This
is another post about good qualities for an ad person. In this case though this
is a quality that is not just for juniors but applies throughout your career
(as far as I can tell).
Be
enthusiastic about everything you work on. Even if its objectively boring. As
with a lot of these articles the point sounds strange but is also very obvious.
You need to be able to find enthusiasm in everything, be it a pan with a new
innovative handle, or a slightly improved formula for cake mix.
Now
this might sound like I’m just advocating for a glassy smile to make the client
happy – I’m not. Being respectful and saying the right things to the client is
something you should already know. I mean, come on reader. Get your head in the
game.
What
I’m saying is you have to find some genuine enthusiasm. Not for the client’s
benefit directly. But for the benefit of you, and your work. We all know that
we do our best work when we’re enthusiastic about the work we’re doing. But why
limit your enthusiasm to the times when you get to work on a beer account or an
exciting jewellery brand? Sure, those are a little more obviously interesting.
But someone who can only summon up their best work when they get what they want
is never going to be more than a mediocre account handler. And you don’t get
the great accounts by showing yourself to be unequal to the task when it comes
to the more mundane ones.
Let
me give an example. This is actually from the creative side. I had a creative
director at one of my past agencies who could be enthused by anything. He got
excited describing the qualities of a new corporate wifi outlet that one of our
clients was releasing. In most other industries having his level of enthusiasm
for marginally better wifi would be considered a mild form of delirium. But
this is one of the most respected creative directors in the UK. You don’t get
to the top through disinterest.
So
what does this translate to in the day to day? Simply, it means having a
genuine curiosity about life, and about what is going on around you. I hope you
do have that (you probably shouldn’t have chosen advertising as a career if
that isn’t the case). You have to be able to find a reason to work harder, care
more, and take an interest in everything that goes on around your account.
David
Ogilvy talked about this, that if your client is a petrol supplier you should
spend your weekends at petrol stations talking to drivers. You can’t advance
without having the will to learn more.
"Most
of the young [people] in agencies are too lazy to do this kind of homework.
They remain permanently superficial."
Frankly,
it’s a lot easier to do that kind of research and active listening now than it
was in his day. Even just searching Google for news once in a while is enough
to make a big difference. But you have to be willing to make that effort. And
curious enough to keep making the effort even when it eats into your ‘free’
time.
Advertising
is the art of driving people to care about goods which often have very little
natural emotion pull. How can you possibly succeed in that if you can’t even
drive yourself to care about them?
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