Sometimes, we as marketers have no idea what is going to happen.
Sometimes, we as marketers tell clients things that sound good but, in fact, aren’t good.
Sometimes, we as marketers embellish opportunities.
Sometimes, we as marketers get it completely wrong.
As in any profession, there are wins and losses; good work and not-so-good work; good people and not-so-good people.
Our category is rife with Fyre Festival stories, billions of dollars in ad waste and fraud, and tales of chauvinism and abuse. But there are also instances (Warby Parker gets it right and 1% for the Planet sounds good to us) where we get it just right.
So … here we are. Another marketer. Another newsletter. Another blog. Think piece, if you will. Another pitch being made.
We enjoy challenges! The work we do is exciting and allows us to be creative, witty, and stay in a perpetual state of learning.
We don’t pretend to be the biggest, fastest, coolest, or the best marketing agency out there. We think we’re somewhat ... bright, but we’ve met some bright people in our days and we can’t quite measure up. Usually, when we’re fortunate enough to meet people like us, we gravitate to them (in a good way) and try to develop long-term partnerships. Much like the lost kindred spirits who are reunited after years apart, we thrive when we gather close to like-minded people.
That’s why we do this. We do it because we enjoy helping, growing, building, and introducing brands to new people. We do it because it’s challenging, exciting, creative, and it allows us to stay in a perpetual state of learning.
That is good.
Throughout the years, we’ve developed a five-step partner requirement system. It’s a self-serving process that helps us identify the humans behind the brands and qualify whether or not we’re aligned. And I want to share that process with you, with the selfish hope that maybe you, when reading this, think like us.
We don't work with assholes. Period.
We work with humans who understand that marketing is an investment necessary for growth.
We work with humans who crave win-win scenarios.
We work with humans who look for long-term strategic partnerships, not one-night/one-time/one-off projects.
We work with humans who are motivated to test, learn, and progress.
If you align with these five statements, we’d love to talk with you. We think we’d get along. And maybe we’d even do some cool stuff together. Grow your brand. Sell your product. Disrupt a category.
You know... those types of things.