If you’ve been to downtown Aiken in the past couple of months, you’ve probably seen the new place tucked between the back of Nandina and Park Avenue Oyster Bar. It boasts only a pink A on its storefront. Many have been curious as to what it is, which means that the simple, lone letter is doing exactly what it was intended to do: spark curiosity, promote questions, and pique interest.
A is for Advertising is the business, and it’s owned by Allison Hilton. Though the storefront may be new, the business itself has been successful nationwide for 14 years, but it’s not where Hilton began her career in advertising. She’s a hardworking, tenacious businesswoman who started at the bottom and worked her way up to where she is today. And we’re fortunate she landed in Aiken!
Born in Charleston, Hilton is a Southern girl at heart. She went to middle and high school in Barnwell and knew from growing up in such a small town that she wanted to experience more after graduating from the University of South Carolina. She knew that her career had to be in television. She began searching for jobs and applying for what she could. In 1990, after eight intense interviews and two weeks of boring trainee VHS tapes, Hilton was hired as the youngest salesperson in the country working at an NBC affiliate in Savannah, GA, called WSAV.
Working in a sales department in TV means selling advertising slots to businesses and being able to tell their story and condense their selling points down to thirty seconds in some cases. Still, Hilton knew what she was doing and was a successful salesperson. She eventually became the national sales manager for major national brands and managed seven offices between Fox and ABC stations. But Hilton wanted to try her hand in New York, where some of the toughest competition was. Having never been to NYC or even flown on a plane before, she landed in the Big Apple and found herself interviewing with every affiliate there. By referencing the Looney Toons episode where the Coyote and Sheep battle each other every day but say their friendly goodbyes at the five o’clock whistle, Hilton explains what working in New York taught her. She learned to go after it during work hours, fight for business, and win the account, but at the end of the day, everyone returns to being friends and sharing a beer at the pub down the street. This kind of environment taught her to be a great manager. She can balance working hard, being honest, and holding people accountable with professionalism and consideration.
Hilton knew she wanted to put those managerial skills to use by becoming a General Manager of a TV station, and when that position came open in 2008 in her hometown of Charleston, SC, it seemed perfect; she’d be headed back to her roots and to a town ideal for raising her young daughter, AnnaBelle. But, of course, that’s not how her story goes. Hilton was told she’d never become a GM because she does things her way and doesn’t fit the mold or like the systems managers must follow. And though that initially made her mad and hurt her feelings, Hilton now sees that as a compliment. She’s always been one of the best in her career because she does her thing, her way, and it works. Hilton’s path veered from making it as a GM to advertising business owner in Aiken, SC, by creating a TV station for a research scientist, buying media for a lawyer, and wheeling and dealing as a ghost buyer.
In July of 2009, A is for Advertising started, and one lawyer after another came in for Hilton’s advertising expertise. By 2013, Hilton and her family and business moved to Aiken, where she worked out of The Mill. Now, A is for Advertising has opened its official office on Park Avenue. Through all of the experiences, hours of teaching herself, and learning the ins and outs, Hilton has ended up right where she wants to be-focusing on advertising and marketing, doing it her way and writing her own rules to fit her clients’ needs. She stated, “To me, advertising is putting a puzzle together, and I can do it with my eyes closed.”
Hilton travels nationwide to create and produce advertising, but she’s excited about working with some local small businesses in Aiken. A is for Advertising is a tiered company offering many services: web design, radio and print, social media management, business influencer management, and film production for TV, social media, and digital billboards. Allison Hilton doesn’t fit into a mold, and neither does her work. She strives to be creative and think outside the box to achieve the most significant return on investment possible for business owners.
Stop in, check out the new office space, and meet Hilton if you’re looking for help with any type of advertising.
“To me, advertising is putting a puzzle together, and I can do it with my eyes closed.”
