I’ve been completely humbled by the stories behind the athletes at the summer Olympics. A silver-haired 39-year old gymnast who can still hold himself parallel to the ground. A mother of twins who came back to win gold after not placing in the previous two Olympics. A double-amputee competing against the fastest men in the world. A marathon runner who escaped childhood slavery in Sudan and is competing as an independent on behalf of fellow refugees. If you haven’t gotten choked up at least once during the games, you’re not watching. Or more importantly, listening.
Comparing the sacrifices of an elite athlete over several years to an ad guy motivating people to buy stuff would be lame, but I think it’s fair to say there are some similarities. It’s highly competitive; there are constant challenges, unfair judgments, failures, and a need for a team to gel time and again to overcome these setbacks. There are also underdogs – the small agencies that are swimming in the same pool as the behemoths. I root for the independent upstart to win when I see them in a pitch against a larger shop. Not the small, well-funded, holding company-supported extension mind you, the real entrepreneurs who took the leap like us and are digging in every day. We all made a choice that very few sane people make.
Now that we’ve reached our ten-year milestone, I’ve learned more running my own company than I could ever possibly begin to understand had I stayed on Madison Avenue. One thing I’ve realized is that there are some clients that are rooting for the underdog as well. We’ve been very fortunate to work with multi-billion-dollar companies in apparel, insurance, banking, fast food, etc. They realize that ultimately, only a small group of people really shape your brand. There are tremendous efficiencies having the core team oversee specialized resources in development or production year after year. Not too mention consistency as well. And they know you have to be passionate to truly be an entrepreneur. Kirani James from Grenada is the best 400-meter sprinter in the world because of his coach, his talent and his disciplined work ethic. Even elite icons like Michael Phelps train in small groups. It works because it’s not very complicated. Years ago I worked with Rulon Gardner on a campaign, the Greco-Roman wrestler that shocked the world to win gold against Alexander Karelin who was previously undefeated. You could feel his energy and optimism.
We try to avoid the other type of client – those that want to sniff out a mid-size shop, so they can check it off their list, but really will only ever feel comfortable with a huge resource. It’s not a mistake to work with a big agency. We have a lot of really bright friends at these places. Some are still passionate about what they do. We just try not to waste time with those that don’t understand the very simple premise that you can get dedicated senior talent in a model that happens to have less overhead.
There’s a reason why so many small countries have made it to the medal stand in so many different sports– they are extremely focused. Communicating to consumers is no different. You need to be able to drill down to the right strategy that will drive the most natural dialogue. Personally, it’s taken me a long time to develop this skill set so we can nail a brand’s reason for being every time. After that, everything is easier. Including choosing the right media in the increasingly fragmented landscape.
I’ve always enjoyed the competition in the marketplace between brands and also agencies, but it’s the fruition that really draws me to the fight. Seeing a project through from inception to completion, done well, is always the best reward. If you happen to be looking for an agency partner, and you are open to a nimble, accessible model—remember to look past the polish for the passion of the people you’ll be working with, especially as the global economy continues to flatten out –- the smaller... the hungry....the driven...they can put your brand on the podium too.
