who was paying attention wanted to work at Cranford. But to succeed there, you had to believe what was embodied in the names on the door: excellence, elegance, style and being the best at what you do, and how you do it. Consumers noticed.

Wayne Cranford died on Feb. 15 at age 87. Craig Douglass served as an account executive and director of new business and vice president of client services at Cranford Johnson from 1978-93. He is now executive director of the Regional Recycling & Waste Reduction District in Pulaski County. Email him at Craig@CraigDouglass.com.