Selling Stories: Marci Selsberg on What Ad Industry Has Lost and Gained in Remote Era

For the last 25 years, Marci Selsberg has specialised in representing animation, VFX, and motion design studios. She has spent most of her career as a partner and agent for BlahUSA, a brand that represents a variety of animation and visual FX studios. Her first positions were with an ad agency and as a live-action director before moving to animation. Marci has worked hands-on with studios and creatives worldwide in commercial, broadcasting, and digital spaces.

​As part of Agency Source's new series, 'Selling Stories', Ross MacRae caught up with Marci Selsberg, owner, BLAH! Blah? (Blah…).

Amanda Drum, VP, Press Kitchen> Describe the shifts you're seeing in the advertising business from when you started in your respective business to now. This could be related to the structure of agencies, production companies, and vendors, to how they work with each other, to how many there are, etc.

Marci Selsberg, owner, BLAH! Blah? (Blah…)> There have been huge changes. I’ll start before 9/11, even though it dates me. Back then, I could go up to Grey, Ogilvy, or McCann, any agency really, and spend the entire afternoon just walking into people’s offices. No security. I’d say, “Hey, it’s Marci from Blah Blah Blah,” and people would invite me in. I’d move from office to office, getting to know everyone personally. That’s how I built many of the relationships I still have today.

After 9/11, security became much stricter. You couldn’t just walk in anymore—you had to be escorted up and down. It only got tighter over the years. That’s the first big change.

Ross MacRae, founder, Agency Source> And sometimes now, no one’s even in the office—they’re all remote.

Marci> Exactly, which is the second big change. Before COVID, we held a lot of lunch screenings. Plenty of people would roll in. But now, especially around New York, people are spread out across Manhattan, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. They’ll RSVP yes, but then decide not to make the trip. What should be a 30-person screening becomes 10, and you’ve ordered food for 25. Some dial in on Zoom, some don’t.

And then there are technical struggles: agencies not fully set up, cameras misplaced, and presentations glitching. Even if you get there early, it can take 45 minutes just to get everything working. Everyone’s bored before you even start.

Ross> How much creative possibility is lost now that you can’t organise screenings or walk into producers’ offices as easily?

Marci> It’s a real concern. When I started at an ad agency, we all sat in rows. You overheard conversations, and you learned from the questions other producers were asking. My bosses would say, “We’re going to an edit,” and I’d ask, “What’s an edit? Can I come?” That exposure shaped me.

Now, young producers and creatives don’t get that. They don’t overhear, they don’t tag along, and they often don’t even know what to ask. They might not even know what a VO session is, let alone that they could attend one.

Ross> That’s such a good point. It’s not just nostalgia—it’s about the next generation of producers, reps, and creatives.

Marci> Right. We get calls from very junior producers who want to use animation, but they haven’t been trained. They’re not sitting next to anyone to learn the process. Just a couple of weeks ago, a young producer called me, and I explained that her choices would require compositing and increase the post-production budget and she had no idea what compositing was—or even the basics of post-production—because she’s working from home, isolated.

Ross> Does that make your role even more important?

Marci> I believe so. My team and I end up training these young producers as we bid on projects. My core team has been with me for years—one person for 12 years. We worked in offices together long before COVID, so they know exactly what to do.

As the owner, I try to keep us connected. I run a weekly Zoom with the team, we get together for lunch here and there, and I make a point to call just to check in: “How was your weekend? How are you feeling today?” I want them to feel like we’re not just a team but a family. Even though we work from home, we care about each other and stay communicative.

Ross> Do you do daily huddles? We do two—at 8:55 a.m. and 4:55 p.m. They’re short, maybe five minutes. Not everyone joins every day, but it’s been a game-changer. It recreates the “watercooler” moments.

Marci> That’s interesting. I’ve worried those calls could drift into unproductive chatter.

Ross> It can happen, but it depends on the chair keeping it tight. Most of the time, it’s not about micromanaging. It’s just: what’s happening today? What’s going on? It’s about those casual moments we used to have by the coffee machine.

I could talk forever about this, but two things stand out for remote work: daily huddles and something called “Say-Do-Rep.”

It’s a simple framework. At the start of the day, you say what you’re going to do. During the day, you do it. At the end of the day, you report back—positive or negative. Maybe you won a new client, maybe you didn’t, but you share outcomes. Everyone can see where help is needed, and it restores some of the learning you’d get by sitting next to colleagues in an office.

Marci> I like that. I think I’ll try it.

Ross> It’s powerful, especially if you keep it short—five to 10 minutes. It builds accountability and collaboration without taking over the day.

Marci> That’s always my worry—that these calls become time-sinks when we could be finding work.

Ross> That’s why the chair matters. With Zoom, it can be tricky because of lag. We actually use Slack, which helps. But either way, if it’s kept focused, it’s a great way to maintain community and efficiency.

Amanda> For both, in your experience, what qualities separate the strongest creative talent from the rest — and how do you communicate those strengths effectively to potential clients or agencies?

Marci> That’s a great question. I’ve worked with incredibly creative studios, but when they got on a Zoom or meet a potential client in person, they had nothing to say. No personality, no personal connection. I find that when you connect personally, it strengthens the creative relationship, too.

It’s not just about showing, “Here’s our great work.” You have to be likable. Because, as good as you are, if you’re not likable, people won’t want to work with you.

I’ve had that experience myself. There were two studios on my “bucket list” to represent. Their work was extraordinary — out-of-this-world fantastic. But when we spoke with them, they were rude, cocky, and just plain difficult. We tried to give them a chance, but eventually we dropped them. The stress and negativity outweighed the quality of the work. And honestly, how do I explain that to a client? I can’t say, “They’re obnoxious, but the work is great.” Nobody wants to work with that.

Ross> I know the question’s more for Marci, but from my perspective, if creativity gets in the way of process, it ceases to be creative. You could be the most creative producer in the world, but if you can’t manage the relationship with the client, the work won’t get made.

So the ease of doing business is just as important as the creative output. I’m not downplaying creativity, but clients need to feel the process will be smooth. That’s why reps are valuable — they can bridge that gap in meetings and manage those dynamics.
At the end of the day, people buy from people. If they don’t like you, they won’t “buy” your creativity — whether that’s as a director, producer, animator, or studio.

I always think of a story I heard in a London agency. There was a voiceover artist called “One Take Jake.” That was his brand. His voice wasn’t necessarily the best, but people booked him because they knew he’d deliver the job in one take. That reliability got him more work than anything else. Often, that matters just as much — sometimes even more — than pure creativity.

Marci> Exactly. Another key quality is being an exceptional listener. You have to make clients feel like they’re being heard and that their ideas are taken seriously. I’ve seen studios tell a client, “Yes, your idea sounds great,” but then ignore it and go off to do whatever they want. That doesn’t work. Listening is critical.

And beyond listening, you have to make the process enjoyable. Yes, the stakes are high — big budgets, serious business — but it should also be fun. We all got into this industry for a reason, and part of that is the joy of creating. Making a client smile, keeping the collaboration lighthearted when it can be, goes a long way.

Ross> I completely agree. Sometimes, especially when you’re on a screen share and not visible, you have to “smile with your voice.” That energy and positivity really matters. Clients should feel the collaboration is not just efficient, but enjoyable.

Amanda> Sales and representation often come down to building trust. What have you found to be the most effective ways of forging long-term partnerships in this business?

Marci> One thing I’ve always done is, if I don’t have what a client is looking for, I’ll send them to someone I know who does. That’s number one.

Second, I try to be a really good listener. My clients tell me about their kids, their spouses, where they’re living, or where they’re going on vacation. I make an effort to connect on that personal level and to remember those details. So the next time I call, I can ask, “How was Mexico?” or “Did your husband get that new job?”

Clients have told me they appreciate that I care. They don’t feel like I’m just chasing the next sale or the next job. I genuinely want to know how they’re doing — and that matters.

Ross> I completely agree. Honestly, Marci’s previous answer also applies here — trust comes from listening, from showing you care.

Sometimes it can feel like a lot of handholding, and yes, it can be time-consuming. For us, in a more technical business, reps often need extra support to really understand what we’re doing. We end up doing many demos, walking people through the details again and again.

But it’s worth it. Because once they do get it, they remember that you helped them. That’s the kind of “above and beyond” effort we always encourage — and it’s what builds those long-term partnerships.

Amanda> Marci, you’ve worked with Agency Source to tap into their “research on demand” services. Can you talk about how that, and having access to curated insights--like LinkedIn profiles directly integrated into their platform--has impacted the way you approach outreach and client prospecting?

Marci> Number one, it has saved us an incredible amount of time. Normally, I would look at a resource like Agency Source to find a name, then go over to LinkedIn, open it up, and search for that person. With Agency Source, it’s already connected. It’s just click, click, and I have what I need. It’s fantastic.

It’s such a time-saver. That’s the biggest thing. Whenever I’m in doubt or looking for information elsewhere, I find Agency Source has almost everything I need. Maybe it doesn’t list where someone went to school, but with one click, I can open their LinkedIn profile and get that too. Aside from someone’s favourite colour or Social Security number, I basically have everything right there.

And the “research on demand” service is incredibly helpful. One of my team members, Ryan, will reach out to Ross, and within a day — sometimes less — we get an email back identifying the right person on an account. I know it’s not always easy to find that information, but the quick turnaround is amazing.

Overall, everything about Agency Source right now is not only information-packed but also a massive time-saver.

Amanda> Looking ahead, where do you see the greatest opportunities for advertising reps and sales teams to collaborate differently — especially with tools and services that blend research, networking, and relationship-building?

Marci> Personally, I’d like to see people getting together again. I recently went to AICP, and while standing at the bar, I struck up a conversation with the man next to me. It turned out to be someone I’d been speaking with for 20 years — I knew his wife’s name, where he vacationed, but we had never met in person.

That, to me, is the opportunity: to get past COVID and start meeting in person again. Events like AICP, or the general advertising gatherings, are so valuable. We’ve been apart for far too long, and reconnecting face-to-face is what will bring the industry back together.

Ross> That’s so true. I always tell this story from AICP as well. I was just having a coffee during a seminar break and started chatting with Digby, the director. That casual meeting led to an introduction to the AIR group, which eventually led to all of you working with us.

It was a classic “sliding doors” moment. That single conversation completely changed our trajectory. Years earlier, I had a similar experience on a plane ride home from a conference. I sat next to someone who is now a friend who explained how the stock agency industry handled distribution differently from TV production. It made me realise we were missing a huge opportunity in our own business. That conversation changed everything.

When I first started, I thought I knew everything. But then someone told me, “The moment you admit you know nothing, you’ll experience a blinding flash of the obvious.” And they were right. Those flashes should happen weekly — those moments where you suddenly realise, “Of course, why didn’t I do that?” They only happen when you meet new people, share challenges, and learn from how they’ve solved them in other industries. Those chance meetings are invaluable — and they’re just not happening enough anymore.

Marci> Exactly. For example, I sometimes send Monica from my team out to Chicago. She’ll meet a producer for coffee, laptop in hand. Over one of those coffees, she showed a producer some work on the spot. That simple meeting has since led to over $2 million worth of work for that studio. That’s the power of in-person connection.

And one more thing — my mother always said, “Do something every day that scares you.” For me, that means reaching out to someone who intimidates you or approaching someone at a higher level you think is out of reach. Just do it.

Ross> That’s great advice. I’m going to make a note of that.

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