Filed under: Agency Culture, Crap Marketing Ideas From History!, Egovertising, Innovation, Marketing Fail, Only In Adland, Square, The Quest To Progress
… that would explain this.
Make sure you watch the video.
You HAVE TO watch the video.
Seriously, when someone senior in adland says …
“The industries future is solving problems rather than just driving awareness”
… it not only shows how out of touch and out-of-date they are with the things countless agencies, brands and individuals have been doing for years, but how much this industry needs progressive leaders – and clients – to get us all out of this mess.
It only gets worse when the example he gives to demonstrate this ‘new thinking’ is Volvo Paint … an idea that’s OK but ignores the countless others that have not only been developed in the past 10 or 20 years, but have genuinely infiltrated popular culture.
[Though, to be fair, that’s more by brands than agencies]
What next, a speech on how WAP will make every mobile a potential marketing platform?
For fucks sake. Seriously, for fuck, fucks sake.
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NB. As I am writing this post quite in advance of when it comes out, there’s a chance you may not be able to access the clip because you have to be a paid subscriber. If that is the case:
1. I will try and find a link to what I’m talking about that gets around the ‘paid’ block.
2. All you really need to know is that Grey’s deputy worldwide chief creative officer – who I am sure is a lovely man – say’s ‘solve-vertising’ … the ability to solve problems not advertising awareness of them … is the future. Yes, solve-vertising.
It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so tragic.
Utterly, utterly tragic.
Filed under: The Quest To Progress
Throughout my life I’ve met, worked with and worked for people who have stated they want dramatic change and then – in the same breath – announced how they want to protect what they already have.
From the person who hates their job but doesn’t want to take a pay cut to the client or colleagues who want to accelerate their growth but don’t want to risk doing something new.
Don’t get me wrong, I get it.
I totally get it.
But here’s a little secret that you should all know.
Growth and comfort can never co-exist.
Never.
Never, ever, ever.
I know that sounds scary and horrible and countless other things, but the fact is it’s true.
It doesn’t matter if you want a new job, a new client or a new agency … it is impossible to achieve one if you don’t want to let go of the other.
Of course, part of the reason it’s hard for people to embrace that is because while the goal of growth requires uncomfortable decisions, actions and experiences … it does not automatically mean the outcome will be positive.
But by the same token, it doesn’t automatically mean it will be negative either.
In fact, the only sure thing is that if you don’t do anything, you won’t get anything.
Other than a feeling of resented contentment.
Which, for some, is the worst feelings of all.