An Award-Winning Waste of Time
Oct 22, 2009
What’s most interesting about this whole debate is that it’s getting so much attention. If we attached as much importance to creating great work that works for our clients, we would be much better off. To suggest that being banned from entering an awards show for five years could signal the end of a career is ridiculous. I guarantee you that if you create work that produces results for your clients, they won’t care if you never win another award…and neither will other potential clients.
And what’s more, the whole idea that we should have to define what constitutes “fake ads” or “scam ads” is equally as ridiculous. If your agency and its creative directors have enough time to waste trying to figure out how to outsmart the awards show system, then you really are in trouble.
Stop wasting your time and your client’s time (if you have any clients left) and focus on creating great work that works great…which means building the brand AND generating sales. If it wins an award at the end of the day, all the better.
LINKS:
Ad Age – Cannes: No Ban for Agencies Behind Scam Ads
A few months back Ad Age published its Best of the Decade Book of Tens. A number of top ten lists as judged by, well, who really knows? As I read through the various lists of best campaigns it became quickly apparent that the industry doesn’t get it.
Most campaigns listed from the likes of car, beer, movie, fast food, skin care and shoe companies did not indicate one solid business result. Not a single measurement of awareness, familiarity, consideration or heaven forbid, sales. How can an industry publication produce a “best campaign” list without a single mention of a measurable business result?
How the campaigns were selected is bewildering. It’s most disappointing that an advertising industry publication would even connect “best” with anything that hasn’t achieved a strategically planned result. No wonder clients are pissed. No wonder ad people get ranked somewhere near used car sales people (no offense to used car sales people…at least you’re selling something everyday).
All advertisers should strive for better insight, embrace great ideas, and demand great execution. But if they don’t contribute to positive business results they cannot be best.
Phil,
Sorry I missed you the other day and thanks for the note and your interest still in Zimmerman.
Zimmerman was founded on the premise of being a business solutions agency first that happed to do advertising. It was all about results from day one. In business school they were teaching us about the Allison Fisher purchase funnel and i realized right then the funnel was inverted. Awareness was at the top of the funnel and profits were at the bottom. This is the way the whole industry looks at brands…… First they try to build the awareness believing awareness leads to intention which leads to a sale…… I totally disagreed and told Dr. Stevens I believed the funnel was inverted and that profits should be on the top of the funnel and awareness on the bottom. There are to many brands that we are aware of but have no intention of shopping of buying. On the other hand if our marketing plans picked up where the clients business plans left off we all could be very successful. Every client has a goal of driving more revenue, margin, profit and market share. So if profit were on the top of the funnel and our campaigns were designed to drive profits we would be very successful. A brand that is profitable has awareness, revenue, margin and probably a very good market share. This thought change has Zimmerman into one of the fastest growing agencies in the country with some very successful clients. It has nothing to do with winning awards and everything to do with the clients bottom line.
Hope this helps clear up your question and gives you a better vision why Zimmerman has been so successful…..
Jordan, we’re in total agreement. I should have stated “most of the industry”. It’s why I have such a high regard for what drives you and your agency.