It's about a ring – or an idea

My partner, Tim Brown, who directs Richter7’s public relations and social media endeavors, has a very succinct and somewhat derogatory way of describing the plot of each Lord of the Rings movie.  “It’s about a ring,” he blandly declares.  Apparently he’s not a huge fan.

His mantra easily adapts to advertising in today’s chaotic media world. With so many digital and social media options to sort out, developing an effective marketing plan can be a conundrum.  But regardless of the chosen medium, portal or channel, one clear motto for effective communication remains:  “It’s about an idea.”

You can’t just throw something on YouTube and expect it to go viral.  It goes viral only if it’s based on a memorable idea – something with an interesting twist, something that makes the audience lean forward, think, smile, believe.

Well, hello, what’s new?  That’s always been the case when it comes to effective advertising and promotion.  And always will be, no matter what online or offline trend du jour comes along.

Case in point:  Alex Bogusky and his Crispin Porter Bogusky crew on the other side of the mountains.  I listened to him speak for a couple of hours not long ago.  He recounted the on-line successes his agency has had for Burger King – Subservient Chicken, Whopper Sacrifice, Whopper Freakout, Whopper Virgins, and so on.   None of them started with him dictating to the creative staff, “Let’s do a viral video for BK.” Same thing applied to his Volkswagen “Baby Maker” campaign.

Bogusky adamantly refuses to look at TV scripts or rough comps during the first few creative reviews for a campaign.  He said he throws them directly in the trash.  He just wants to see big ideas.

So, he asks that concepts be described in a “press release” format one or two paragraphs long, accompanied by a fun, descriptive title (i.e., Whopper Virgins).  He is quick and blunt when judging the idea to be good or bad.  He doesn’t argue or discuss.  My daughter Noelle works in his Boulder-based creative department and she verifies that fact.  As a key determinant of concept value, he simply asks, “Will the press write about this idea?”

It’s about an idea.  That’s typically why the winners in the premier advertising award competitions of the world are conceptual in nature – not merely design decorating a witty headline.  And that’s why those same winning ads usually prove more effective at selling product and services, according to ADWEEK and the Journal of Advertising Research.

Concluding thought.  Maybe we should stop referring to ourselves as ad agencies, public relations firms and design shops, and start calling ourselves ideation centers.  That’s a lot of pressure, but then that’s what it’s all about.

Image courtesy of here.