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One of the things that annoys the crap out of me is when a brand wants to spend a shitload of cash on an idea that reflects what the company wish their audience thought/did, rather than what they actually do.
What I find especially interesting is that these ideas are often only communicated to their agencies once it’s a done deal, possibly because they can place any objective/challenging comment to the “too late to make a difference” pile, even though in their heart-of-hearts they know what’s being said is right – or at the very least – worth considering.
Of course the real reason these things happen is because [1] someone high up liked/pushed the idea &/or [2] it was the easiest way to sell the concept through the system … however it never fails to amaze me how clients can so easily justify fundamentally flawed thinking when they are often so highly critical of well researched, carefully planned ideas.
With adland often being accused of not having their clients best interests at heart, it’s kind of a cruel joke that the biggest culprit are becoming the ones pointing the finger.
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short post. cynical view. attacking the attitude of clients. fuck me campbells back and this time he might mean business.
about fucking time too.
i even fucking agree with what youre saying but that could be the shock of you not writing about how you love fluffy fucking rabbits and think the world should all hold hands and sing. about time you remembered you werent at google anymore but w+k is still to fucking nice for my liking.
hurry up and get sacked campbell, we have people to destroy.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 6:27 amI must admit I’m quite shocked at how short this post is. It can’t possibly last – but in the meantime, I’ll sit back and bask in the praise you are showering on me.
Ahem.
PS: Working on it and given it’s my 3 month review next week – I think cynic2 should be up and running by December 1.
Comment by Rob November 17, 2010 @ 8:30 amI’ve been in this situation so many times and you’re right, you tend to hear about it only after it’s been given the green light, hadn’t thought about that before.
I think there’s another reason it happens though, clients are so obsessed with a particular competitor that reasoning goes out the window and all they are focused on is doing something bigger than their arch enemy and as you say Rob, decisions by ego are not always commercial decisions.
Great post for frustrating reasons.
Comment by Pete November 17, 2010 @ 6:44 amGood point Pete – I’ve sat in meetings where clients have banged on about who they think is their key competitor, when in reality, they’re talking more about their historical competitor because the World’s changed so much, the brands they should be worried about are not the brands they give a second thought to.
The secret is to ask them: “Who do you think views your business or audience with jealous eyes” because then, they open up to the possibilities rather than just others in their category … as we saw with Lonely Planet when they realised a ‘first car’ was possibly a greater threat to their business than other travel guides. [as young people regarded having some wheels as more important than traveling, driven by tech letting them feel they could discover all a country had to offer them via the net and certain tv shows]
Comment by Rob November 17, 2010 @ 8:34 amplanner wank. planner wank. planner wank. blah. blah. blah.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:53 ampardon the faux pas, but this is really relevant to me right now. Getting Rob M on here ASAP and maybe these 2 days before a pitch will change things. Right now I feel like I’m stuck in a combination of no. 1 and 2. Why I’m here at this hour I don’t know but I counted more sheep than Wales can hold. COFFEE? Try anxiety instead!
Comment by andrea November 17, 2010 @ 7:57 amis rob m the cause or a victim. better be the fucking victim or ill give him a fucking kicking.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:21 amOh and thanks for the vote of confidence Andy!!
Comment by Rob Mortimer November 18, 2010 @ 5:49 pmOh dear.
Comment by Rob November 17, 2010 @ 8:34 amCollateral damage. And shoulder to cry on metaphorically speaking as i am not going to cry on my way to the chip shop at lunch. he’s not working on the same thing as me anyway (fortunately for him until I let him in on the action)
Comment by Andrea November 17, 2010 @ 8:41 amFor God’s sake pull yourself together.
Comment by northern November 17, 2010 @ 5:57 pmFailing that, if it all goes tits up, find someone to carry the can
!!!
We’ll get there Andrea! I think it’s probably the first time you’ve been in this situation so closely. Just one of those where everyone has to thrash things out, they usually work out in the end. If not we go onto the next thing, no point being creative if you aren’t willing to make mistakes you believe in!
Comment by Rob Mortimer November 17, 2010 @ 6:17 pmquod me nutrit me destruit as they say
Comment by andreea November 17, 2010 @ 6:31 pmWhy?
Comment by Ciaran McCabe November 17, 2010 @ 8:11 amBecause as John Pearce said “You can’t play
chess with someone who can’t play chess.”
Ciaran
you can and it makes winning a whole lot fucking easier.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:42 amThere is a third reason Robert. Sometimes smart people make bad choices as you have pointed out to us on more than one occasion.
Comment by Lee Hill November 17, 2010 @ 8:18 amDidn’t listen to us about “Fly Girls” did you?
Comment by DH November 17, 2010 @ 8:28 amplease fucking note lee, i didnt say that. i fucking wish i had mind.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:28 amHarsh Billy.
But fair. Ha.
Comment by Rob November 17, 2010 @ 8:37 amBilly? What the fuck has Billy got to do with this, I said it. Think the optician needs a call Rob.
Comment by DH November 17, 2010 @ 8:40 amblind twat.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:42 amSorry Dave, I should have known Billy wouldn’t [couldn’t] of come up with something so biting. But fair. Ha.
Comment by Rob November 17, 2010 @ 8:46 amFuck you all. I’m a genius, you just are too thick to see it.
Comment by Billy Whizz November 17, 2010 @ 8:58 amsnappy fucking comeback as usual.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 9:18 amI think a dignified silence would be the best response.
Comment by Lee Hill November 17, 2010 @ 8:39 amjob security. good fucking call. chicken.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:45 amIs this your google wave story again Rob?
Comment by Billy Whizz November 17, 2010 @ 8:19 amare you trying to upset auntie and jonathan?
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:24 amTheir tears make me smile.
Comment by Billy Whizz November 17, 2010 @ 8:25 amexactafuckingmondo.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:29 amI am saying nothing. For once.
Comment by Rob November 17, 2010 @ 8:38 amwont fucking last.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:44 amwhat about those planner wankers who push ideas because they think theyre fucking god even if all the fucking evidence shows theyre delusional cocks?
answer that and look fashionable campbell.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:23 amThey deserve a kicking … but then I did say that last week.
Does this mean I’m finally fashionable?
Comment by Rob November 17, 2010 @ 8:38 amfashionable? you? only if coco the fucking clown walks down the paris runway.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:43 amim being a wanker. you should walk down the paris runway, the one at charles de gaulle fucking airport.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:44 amSort-of did that last week when BA fucked up my life. You missed your chance.
Comment by Rob November 17, 2010 @ 9:26 amSadly we have the evidence, and we make it into nice graphs that make us look far more intelligent than we really are…
😉
Comment by Rob Mortimer November 17, 2010 @ 7:07 pmFunny that this post is written by a man with one eye.
Comment by DH November 17, 2010 @ 2:16 pmRight, back on subject.
Comment by northern November 17, 2010 @ 6:26 pmA certain,massive, engine oil brand made the decision with their WPP media agency to spend masses of money on ‘owning football’. For God’s sake, Nike doesn’t own football but at least they sell stuff that has something to do with footie, pardon me, soccer as certain shouty American media planners tend to call it. And get this, it came from the ‘Invention Team’ i.e invent a solid reason for doing this and prove it with Millward Brown’s hackneyed brand health bollocks pyramid.
Oh yes, you’re totally right, a collection of buffoons make some decision that usually involves layering myths around a product to make it feel like the thing customers actually wanted in the first place, or can’t be arsed to do that and ‘borrow’ from the stuff they’re really interested in with as much relevance and credibility as Girls Aloud doing a Ted talk, but then again, I’d watch anything with Girls Aloud in it which ruins that metaphor slightly doesn’t it?
Just the use of the word ‘owning’ is enough to get me annoyed!
Comment by Rob Mortimer November 17, 2010 @ 7:06 pmI own angry.
Comment by andrea November 18, 2010 @ 4:42 amfuck me northern is giving me a great big fucking boner with that rant. we were once asked by a coke to come up with ideas that let them “own freedom”. they didnt see the irony but then they didnt see the fucking water trend till it was too fucking late did they.
Comment by andy@cynic November 17, 2010 @ 8:50 pmCreativity doesn’t scale.
Comment by John November 17, 2010 @ 11:37 pmI don’t agree with that John, I would say there are many examples that show that statement is wrong or am I missing the point or the sarcasm?
Comment by Pete November 18, 2010 @ 6:20 am