Cool headline, right?

It’s not mine.

I was perusing several sources of possible inspiration for a project at work, and I came across the front page for 72andSunny, a big creative agency. While I’ve never worked at an agency, I’ve quietly admired their work from afar. 72andSunny actually occupies a tiny space in my head because of its name. I mean c’mon, that’s brilliant.

Beyond the catchy name, that first line of copy on its top page speaks to my soul. I had something of a revelation recently. I was bleary-eyed after yet another knockdown, drag out SIX HOUR team meeting at work (that is not a typo), venting about the ordeal with a fellow hostage … er, creative, and he said something that blew my mind. He referred to all the non-creatives in the room as marketers. As in, THEY are different from US. Whaaaaaat?

Only three of the 18 or so of us in the room were creatives: two designers, one writer. The rest were essentially what I call “Excel Jockeys.” Look, data and analysis is a skill, and I respect it, but my colleague nailed it. Those other 15 actually seemed to be getting value out of the mountains of observational data being bandied about.

But, aren’t I a marketer too?

It occurred to me that not all marketers are the same. Technically, I am a marketer but in a different way than the Excel Jockeys. I want to tell stories — stuff that gets customers juiced by tickling the right side of their brains. Designers and writers are creative marketers. The other 15 people in that room? They were metric marketers: same genus, different species.

I’m not drawing a line in the sand or attempting to put us in (corporate cringe alert) silos. But appreciating the inherent differences between us helps us understand each other better. At one point, the Excel Jockeys in that meeting had to remind themselves that “we have to remember that we’re talking to people.”

“Uh, no shit,” I thought.

[Aside: “Mandatory team social time” was also discussed. I mean, come on. Are we humans or AI?]

But therein lies the difference. They’re paid to quantify the impact of marketing and predict the future. I’m here to put the rubber to the road so there are insights to be had.

Remember Mad Men? There was an episode where some gal in market research gave Creative Director Don Draper a folder of consumer demographics to review. After she left, he dismissed her data by throwing the folder in the trash. Well, if that’s how it was in the ’60s, then my experience 50 years later has been the opposite. Today it feels like a creative submits his thoughts to marketing management (the more respected Excel Jockeys), and as soon as he/she leaves the room, those notes are discarded in the trash with a condescending chuckle.

The point of all this is not just to vent but to yell out that UNIGNORABLE CREATIVITY IS THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE IN BUSINESS! A business should see itself as a fountain of information, like a magazine. As a lifelong video gamer, I first subscribed to Nintendo Power for all my hints, tips, and news on games. Later, I turned to Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) magazine. In the 21st century, it’s been IGN, Gametrailers.com, and Kotaku.

Businesses need to disguise themselves as these kinds of sources of their core expertise. Offer the information and insight that only comes from other like-minded enthusiasts, and with no expectation of getting anything in return. This is how you gain trust in today’s world. Once you gain users’ trust, they will be way more willing to hear the pitch, buy the product, and be part of the movement. The first mistake short-sighted businesses make is to attempt a 1-to-1 trade on their content. I don’t know what kind of consumer you are, but if I don’t know/trust a brand, the second I detect a pitch, I’m out. Win me over first, usually with helpful information and maybe some pizzazz, and a business will have me eating out of the palm of its hand. #facts

I’ll dive more into my content marketing philosophy in a future post, but for know, let it be known: I strive for unignorable creativity.