Founder of Boca ad firm gets the word from Trump

Hudson has face-to-face meeting with The Donald

Published December 21st, 2007

By Dale M. King
CITY EDITOR

Ken Hudson made a sharp turn in occupations when he traded the automobile business to advertising and public relations.

“I have a partner, Joanne Williams, a native of Boca Raton. She and I started the business in her apartment,” said Hudson, who had followed in the footsteps of his father, Jim, the largest auto dealer in South Carolina.

In just the past few years, his new firm, Omni Advertising, has grown to include more than 65 clients nationwide. Hudson just opened an office in Los Angeles. And the South Florida Business Journal listed Omni as the fifth largest advertising agency in South Florida.

While in L.A., he was even able to meet with Donald Trump. Hudson said he wanted to approach the billionaire property mogul about filling gift bags for the Miss USA Contest, which Trump owns.

“We met in the green room of the Kodak Theater, where the pageant is held,” said Hudson. “We talked about marketing and entertainment.”

Hudson recalled Trump as being “fast-moving. I wondered about his opinions on digital marketing, advertising online and direct response.” The Boca ad guy said he was “overwhelmed” by the number of people texting messages to Trump’s “The Apprentice” program.

“I told him we will trying text messaging to our businesses in 2008,” said Hudson. “He said that was great.”

Actually, Hudson’s turn to advertising didn’t exactly take him out of the auto trade. Omni’s clients include South Florida Honda Dealers, Tri-County Acura Dealers, Broward County schools and nine dealer associations nationwide. He said his firm has “built its success on developing award-winning creative campaigns that achieve maximum and immediate results for clients.”

Hudson founded Omni just six years ago with 26 employees. What catapulted the firm so quickly, he said, was the success of campaigns such as the “Gotta Get It” jingle for the South Florida Honda Dealers. “It was incorporated into all advertising done for this group in both Spanish and English and is well known in South Florida.”

The founder of Omni said he was “born and raised in the car business” and for a time wanted to be an auto dealer. He has helped his dad, and has also run dealerships of his own.

A friend, Perry Laughridge of Zimmerman & Partners, did a little arm-twisting to pull Hudson into advertising. “He talked me into it – and I worked for him for two and a half years.”

Omni was born soon after.

Hudson said his firm does everything for clients, from TV and radio production to digital and interactive Web sites.

Dale M. King can be reached at 561-549-0832 or dking@bocanews.com.