A few are brilliant.  Several are good. Most are forgettable or awful. Why aren’t all marketing efforts equally effective? First, let’s be honest, being creative is harder than it looks. Even talented pros have bad days. Second, there is a natural pull toward mediocrity. A lot conspires against developing good strategic and creative work. Deadlines, distraction, disillusionment, disagreement.  Budgets, boredom, bad technology, bitchy clients. It takes resilience and determination to fight through all the resistance involved in getting a great idea from concept to reality.

And these are the pros we most admire, God bless them.  Are we not inspired by those with the vision to see a new solution and the heart to bring it into reality?  Haven’t our best professional moments been when we are that person. And I believe people with this perspective are more needed and valuable to the world than ever before.

That’s because everything has changed…and keeps changing.

Shifts in technology continue to rapidly change the way humans develop, receive and process information. Everyday is new day. Used to be that a whopping total of three tv networks and newspapers dominated the world of information.    Today, the web and social media dominate, there are 1000s of varieties of media content while printed newspapers and network tv appear to be dying. It is impossible to ignore the shifts.

The good news is that everyone is facing the same shifts, challenges and complexity. Approaches that used to dominate now must be reconsidered – no matter how big or small your brand or budget.

Within the shifting landscape smart marketers are finding opportunity.  Sure it is more complicated to determine what message, what design, what concept, what media, what total spend, what path is best for each unique situation.  But there is also more opportunity to devise ground-breaking marketing strategies, develop actionable audience insights, combine various kinds of media to create outstanding audience experiences and distinctive ways for companies to communicate. But somebody has to figure it out, sort through the BS and ask the right questions.  Somebody must see what is possible.  Somebody must capture the imagination of the client. Somebody has to break the inertia of established perspectives and bring the new vision into reality.

And that, after all, is what they are paying us for. Right?

It’s worth the effort. It’s worth pushing a harder, even if just a little bit. And not just because it is the right thing to do for our clients.  It’s the right thing for our own professional souls. It feels good to do work that actually makes a difference. It’s satisfying to succeed with concepts that push boundaries, defy convention and set new standards.  It is inspiring to know you made a difference.  It’s makes me feel like pro.

So push for a better quality of work, no matter what the project, even if the client doesn’t “get it” or won’t pay for it.

Friend/Clients/Colleagues:

We can’t believe it’s been over nine years. Back in July 2000, after a year or so of discussing/planning/dreaming/soul searching, Ideocore officially open its doors. At the time it was pretty scary, but we were exhilarated because we had a sense of God leading us to something promising and worthwhile. And was it ever! From the very first week we have had the honor to work with amazing organizations, from Fortune 100 companies to brand new companies and product launches of nearly every kind. And our “Core Idea Philosophy” remains a part of the communication platform of many companies all over the US, and even in Europe and South America. What started in a (very) humble garage space in Santa Barbara’s funk zone expanded to have satellite offices in New York City and San Francisco.