Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl started as an intern at Mangan Holcomb Partners in 1994, and she never left. In 22 years, she has ranged from copywriting to crisis communications to overseeing service to top clients like Verizon, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, J.B. Hunt, Wal-Mart and Stephens Inc. In 2010, she became president of MHP.
Vogelpohl was a magna cum laude graduate in business communications at Centenary College in Shreveport and was a four-year Division I letter winner in volleyball. She and her husband, Carl Vogelpohl, chief of staff for Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, have two children, Carson, 8, and Jonathan, 5.
There are so many ways to tell stories now, including traditional print and broadcast media, social media and others. What’s the most effective, or does that depend on the advertiser and what’s being advertised?
It all depends on the data. If the data doesn’t support a strategy, we don’t recommend it.
Because we have experts in every discipline in-house, we are extremely objective in the mix of traditional and digital we recommend — we call it “TraDigital.” MHP/Team SI’s proprietary Doppio system integrates 188 different third-party data sources that are aggregated to build the purest target audience possible.
Then, analytics are employed to better understand the lifestyles and media consumption of the audience so that we can reach them as efficiently as possible with the most relevant message. We continually analyze and optimize the performance of channels and content during a campaign.
Lastly, we use data to objectively evaluate the results of a campaign to continually evolve and innovate.
Could you describe the technological innovations that are reshaping marketing, particularly the data-driven marketing and analytics you mentioned, and how your firm is adapting?
MHP is entering is 45th year in business. I’ve been here for 22 of them, and we have always been committed to research, data-driven strategy and metrics. The methods and technologies may have changed, but the philosophy of using data to bring insight and objective methods of evaluating marketing effectiveness has not. It is in our DNA, and our collaboration with Team SI as a Google Premier Partner and the Doppio system puts us on the leading edge of the newest innovations and trends in data-driven marketing.
Advertising is known as a rough and tumble business dominated by men. Has leading MHP been what you expected?
It’s been even better. I’m fortunate in that the men with whom I’ve had the privilege to work — the legends like Steve Mangan and Steve Holcomb, my longtime partners Chip Culpepper and David Rainwater, my newest partner Tim Whitley and so many amazing clients and mentors — value performance above all else.
What was your greatest mistake in business, and what did you learn from it?
My greatest mistake was not buying the agency the first time it was offered to my partners and me. I learned that all investments are risky, but taking a risk on yourself and people you trust and believe in is the best investment you can make.
Sign up for Daily E-news
