Advergirl dishes out some A-list wisdom

Published 20080519 by Olivier Blanchard | E-mail this post

Some sweet, sweet words of wisdom from Advergirl:

What's the number 1 reason agencies lose accounts? I would argue that it’s complacency. The agency is coasting. They probably don’t even realize they’re doing it. But after years with a product, it’s easy to get too close to it, to lean on old insights, to produce rather than create.

Taking a strategic approach to every project is fighting the coast.

But, more importantly, it's getting to do the best at your job - who wants to be a pair of hands when you can be a leader?

* * *

Once you've tried out the same Idea three or four times, only to find a big ugly mess at the end, it's just human nature to kill that Idea out on hand of the fifth go round. But a scrappy little rookie might look at it another way. Sure it didn't work the other times; so, what can we do differently to make it successful this time?

* * *

We all get into a groove. The creative brief works like this. Client Z will always want this. For retail, we always do this.

The new kid in the room carries none of that history. And asks - preferably in a brief way - why? Or how? Or what about this? Or do we have research on that?

Keep asking those questions. Looking for holes. There's always more to learn.

'No' is the easiest word to say. Finding a way to say 'yes' can be the first step to great work.

Clearly one of my new favorite reads.

Labels: agile creativity, courage, design thinking, fresh ideas, ideas, ideation, leadership