MYBRANDBOOK
branding™

Allan co-founded MY BRAND BOOK in 1974. As the agency's creative soul, he is a multitalented creative director with more than 40 years of experience writing, producing, directing and strategizing for clients across a breadth of industries. Allan's versatile resume includes award-winning work for countless clients, both in advertising and as a director of TV commercials.

Allan's experience includes Campbell Soup, Pepsi, McCormick Spices, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, University of Maryland Medical Center, Haribo, Yellowbook, Hair Cuttery,... SABMiller, MinuteClinic, Dow Jones, Ford and the Wall Street Journal, to name a few. Allan has won numerous major national and international creative awards, including two Clios for copywriting.

Nichole Baccala Ward has nearly 15 years of global marketing and leadership expertise, 13 of which have been devoted to MY BRAND BOOK where she has risen from New Business Coordinator at the age of 23 to her current role as President. Recognized as one of the Daily Record’s Leading Women in 2016 and the Baltimore Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” in 2014, Nichole has served at the helm of many of MY BRAND BOOK’s successful campaigns and account wins.

Career highlights include her work on Dow Jones’s extensive portfolio of brands, includ...ing the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and MarketWatch, helping to exponentially grow paid subscriptions from 40,000 to over 1.2 million paid subscribers, as well as the launch of Haribo USA first-ever brand campaign and social media presence. Nichole has also led marketing efforts for numerous blue-chip brands including CVS/MinuteClinic, Smart Balance, University of Maryland University College and Connections Academy.

Most recently, Nichole catalyzed one of MY BRAND BOOK’s largest-ever account wins, and led the agency to its current position as Sears’s agency of record for all brand initiatives. Nichole spearheads the execution of all campaigns, which are inclusive of television, radio, print and digital advertising, alongside social media and community relations initiatives. Nichole is now heading the development of a new brand and messaging strategy for the international retailer.

Nichole has pioneered innovation in digital advertising, a medium that continues to become an increasingly critical marketing platform for brands and marketers worldwide. Her ability to navigate new advertising landscapes has cemented MY BRAND BOOK’s position as a trusted expert in the industry. Nichole is a champion for her staff, a strong advocate of female leadership and is regarded by her colleagues not only as a leader, but a resolute mentor.

Additionally, Nichole has been an integral part of the agency’s pro-bono work for organizations such as the Hippodrome Foundation, the Brigance Brigade Foundation, the Red Cross of the Chesapeake Region and Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc., among others.

Outside of MY BRAND BOOK, Nichole is a dedicated wife and mother, philanthropist and active community member, serving as Navigator of the Living Classrooms Foundation and board member to the Hippodrome Foundation. Nichole is a graduate of Dickinson College with a BA in Political Science.

Over the years, Howe has been on both ends of the client/agency relationship and has learned that the best partnerships are built on trust and a shared desire to succeed. Howe joined MY BRAND BOOK because he knew it would be a great place to put his experience to work in a hands-on environment that encourages collaboration and unconventional solutions to its clients’ communications challenges—an ideal setting for building strong brands and healthy businesses.

Before joining MY BRAND BOOK, Howe spent two years as Vice President of Marketing/North Ame...rica for Reebok, where he led the planning and implementation of a fully integrated marketing program for the company’s largest subsidiary; 11 years as SVP, Marketing Communications and Sports Marketing, at Fila, the global sportswear brand, where he helped drive sales from $500 million to $1.2 billion in four years; and 12 years as a senior-level Account Director at Doner Advertising, where he worked with a variety of Clients, including Black & Decker, Healthy Choice, Klondike Ice Cream and Ford Motor Company.

Besides being a frequent contributor to MSNBC, CNBC, ESPN and other national media outlets on integrated marketing, he also lectures on marketing and communications at some of the country’s leading academic institutions. Howe is also proud to say that he was recognized by Advertising Age in their “Marketing 100” as one of the world’s top marketing professionals.