The Inside Story

Rarely have I promoted what I do on this site, but recently I was interviewed for the local Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly and they did an excellent job:

“I saw the most successful forms of advertising and marketing are those that mimic how we as people like to be treated”

Name: Scott Howard

Age: 49

Title: Owner

Company: ScLoHo Marketing Solutions

Other: Station sales manager for WGL and senior sales executive for WXKE and WNHT



How did you end up creating ScLoHo Marketing Solutions?

I pursued a career in radio for about 10 years on the air … In the late ’80s, I took a position in Detroit where I got involved in the advertising and marketing side of the business. I was up there for eight years and then returned back to Indiana and was back on the air in Fort Wayne for a couple of years.

Six years ago, I decided to go back into the advertising world … and have been with Summit City Radio since 2003, doing everything from advertising sales to director of long-form programming to being sales manager to station manager.

And along the way (I) discovered that while I truly enjoyed what I was doing, there were also things that I was doing that we couldn’t help (advertisers) with at the radio station. There were things in their marketing that they needed to fix, or perhaps they weren’t ready for something in mass media yet. Oftentimes I’d be referring them to businesses I was affiliated with and finally decided that it was time to start acting as a coordinator for all these things …

What do you enjoy about the work?

Helping business owners, who are experts in their own field, succeed and giving them an outside perspective on how they can improve things in their marketing. I was fascinated with how people make decisions to do what they’re going to do.

When I was growing up, I thought of becoming a psychologist. Later in life, I thought about becoming an attorney because of the research that was involved. This sort of combines both of those things in a helpful manner to help businesses succeed.

What is the greatest challenge you face each day?

Probably continually reordering my priorities depending upon the needs of current clients and new ones. It’s juggling, I guess. I couldn’t have done this 10 years ago because we still had kids at home.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your career?

Constantly be listening, observing and learning. It started when I went up to Detroit and got into the advertising field because I started devouring some books … I saw the most successful forms of advertising and marketing are those that mimic how we as people like to be treated.

What advice do you have for young people who want to get into the advertising business?

Find a mentor. Aggressively pursue the companies you’re interested in working for. Volunteer, either at a place you want to work or wherever you might be able to get some experience.

What future plans do you have?

I decided that I’ll probably stay the rest of my life in Fort Wayne … And after a week’s vacation we decided after driving 2,000 to 3,000 miles we liked living in Fort Wayne and never want to take a trip that long again … I’ll continue to do what I’m doing.

By Derrick Gingery. To suggest an idea for “Career Path,” e-mail us at news@fwbusiness.com or call (260) 426-2640.

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