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Doug Garnett’s Blog

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Over the course of his career Doug Garnett has participated in some of the leading innovations of our time. From this background, he brings clients an executive’s instincts along with hands-on experience in marketing research, strategy, business planning, channel strategy, sales, advertising creative, and video/film production.

Freshly printed math degree in hand, Doug started his career at General Dynamics developing software to support space exploration and defense, working on the Space Shuttle, the Atlas/Centaur program, and Tomahawk Cruise Missiles. He was promoted to Senior Engineer 3 years out of college while also completing his Masters in Applied Mathematics specializing in finite element analysis.

​Over the next 10 years Doug was involved with the micro-processor revolution, human-computer interface design, supercomputers (Cray & others), massively parallel computing, desktop publishing & typesetting and more. This phase wrapped up selling and marketing advanced computers to research scientists around the world.

In 1993, Doug shifted his work to strategic development of advertising. He was fortunate to work in an ad agency focused on innovative consumer goods with a specialty in direct response television. He played a role as DirecTV crossed their critical chasm then conducted consumer research into Canadian satellite TV. Over the next 25 years he worked with almost every category of innovation in consumer goods from tech (Internet appliances, automated home, internet of things, robotics) to home, hardware and automotive.​

Running Atomic Direct, his own agency, for 20 years Doug specialized with innovative products and services for both major corporations like AAA, DuPont, and Rubbermaid as well as entrepreneurs and smaller companies like Kreg Tool, Spyder Tools, Darex, & The Joint Chiropractic. 

He spent eight of those years making national TV ads for innovative products at Lowe’s stores. These campaigns were stunning in their impact – moving as many as 2.4 million units of entirely new, innovative product in the first 2 months on the shelf.

During this time he developed strategy for commercials, co-wrote many, and eventually directed many national television spots.

Marketing, strategy, research, communication, and video/film production have become Doug’s recent and primary areas of action. He also maintains key involvement with product development because when companies are developing innovative products, there are no neat silo separations.

Doug’s span across disciplines brings tremendous value for clients.

Doug is a Coloradan by birth who now lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two sons. When not working on innovative products, Doug follows his passions for art, music, woodworking, history, books, and the outdoors.

Education

BA – Mathematics, CU – Boulder
MS – Applied Math, UC – San Diego
MBA (partial) – Marylhurst Univ

Experience

Protonik, LLC – President
Atomic Direct, LTD – CEO
The Tyee Group, VP-Strategy/Acct Dir.
Floating Point, International Sales & Mktg
General Dynamics, Sr. Software Engineer​

Teaching/Writing/Boards

RetailWire BrainTrust
Blogging at DougGarnett.com and TheShelfPotato.com
“Building Brand with DRTV” (pub. 2011)
PSU – School of Business
BWG Group Advisory
Response Magazine

TV/Video Awards

Telly Awards (2001-2018)
Davey Awards (2005-2016)
Insurance Marcom “Best TV of 2006”
DMA Echo for TV (1999)

To book Doug for an industry or company lecture, visit the “Request Lecture” page.

©2018 – Doug Garnett – All Rights Reserved

Comments

  • Posted: April 1, 2017 08:27

    Robert Clark

    I was surprised by this statement in your blog post from Nov. 2016 on Amazon's Q3 profits: "It also means (as we see with most digital adventures) that Amazon will likely “pivot” at some point (maybe in 3-5 years) and their retail equivalent market will go away – In the meantime, what kind of damage will they do?" Amazon's retail represents the biggest part of their revenue and it's the signature part of their identity. It would be really surprising if they simply decided to forgo that. Have any other analysts suggested they would eliminate that segment of their business? Bob Clark
    Reply

    • Posted: April 3, 2017 18:46

      Doug Garnett

      Bob - Excellent question and glad I could surprise you. The Wall Street Journal has begun to question how Amazon can continue to lose vast sums of money on the majority of it's revenue. My thought offered in the blog post just takes this the next step. Essentially, in response to the WSJ, Amazon doesn't have too many options. They could seek to reduce that big piece of revenue - but that's not likely a successful strategy. So what they really need to do is find a way to make it profitable. Based on a series of analyses, it does not seem viable for them to make a profit on that chunk of revenue UNLESS they become a primarily brick and mortar company. And, in the months that have passed since I wrote the post, I believe we are seeing them take those steps. Bookstores, convenience stores, local retail outlets... My sense is you think I'm a out on a limb. And you're right - Amazon's phenomenal PR machine has spun quite a story and few are challenging it. But I'm willing to go out on the limb knowing that I'm at least part right. Where they actually end up will be different from what I suggest but ALSO quite different from where Amazon's self-spun mythology tells us. I'm trying to get people to start seriously thinking about Amazon - what's the REAL scoop behind the mythology? Thanks for the question! ...Doug
      Reply