InnoVision Marketing Group

I’m noticing a frightening trend that seems to be growing. A lot of people, especially young adults, no longer have a competitive spirit. A spirit which we all know is what made this country great at the height of its success. Competition is the foundation of our economic system. It creates more options, better prices and better products for consumers. It spurs new ideas and builds character. It creates a platform that rewards effort, ingenuity and talent with a tangible reward.

But something happened. Something very damaging, if not completely destructive to the system. Someone, somewhere, decided sensitivity should be injected into competitive situations.

To me that is not possible. It’s the ultimate oxymoron: being competitive and being sensitive. You can’t want to beat someone at something and worry about their feelings. You won’t win. Winning, in a sense, is heartless. Now, I’m not saying beat someone at something and then stomp on them when they’ve lost. That’s not being humble.

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I always wonder about the brand attributes people choose for themselves and if they even realize they’re doing it. At InnoVision we carefully choose brand descriptors for our company and our clients. Today’s slang can be so confusing to the Baby Boomer generation. So many words are truly the opposite of what we think they mean, or what they used to mean. Like “sick”, “crazy” or “bad.” In today’s conversations those are all positive adjectives, all great words.

I’m fortunate, but really by design, to be surrounded by younger people so I can stay up on the new vernacular. I love colloquialisms, but the one I’m really gravitating towards right now is “bad ass,” especially when associated with a brand. A “bad ass” is someone who doesn’t take any nonsense (if you catch my drift) from anyone.

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Throughout the years, I’ve observed that there are many parallels to building a successful relationship, whether it be personal or professional, and they can both be approached with some of the same principles in mind.

Relationships are based on consistency, trust and promise. So as a business stakeholder,  your relationship with your consumer is very similar to your most important personal relationship. When I discuss media campaigns with clients I often draw upon the analogy of how a great relationship is formed.

All relationships must have a solid first date.  The first time you enter the market to woo consumers to your company is your first date. You should never expect too much from your initial media and advertising campaigns, just like you wouldn’t expect too much on your first few dates. But the courting process has begun.

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When we came up with the term “The Anti-Agency^®” I wasn’t really sure how I felt about it. I didn’t want it to sound like we were being derogatory towards other agencies. That was definitely not the intent. I also didn’t want anyone to think we’re anti-advertising, because that is definitely not the case. Nor did I want it to sound negative in any way by using the prefix “anti” which is defined as “against” or “opposite of”. But when I really thought about it “anti” can be used to make very positive statements too. Statements like, anti-poverty, anti-racism or anti-war.

So why “The Anti-Agency^®“?

Well, primarily due to the number one rule of smart marketing: listen to what your customers say, but really listen to what your unhappy and ex-customers say. And what I was hearing from associates and business owners almost unanimously was two very disturbing things: most people were either unhappy or just satisfied with their agency or they wanted marketing help but absolutely did not want an agency. And when I asked why, their answers were even more disturbing.

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