Meet Toby Walker

In his short time here at Drake Cooper, Toby Walker has revolutionized what it means to be in advertising. He inspires those around him and has a burning passion for success – Toby Walker is advertising.

Q: You have been compared to David Ogilvy, the father of advertising, what is your personal philosophy on the industry?

A: Advertising is the act of telling a story about a brand that connects with a person. Our job is to find those everyday truths that we as humans share and connect the dots back to the brand.

Q: Do we have free will?

A: Well, in short, atoms and particles behave in probabilistic ways. However, our brain is made of atoms and particles… therefore, how can free will exist?

Q: How have you achieved so much at such young age.

A: People are always looking for the magical answer or a shortcut to success, but the answer has never changed, and it comes down to one truth: hard work. Any other way and you are just barking up the wrong tree.

Q: What are the various ways to measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign?

A: The purpose of measuring the effectiveness of an advertising campaign is to measure its effect on the public, the sales, and the brand recall factor. If I were to break down the mathematical equation for measuring the effectiveness of an advertising campaign, it would look a little something like this: Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) = (Gross profit from ad source – Ad spend) / Ad spend

Q: How does one prove that there is an external world?

A: One can’t.

Q: How do you turn a client relationship into a partnership.

A: I think it starts with the first time you shake hands, and you look each other in the eye. From that moment on, it becomes more than just us and them; it becomes we. It becomes a collaborative effort, working as a team, pulling together to accomplish a goal.

Q: How do you unblock your creative mind?

A: You would be amazed how a simple walk has the power to loosen one’s mind.

Q: What are your thoughts on networking?

A: I hate the term “networking,” it seems so “corporate.” Establishing a relationship, friendship, or unbreakable bond, if you will, is more important than just getting a business card or having thousands of connections on LinkedIn.

Ok, I’ve answered all of your questions, can I get back to work now?