Adam Hanft

Adam Hanft is an American brand strategist who also writes and speaks on business and cultural trends for a variety of print, television and online media. His blog SpinSeason.com,[http://www.spinseason.com Adam Hanft's SpinSeason] which analyzes politics in a cultural context, is a partner blog of Salon.com.[http://www.salon.com/author/adam_hanft/index.html Adam Hanft - Salon.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104094729/http://www.salon.com/author/adam_hanft/index.html |date=November 4, 2010 }} A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of New York University's College of Arts and Sciences, Hanft serves on the Board of Directors[http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/company-news-story.aspx?storyid=201001211823rttraderusequity_1834&title=scotts-miracle-gro-shareholders-elect-adam-hanft-to-board-effective-immediately---quick-facts Scotts Miracle-Gro Shareholders Elect Adam Hanft To Board, Effective Immediately - Quick Facts] of Scotts Miracle-Gro, the world's largest marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products.[http://www.scotts.com Gardening & Lawn Care Advice for Enthusiasts - Scotts Miracle-Gro] He is also a strategic adviser to Conduit, Israel's largest Internet company,{{cite web|title=Conduit's Website|url=http://blog.conduit.com/author/adam-hanft/|publisher=Conduit|accessdate=29 May 2013}} LaunchBox digital, an early stage venture capital firm;[https://web.archive.org/web/20121007113557/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=6891211&privcapId=1851432&previousCapId=322121&previousTitle=SCOTTS%20MIRACLE-GRO%20CO-CL%20A Adam Hanft: Executive Profile & Biography - BusinessWeek] to Luminoso,{{cite web |url=http://www.luminoso.com/team.html |work=Luminoso |publisher=Luminoso |title=Meet the team |accessdate=30 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627055050/http://www.luminoso.com/team.html |archive-date=27 June 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} a text analytics firm that was incubated in the MIT Media Lab; and to Keas, a provider of wellness solutions using game mechanics.{{clarify|date=July 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://keas.com/our-team/ |publisher=Keas |title=Meet Team Keas |url-status=dead |accessdate=30 May 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530064656/http://keas.com/our-team/ |archivedate=30 May 2013 }}

Obama for America{{cite web|title=TECH LEADERS ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR BARACK OBAMA|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/obama/obama111507prtech.html|work=George Washington University Press Release|accessdate=15 Nov 2007}} cited Hanft as an early "tech leader" who endorsed Obama in his 2008 run for office. He went on to be an unpaid digital adviser to the campaign. Hanft also advised the FCC on its "Future of Media" initiative.{{cite web|last=Kaplan|first=Andrew|title=Can News and Information Be Appealing as Virtual Goods?|url=http://reboot.fcc.gov/futureofmedia/blog?entryId=251704|work=FCC Reboot Website|publisher=FCC.gov|accessdate=29 May 2013}}

Strategy and brand consulting

Hanft founded Hanft Projects in 2010 as a strategic consultancy that develops marketing and communication solutions for consumer brands and business-to-business companies, as well as consulting and venture firms. The firm's clients have included McKinsey, Microsoft, Conduit, Barnes & Noble,{{cite web|url=http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/custom/page/page-id/contributor/user-id/134 |work=Review Contributors |publisher=Barnes & Noble |title=Contributors |url-status=dead |accessdate=30 May 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603182211/http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/custom/page/page-id/contributor/user-id/134 |archivedate=3 June 2013 }} Match.com, Citysearch, Vinfolio, Aviary, borro, City Light Capital and Ribbit Capital.

Advertising career

Hanft is a copywriter[http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/10/08/what-are-the-best-and-worst-company-logos/ What Are the Best and Worst Company Logos? - AOL Small Business] who started as a comedy writer, working for Garry Marshall.[http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Grin-Tonic/A-Doctor-s-Notes/ba-p/3216 A Doctor's Notes - The Barnes & Noble Review]

Hanft has worked at Jack Tinker & Partners, and Wells Rich Greene (WRG), where he wrote the "Flick Your Bic" advertising campaign, named one of the 50 best campaigns of all time by Entertainment Weekly.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/21/business/advertising-slater-hanft-gets-bic-pen-account.html?scp=634&sq=Lighters&st=nyt | work=The New York Times | first=Philip H. | last=Dougherty | title=ADVERTISING; Slater, Hanft Gets Bic Pen Account | date=21 December 1982}}[http://www.jiffynotes.com/a_study_guides/book_notes_add/emmc_0001_0001_0/emmc_0001_0001_0_00037.html Bic Corporation]

Hanft left WRG in 1980, and started Slater Hanft Martin, which eventually became Hanft Unlimited, Inc.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/26/business/the-media-business-advertising-addenda-several-agencies-make-structural-changes.html?ref=alloy-inc | work=The New York Times | first=Claudia H. | last=Deutsch | title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING -- ADDENDA; Several Agencies Make Structural Changes | date=26 March 2004}} The New York Times described the firm as "A small advertising agency that is every large agency's nightmare."{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/06/business/the-media-business-advertising-small-shop-benefits-from-a-big-client.html | work=The New York Times | first=Randall | last=Rothenberg | title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Small Shop Benefits From A Big Client | date=6 December 1989}}

Hanft's clients have included Sony,{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/21/business/media-business-advertising-more-companies-assigning-projects-outside-agencies.html | work=The New York Times | first=Kim | last=Foltz | title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; More Companies Assigning Projects to Outside Agencies | date=21 February 1991}} Procter & Gamble,[http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=53096 MediaPost Publications Match.com Retools Image In New Campaign 12/28/2006] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120916193021/http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/53096/ |date=September 16, 2012 }} Match.com, and Chemistry.com, for which the firm won an Effie for marketing effectiveness in 2008.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090415113204/http://www.effiejournal.com/effieawards/2008ea/?pg=32#pg32 Effie Awards – 2008]}} He also created and orchestrated the $60MM 'It's Okay to Look' campaign for Match.com.{{cite web|url=http://www.marketingvox.com/matchcom-repositions-from-relationships-to-image-026243 |title=Match.com Repositions from 'Relationships' to 'Image' - MarketingVOX |accessdate=2010-12-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927225954/http://www.marketingvox.com/matchcom-repositions-from-relationships-to-image-026243 |archivedate=2011-09-27 }}

Saddam Hussein

In 1992, Hanft's agency referenced Saddam Hussein in an advertisement for a client that delivered financial information. The advertisement was headlined "History has shown what happens when one source controls all the information." An Iraqi diplomat protested.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/04/business/the-media-business-advertising-rising-caution-on-using-celebrity-images.html | work=The New York Times | first=Eben | last=Shapiro | title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Rising Caution on Using Celebrity Images | date=4 November 1992}}

Journalism and cultural criticism

Hanft writes on a variety of political and cultural subjects for media that include The Daily Beast,[http://www.thedailybeast.com/author/adam-hanft/ Adam Hanft – The Daily Beast] Salon,[http://www.fastcompany.com/user/adam-hanft Member Profile Page {{!}} Fast Company]

Huffington Post,{{cite news| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-hanft | work=Huffington Post | first=Adam | last=Hanft | title=Adam Hanft}} CNN,{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/11/03/hanft.attack.ads/index.html | work=CNN | title=Ten most memorable political ads | date=3 November 2010}} Wired,{{cite news |last=Hanft |first=Adam |title=The SXSW Aftermath: How Startups Can Truly Brand Themselves Post-Austin |url=http://insights.wired.com/profiles/blogs/the-sxsw-aftermath-how-startups-can-truly-brand-themselves-post?xg_source=msg_appr_blogpost#axzz2PJkf6J00 |newspaper=Wired |date=2 April 2013 |accessdate=30 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041415/http://insights.wired.com/profiles/blogs/the-sxsw-aftermath-how-startups-can-truly-brand-themselves-post?xg_source=msg_appr_blogpost#axzz2PJkf6J00 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }} The Atlantic{{cite web|title=Bio Page|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/adam-hanft/|publisher=The Atlantic|accessdate=29 May 2013}} and AOL News.[http://www.politicsdaily.com/bloggers/adam-hanft/ Adam Hanft – Politics Daily] He has also been a frequent commentator on public radio's Marketplace,[http://find.publicradio.org/search?site=mkp&proxystylesheet=mkp&client=mkp&output=xml_no_dtd&filter=p&sort=date%3AD%3AS%3Ad1&q=hanft Marketplace Search Results: hanft]{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and has appeared regularly on TV including The Daily Show.[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-august-3-2005/house-of-ill-recruit House of Ill Recruit - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 8/3/2005 - Video Clip {{!}} Comedy Central] For five years he wrote the back-page column "Grist" for Inc. magazine, where he served as a Contributing Editor and Marketer-in-Chief.

[https://archive.today/20060321041824/http://www.inc.com/resources/marketing/columns/hanft.html Adam Hanft – Marketing Strategy Article – Marketing Column]

''Dictionary of the Future''

Published in 2001 and co-written with Faith Popcorn, Dictionary of the Future is described a collection of words and terms that have not yet entered mainstream dictionaries.[http://www.americanwaymag.com/adam-hanft-hyperion-faith-popcorn-napa-valley-st-martins-press Adam Hanft hyperion {{!}} Faith Popcorn {{!}} Napa Valley {{!}} St. Martin's Press :: American Way Magazine] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718205907/http://www.americanwaymag.com/adam-hanft-hyperion-faith-popcorn-napa-valley-st-martins-press |date=July 18, 2011 }}

Wired called the book a "memetic encyclopedia of what's to come, an engaging crash course in bleeding-edge ideas and debatable issues".{{cite magazine| url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.01/streetcred.html?pg=5 | magazine=Wired | title=Wired 10.01: Street Cred}}

Many of the concepts and predictions published in "Dictionary of the Future" went on to become culturally-relevant phenomena, including: free-range children; ego-surfing;{{cite book|title=Dictionary of the Future|isbn=0786866578|last1=Popcorn|first1=Faith|last2=Hanft|first2=Adam|date=12 December 2001}} Internet sentiment research; infographic design; locouture (local fashion); crowd-sourced new products{{cite web|last=Cornella |first=Alfons |title=Ke!625 - Diccionario del futuro: innovar palabras para proyectar futuro |url=http://www.infonomia.com/articulo/ideas/7114 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629124039/http://www.infonomia.com/articulo/ideas/7114 |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 June 2013 |work=4 Oct 2002 |publisher=infonomia |accessdate=29 May 2013 }} combat drones; data fasts,{{cite web|title=Faith Popcorn|url=http://www.bhgoo.com/2011/r_review/108607|publisher=bhgoo.com|accessdate=29 May 2013}} and "online learning experts" as a job of the future.

References