I’m a mid-level advertising professional with upwards of 12 years experience and when it comes to advertising communication success, well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s these three things:
Own It.
Push It.
Make It Great.
But what do these cliche marketing platitudes mean, Tim Semple?
Good question, fellow LinkedIn professional. I will selflessly share the pillars of my patented (patents pending) Formula For Success (FFS) with you, yes you, right here on LinkedIn Publishing. Let's begin.
Own it.
To be a successful advertising professional like myself, Management will require you to take ownership over the work. You must OWN IT.
Usage: Just own it.
This is a big opportunity, you should own it.
But, Tim Semple, how do I take ownership over the work? I report to ACDs, CDs, ECDs, planners, account people, and the client, Tim. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have any ownership over the work - rather I’m merely a cog in some larger money making scheme.
1) That’s a real half-glass full attitude you’ve got there, friend.
2) Let me illustrate using a simple example:
You're a Creative and you’ve been working hard cracking an important brief. When showing your work to the Creative Director, the Creative Director’s creative direction is “You have to own it." This is the Creative Director's rallying cry for you to have pride in yourself - To care deeply, more than all others and to be passionate about the work. This is not a mindless buzz-phrase used to deflect responsibility from your Creative Director to you, no. Nor is it in any way, shape, or form a sign that the brief hasn't been figured out, the project is fake or Management wants nothing to do with said project because of more important issues at hand that might include a boozy lunch or simply browsing /r/PublicFreakouts. Abso - Lutely - Not. This is Management's special permission to prove yourself - To work harder, to work later than most, and to go farther than any other person connected to the probably very important work. Own It is the first pillar of Tim Semple's Formula For Success (FFS).
Synonyms: Big opportunity.
Push it.
Now that you OWN IT, you must PUSH IT.
Usage: Let’s push it.
You need to push it.
Just keep pushing it.
Push It or Pushing It is taking your idea and seeing where else it can go. Imagine your idea is a boulder. Now imagine your idea is a boulder at the base of a very steep mountain. Ok, now push your idea up that very steep mountain. Yes, it’s hard, but the payoffs might be a better idea, maybe even an award winning idea. Cool, huh?
Tim, are you using Greek King Sisyphus as a metaphor for making ideas better? The same Sisyphus who was so cruel, he was sentenced by Zeus to eternally push a giant rock up a hill only to find it rolling back every time he neared the top? You’ve made this simple marketing term Push It feel like an impossible task, Tim Semple.
Never question me, okay? I’m a mid-level advertising professional with upwards of 12 years experience and have worked at important advertising agencies owned by Omnicom and WPP, okay?
Let’s use an example of Push It to illustrate this very important phrase:
Remember: You're a Creative and it’s the next round of work since your last check-in, but this time you Own It. And when presenting ideas to your Creative Director, the Creative Director’s creative direction is “You need to Push It.” This could mean two equally important things:
A) Push your ideas to be better - Engaging, Insightful, Human, Humorous (smile not a laugh).
B) Push how far your idea can go - What does the cool road-block banner look like? What's the innovative outdoor idea? Where's the scroll-stopping social engagement and eye-catching PR headline?
Push It is a great adage that does not remotely resemble a dubious criticism intended to question or discredit your sometimes wobbly creative abilities or waffling work ethic, no. And it's definitely not an offhanded, meaningless marketing motto dribbled out by an uninterested Manager. It’s a useful tool to make your ideas the best they can be and that's definitely it. Push It is also the second pillar of Tim Semple's Formula For Success (FFS).
Synonyms: Have fun with it / Throw the net wide / Keep going
Make it great.
Now that you Own It and you Push It, let's Make It Great, you guys.
Usage: Make it great, you guys.
I don’t know, just make it great.
This is a big opportunity, you need to make it great.
Make It Great, or Making It Great, is such a vital piece to making great work. Maybe even award winning work.
Tim. With all due respect to your mid-level achievements and your amazing 12 years as a professional advertising person, I have to say: Its a little irritating that you don’t think Creatives are already presenting ideas that we don’t think are great or cool or whatever. I take pride in my work. I take pride in my agency. I work hard day in and day out to craft great ideas.
This attitude I’m getting feels a little entitled right now and I’m not sure I like it, to be very honest. I’m here on LinkedIn Publishing to pass on my personal learnings over a really, really impressively special career. If you don’t like it you can stop reading - I’m sure there’s plenty of smart, talented folks here on LinkedIn who’re learning a lot from my patented (patents pending) FFS (Formula For Success) System . Right, you guys? Right?
Anyway.
Make It Great - Here’s a helpful use case scenario:
You're still a Creative and you’ve had a comfy 12 hours to come up with new, mind-blowing, award winning ideas since your last check-in. You Own It and you Push It just like the Creative Director's deft creative direction dictated. And at the next presentation, as you’re presenting these idea fruits, the Creative Director’s creative direction is “I don’t know, just Make It Great.” This is exclusive permission from your Creative Director to make your ideas both cool and to have fun with it. What it is not is an impossibly impractical, thoughtless mud-phrase meant to belittle your taste or talent. Nor is it some sort of catch-all slogan for a disinterested Manager who's much more invested in Clash of Clans. Heavens no. No, no, no. This is the final battle cry to achieve the best you can be - The final action for the work to achieve greatness. One can not have great work if one does not make it great.
Make It Great is also the last pillar of Tim Semple's Formula For Success (FFS).
Synonyms: Make it cool / Have fun with it.
And there you have it, LinkedIn professionals, the formula for your own professional success: Own It, Push It, Make It Great. Three bite-sized, snackable pillars of success that will change your life forever and ever, just like they did for me - Tim Semple.
Have fun with it.
Love, Tim Semple
Tim Semple is a mid-level advertising professional with upwards of 12 years experience and the creator of the Formula For Success (patent pending).