On Being a Consumer First

My job title is Art Director, which is pretty cool.

But I'm a consumer first. It's the reason I even need a job title. I need it to foot the bills for all the consuming I do. And believe me, I consume a lot.

Sometimes there is a strange contradiction between being an Art Director and being a consumer. That shouldn't be the case, but I think a lot of us working in advertising give our consumer instincts a back seat to our quest to find the Big Idea.

We need to remember to review all our ideas with our consumer eyes as well.

As a consumer, I want to know what your brand stands for.
As a consumer, I want to know what your product or service will mean for me specifically.
As a consumer, I am cynical about any claim that isn't backed with reason and logic.
As a consumer, I research all major purchases online.
As a consumer, I rely on word of mouth over everything else.
As a consumer, I prefer cleverness over slapstick humor.
As a consumer, I want to know that you treat customers fairly.
As a consumer, I like brands that take risks with the goal of being better.
As a consumer, I want to be talked to as an intelligent person.
As a consumer, I hate food shots that over-promise.
As a consumer, relevance, logic and commonsense win me over.

As an Art Director, I need to remember all this when concepting and executing ideas. Although I'm not always a part of the consumer group we're trying to reach, a lot of times I am. And a lot of the things I want as a consumer get lost in my work as an Art Director.

Consumer first. Art Director second.