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Brand Evangelist For Ogilvy & Mather's Shelly Lazarus, it's all about the brand. by Sharon Shinn ardship, which holds that a company never stops thinking about the impact its brand makes on consumers. "Anyone who owns a brand would be wise to think about every point of A contact that brand will have," Lazarus says. Web sites? Showrooms? Direct mail? Lazarus believes each one should be designed to reinforce the cus- tomer's perception of the brand. Brand management has been top of mind for Lazarus since she began working at O&M in 1971. After serving in various positions, including general manager for Ogilvy's direct marketing unit in the U.S., she took the CEO role in 1996 and became chairman in 1997. Now she and the New York-based agency share their philosophy of 360-degree branding with their roster of high-profile international clients, including IBM, Dove, Kodak, and American Express. The agency recently signed on to handle the campaign for Johnson & Johnson's sponsorship of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Lazarus's own brand identity is so strong that she is highly recognized— and highly honored—in the business community. In 1994, she was named the Woman of the Year by the Advertising Women of New York, and she has received a host of other awards from New York business organizations. She was also the first woman to receive the Distinguished Leadership in Business Award from Columbia Business School, where she earned her MBA in 1970. While Lazarus serves on the boards of many charitable and corporate boards—including General Electric, Merck, the American Museum of Natural History, and the World Wildlife Fund—she also devotes much of her time to groups that promote women in business. She is a member of the Advertising Women of New York, the Committee of 200, and the Deloitte & Touche Coun- cil for the Advancement of Women. Since 1998, she has appeared without fail on Fortune magazine's list of the 50 most powerful women in business in America. "I never looked to be a role model, but I accept that I have become some- thing of one," she acknowledges. "When I'm asked to speak or meet with people, I do it willingly, because I think it's important to young women to have someone who can help them sort through all their questions." In fact, she offers powerful advice to women and men who are leaving business school to pursue careers: Embrace change, love what you do, and prepare yourself for the fast-moving pace of today's business world. 16 BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2008 n old saying warns that "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Shelly Lazarus might amend that to say, "You should never miss a chance to make any positive impression." Lazarus, CEO of the ad agency Ogilvy & Mather, is a fervent believer in the concept of 360-Degree Brand Stew-