by Kent Jennings Brockwell
Staff Writer
Thinking back on her almost 30 years in the advertising business, Melanie Jennings Husk said she never imagined that her advertising agency would grow into the large and successful business that it has.
Today, Husk, Jennings, Galloway and Robinson, has almost 30 employees and several hallway walls laden with prestigious, expensive-looking industry awards. But, in 1978, it was just Melanie and husband Gary Husk in a small office in Charleston, S.C.
“We weren’t thinking in terms of size then and probably still don’t now,” she said. “We were not trying to build the next big corporate giant. We were just setting out a course to do really good work.”
And all that “good work” over the years has afforded Husk several of those awards on her office walls. Most recently she became the first woman to receive the Silver Medal at the Jacksonville Addy Awards; to honor an individual who has made outstanding contributions to advertising and has been active in furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern.
Husk said she was excited to receive the award but was surprised that she was the first woman to ever do so.
“That caught me off guard,” she said. “I didn’t know that until I won the award. I am not very aware of gender as a factor, especially in this business, so it caught me off guard to be recognized as a woman. But it is an honor to be the first.”
Undoubtedly, she and the other partners at the firm will continue to receive more awards, but Husk said immediate plans for the future include seeking out and adding more clients “that are the right fit.”
“The key to our growth plan is looking for a win-win, good fit client,” she said. “Those are the relationships that last a long time and are mutually rewarding.”
Barnett Bank was one of those long term clients that helped Husk, Jennings, Galloway and Robinson grow its stature in the industry, Husk said. When the firm moved to Jacksonville in the early 1980s, Barnett Bank was one of Husk’s first big-time clients.
“Now (Barnett Bank) is gone but back then it was a big deal,” she said. “It was wonderful working with Barnett Bank. That really helped us grow.”
Husk said the relationship with Barnett helped the firm gain other high profile clients over the years like Capital One, CSX, AT&T Corp. and Energizer. The firm currently has a diverse list of about 12 clients ranging from several large multi-national companies to small locally owned businesses, she said.
Besides learning how to grow and maintain a successful ad agency, Husk said the past 30 years in advertising have been “endlessly interesting” and has shown her that she couldn’t have picked a better career.
“I have learned a lot,” she said. “If you are a life-long learner and you want to stay open to new ideas and have the chance to apply them in all types of situations, this is a great industry.”