Between pulling the behind-the-scenes strings on Snoop Dogg’s transition to celebrity chef and handling the social media for Tanqueray, no two days are the same for Ryan Ford.
Ford is the chief creative officer and evp of Cashmere Agency, a lifestyle marketing firm that specializes in putting together events around TV shows and movies, including “Atlanta,” “Orange Is the New Black” and “Get Out.” On the brand side, the agency engineers social media and influencer strategies for brands like Adidas and Overstock.com, as well as Tanqueray.
Ford, who previously worked as a hip-hop journalist at Source Magazine, shared a recent day on the job at Cashmere. The highlight: the time he spends hanging out at Snoop Dogg’s Inglewood compound.
6:30 a.m.: Today starts as most do. I try not to look at my emails this early in the morning, but inevitably I end up giving them a once over before heading out of the house. By 7 a.m., I’m out in my neighborhood for my morning walk. I run into the friendly neighborhood Earvin Johnson at the juice spot. (Whaddup, Magic!?) His positive vibes always make for a good start to the day.
7:45 a.m.: The walks allow me to hop on some check-in calls with members of Cashmere’s leadership team. (Apple Airpods are great for this! But easy to lose. I’m currently on my third pair.) Today’s impromptu call is with two of Cashmere’s leading ladies, our accounts director Cameron Crane and our svp Rona Mercado. Working in social media and with influencers means you’re never off the clock, therefore this is a good time to get an update on what happened last night on TNT’s season finale of “Claws” and outline what the day has in store for our latest Tanqueray influencer activation. Now the juices are flowing.
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9:30 a.m.: I’m dressed and ready to get my work day in full effect. I quickly touch base with Josh Harris, Cashmere’s creative coordinator. We usually go over my schedule and any pressing deadlines we have for the day. I also usually end up starting a debate about something hip-hop-related. Gotta stay on your toes, culturally! Today, we’re talking Dave East’s new album, “Paranoia.”
10:25 a.m.: Upon arriving at our offices I take a moment to swoop through and check in with our sister company, Stampede Management. They are busy handling tour logistics for one of their clients, the talented Lalah Hathaway. Also on today’s slate, we have a ton of new business opportunities to sift through and a few new team members to properly onboard.
12 p.m.: Today is Show & Tell day! Once a month, we have a company-wide meeting where we come together and share our best and most impactful work. As our company continues to grow, it’s important that each individual in every department is abreast of what’s going in another. Today, the experiential team is sharing the work they’ve done around a tastemaker screening for “Girls Trip” in Atlanta, and the social team is sharing the work they’ve done on FX’s “Snowfall.” Show & Tell is a fun and interactive way to get our team on the same page.
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1:30 p.m.: If I don’t have a lunch meeting with a client, I’m more than likely eating lunch at my desk or in an internal brainstorm for a new project or client. Today, though, I venture out. Ah, sunny California! The Cashmere office has been in Playa Vista for about six years now. The restaurant options in the area used to be scarce, but as the area has grown and transformed into Silicon Beach, a West Coast hub for business and tech, some great additions have come. I get my go-to: salmon caesar at Urban Plates.
2:30 p.m.: After lunch, I meet with our creative team and our social department together. Our social team in its current incarnation is a little over a year old, but we’ve been able to make some real impact in Hollywood. With more and more multicultural-themed content, the more networks and studios are looking for unique ways to market titles in the space. Today, we’ll be readying our final reporting around “All Eyez On Me.”
3:40 p.m.: The teams fall right into a brainstorm for a new client opportunity. This time, they’re looking to potentially activate a handful of our departments: PR, social, influencer, experiential and creative. It’s our version of a 360-degree campaign. This is where we can get really creative!
4:40 p.m.: One of our longest-standing clients is Snoop Dogg. Cashmere has done a great job helping him continue to carve out a relevant space in pop culture. Recently, Snoop set his sights on the culinary world, starring in VH1’s “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party.” We’re helping to expand on that by bringing his own cookbook to life. You read that correctly: The Snoop Dogg Cookbook. With that in mind, I hop in the whip and dip over to Inglewood to visit with Snoop at his compound to get the stories behind the recipes.
5:15 p.m.: While I’m still at Snoop’s compound, I check in with some of the TBS team on hand for rehearsals of the new Snoop-hosted game show, “The Joker’s Wild.” As Snoop rehearses, some of the Cashmere team members are behind the scenes, providing digital strategy and creative oversight. We everywhere!
7:30 p.m.: Time to pack up for the day. Back to the grind of the 405.
8 p.m.: Gotta make time for home life. Dinner with my fiancée, Renee, is the perfect time to catch up and check out yet another new spot on Sawtelle Boulevard. After some debate, we choose Nong La Pho restaurant over another favorite, Tatsu Ramen.
9:30 p.m.: Back at the crib, but the day isn’t quite over yet. Ted Chung, Cashmere’s chairman, never sleeps. It’s another one of those late-night conference calls with him and company president Seung Chung. Tonight’s topic? Cashmere Agency growth planning. We end up looping in about four other Cashmerians into the call.
11 p.m.: This is my TV time, and the DVR is chock full of shows to catch up on. Tonight, I’m deep into a sneak peek of A&E’s Biggie documentary. This is when work and my passion for hip-hop collide.
12:30 a.m.: iPad out. I’ll slide in a little Front Page on Reddit and my daily dose of WorldstarHipHop before sleep. At an agency that plays in culture, I need to know what the people are chattering about. Got those Airpods back in the ear so I don’t wake up my fiancée, though.
