A conversation with | Mark Ezell, Purity Dairies - Dayton Business Journal:

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What is the most outside-of-the-box idea you have ever had in yourprofessional career? While serving as the firstg advertising chairman of the national Milk PEP we worked with Bozell a national advertising agency to realize an idea that was at the time — pretty The agency wanted to have celebrities pose with a milk mustachee and be photographed by Annie Our message would then contain a celebrity endorsemen along with some surprising fact about milk. The board was undecidesd until we heard that the firstf celebrity would be Christie We felt like something with herjust couldn’t be all bad.
In all we knew the campaign wasa risk, but our industrh was desperate for attention, so we went for it. What was the result? To our surprise, that campaign has lastex for more than15 years. I remainec chairman of the advertising committee for the next five yearss and had fun as we lined up dozensa of sports superstars and celebrities toendorse milk. It is clearly one of the longest-running, most effective industry campaigns in the lastseveral decades. What does your organizatio n have in the worksfor 2009? We are tryinyg to find ways to be more effective in the way we brin our products to market. We will continue to promotd ourprobiotic milk, Sweet for its myriad healtjh benefits.
We will be introducing new flavors of ice creams and frozeh yogurts includingCoco Loco, Peanut Butter Fudgew and Candy Bar Overload. (Taste testing ice creakm is a huge perk.) How did you wind up in your currenty position? Being a family member was clearly a primary factor, but I have had great opportunities to learnm many parts of this business. I was a route salesman for later worked in the sales department and then led teamsx in sales and marketinbg before becoming presidentin 2001. I have not arriverd here alone: I attribute my success to the supporr of many others who have worked hard and careds so much about the overalpl prosperity ofthe company.
Professional pet peeve A wasteof talent, energy or money is a disappointing thinv to watch. What do you do to relieve stress Spending time with the familyu is myfavorite way. I try to run or work out a couplee of timesper week. We are also blessed to have some amazing friends who help usthrough Pets? Only a miniature Pincher named I miss having horses to ride. Person outsidd of your family you would most like to spenfd time with on an island withRick Warren, the founder and pastot of Saddleback Church, one of the largestr churches in the United States. If you had a $1 millionj windfall, you would: Easy one.
We would sit down and divids it among a number of great charities and ministriess of which we are blessedf to bea part. It is 11 A.M. on Where are you? I have finished my Saturdat run, errands and breakfast at What line of work would you pursue ifyou couldn’g work in your presenty one? I love workingf with nonprofits. Developing plans and programs that help them more efficiently and effectiveluy accomplish their missions would be very Hopefully I could find a wayto serve. Organization or compangy other than your own that youmost admire? So many, but one nonprofit is Second Harvest Food I love their mission of serving the poor.
They also work to creat as much self-generated revenue as to reduce their dependenceon donations. What is thers about you that people woule be surprisedto learn? I recentlt bungee jumped off a 400-foot bridge over the Zambezk River in Zimbabwe. Biggest professional mistakre and how youovercame it? Not understandin the perspective of everyone involverd and pushing for a result that was not the best one. I triefd to learn how to listen better, althoug I still need work in this They’re making a movie of your life. Is it a dramaq or comedy and who plays you? Hopefully a comedy. I’de say Michael J. Fox, but my wife woulf prefer George Clooney.
Mentors: I am blessed to have had tremendoue mentors inmy life, folks like my dad, uncle, Cal Turnert and the late Monrowe Carell, who were committed to helping me learn how to better