One of the things that I keep telling my teams and the agency is that the most stressful part of my role in marketing is creative presentations.The reason is that there is a chance that I let go the creative idea and execution that could not just grow the brand but double the business or more. It is always easy to choose the option that feels and looks comfortable. It is easy to go with something that does not push the boundaries or is a lot like what has been done before, or feels like an improvement on what someone else has done. But it is terrifying to do something that makes your heart or pulse race. It could be the very thing that could make a real difference.
The equivalent is the story that I heard about how all of the program commissioners at each of the main TV channels in the USA turned down “American Idol” as they thought it had little potential. Fox eventually picked it up (after some influence by Elizabeth Murdoch who helped her father Rupert Murdoch understand the potential) and it has become one of the most profitable and biggest brands on TV. The fact is that none of the commissioning editors was penalized for turning the money spinner and great idea down. But they did turn down something that was huge.
I worry every time I see new creative work that I am about to do the same. I will never be penalized for missing the BIGGER idea if I chose copy that will give some incremental growth as no-one will ever know the crime of turning away the big one.
What do you do to make sure you do not miss the best idea?
2 comments:
Hi Gary:
They turned down Oprah too.
I think it is VERY hard for companies to REALLY understand what people want. The problem is that they know TOO much. It is very hard to get a "clean" perspective about something you have been doing for years.
TO'B
www.motivequest.com
Scary! This is another great example that I will use! Gary
Post a Comment