Advertising was a part of Morris Hite, he did it as naturally as most people woke up in the morning.  This was mainly because of his attitude.  

    In his prime, He would work 7 days a week,  long hours at the office.  He was often on the road between client meetings.  He always had a sketchpad with him.  As business changed, so did he.  He  was very upbeat and positive.  His energy was contagious.  He never saw his clients as having problems, they were always opportunities.  The president of Borden Inc in 1970, a long time client of Hite’s, said “Morris had a Charisma about him.”

He was also an account planner before there was a name for them.  He would often be at the grocery store asking consumers about why they had loyalty to a certain brand, or how often they purchased one thing or another.   Morris was an example to live by for any account executive.  Although he never finished high school, he was always learning.  He would have the television on when he was home reading.  He would drop his book during the commercials because it was his job.  He was always “Idea-Hunting,” as he called it. This was a time when account executives would look for ways to help build their client’s business.

Making the Sale

            When he pitched for some new business, one time, the client (farmers in south Texas), asked “how does your contract work?”  Morris replied that Tracy-Locke works on a handshake, because if they didn’t like the work, then they should go to another place who can do better for them. One of his other clients felt Hite was such a part of their business that they elected him to it board of directors.   He was described as “your basic straight shooter, a guy without an ounce of pretentiousness in his being” and “a down to earth adman”(Pate). 

             He felt so strongly about his clients, that he used their products. His 5 children grew up on Borders milk.    He also had a mind that was continuously running.  Associates joked that they didn’t like to ride in a car while he was driving because he kept one eye on the person he was talking to.  One time he was on the road to give a speech, and was an hour late because he wasn't paying attention to where he was driving.  He drove over an hour out of his way.  

    Morris Hite's research helped him save several accounts.  it was well into the 1970's when account executives for Borden's stopped following the milkmen on their routes.  .  Borden's also had a problem with milk sales in Amarillo during the late 1940's early 1950's.  After some detailed interviewing in Amarillo, two culprits were un covered.  First, the Borden Plant was next to a train station, so it was assumed that they shipped in their milk.  Second, the delivery trucks were often dirty because the streets weren't paved to the plant.  Hite took out full page ads in the Amarillo Globe News featuring local dairy farmers.  They also began to wash every truck in the morning before deliveries. 

In another example, as he often did, Hite told the a bank what they were doing wrong.  First National Bank in Dallas had a slogan that said "Give us a chance to say yes."   But the business community saw them as always saying no.  After explaining this to a new CEO at the bank.  He got so excited, he called in the other Top executives and asked Hite to give his presentation again. 

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