On Trust

Trust is what makes or breaks agencies. Trust between the client and the agency. Trust between account service and creative. Trust between those at the top calling the shots and those at the bottom doing the work. That last one may be the most crucial. Because those at the top have the experience, but those at the bottom have the savvy.

Unlike in most industries, experience isn't the most important thing in advertising. Experience doesn't make you the best. It doesn't make you the smartest. And it sure as hell doesn't make you the most creative. It does however make you experienced.

Experience teaches you what flies and what doesn't. It teaches you how to roll with the punches. It teaches you the art of persuasion, how to handle clients and how production works. And that is all extremely important stuff to know.

Now savvy is just as important. Knowing the technology, being immersed in pop culture and finding unique ways to communicate with consumers is what modern advertising is all about. It isn't about print ads and TV spots. It's about social media. It's about having conversations. It's about bringing a brand to life. That's all relatively new stuff. And it's stuff that those just now embarking in their advertising careers are experts at.

So back to trust. Trust is born out of respect. As newbies to the industry we need to respect the experience that those at the top bring to the table. And as leaders in the industry, those people calling the shots, you need to respect the savvy that the young creatives contribute.

There's room at the table for both experience and savvy. One single creative doesn't have all the answers. One single opinion isn't the know all end all. Advertising is a collaborative effort. And I think most of us need to learn to both trust and respect all the talent and expertise at our fingertips.