Our product is a result
The other day I was talking to a media agency and a moment of raw and real talk came up. I simply said: “I don't care if our work is sexy, I care that we have evidence of how it worked”. You wouldn't believe the air of relief from the head of data on the call. Suddenly we were speaking on similar terms.
Now, of course I care if the work is creative, but only so far as to show that creativity has greater payback. And this is something that it’s easy to forget. We tend to think about stuff we like, stuff we find good, rather than stuff that we believe will solve a problem or communicate an idea or trigger an action.
This conversation suggested two things to me:
We don't speak enough in each others' language
We don't behave enough as the client's co-conspirators
Strategy is a team sport, y'all. And some form of result, not just thinking, are our real product. Everything else – whether the proposition is inspirational, the ads are distinct, or the CPMs are cost-efficient – is a step to get there.
