I’ve been working on lots of little assignments for one of my clients these days. Greeting cards, web videos, blog posts, that sort of thin. Are all these bits of content adding up to a successful career, or a successful brand? Well, I’m not sure. But it appears to be the future of advertising.
We might have to face the reality that most of us in marketing are playing small ball. That the majority of our work isn’t going to be seen, appreciated, or acted upon by even our client’s most loyal customers. We’re sending content and messages down increasingly narrow rabbit holes. And despite the explosion in new awards categories for some of these tactics, much of this work won’t get creative people lauded, doesn’t look great in their portfolios, and certainly doesn’t get people promoted into new or better-paying positions.
It’s the subject of my new column on Talent Zoo.
In Adland, accolades are us. If it’s not shiny and expensive, it lacks appeal. And therein lies the impediment to real progress.
I am reminded of Sally Hogshead’s point about the three things we can gain from our ad careers: fame, money or time (to go home at 5:00). She says the luckiest among us may receive two of the three, but never all three. At one time I wanted fame, for sure. But I am happy to settle for money.