The 7 original ideas can be molded like clay
Early on in my career, I learned a lesson. It just took me 15 years to realize it, and now I’m making a major life change around it.
The Inspiration
Gladys Pinkerton, the first creative director I ever worked with, told me that there are only seven truly original ideas out there. (Floating in the ether, I suppose.) The rest, she would say, are just interpretations of those seven. I am not afraid to tell you that as an energetic young professional, I dismissed this theory as the musings of a pessimistic veteran. Surely, in the ultra-creative world of marketing and advertising, you just had to try hard enough and that magic, never-before-discovered idea would appear.
Before I go any further, let me apologize to Gladys for ever doubting her wisdom.
What she ingrained into my well-coiffed little head was something that is so true, that it has come back in spades.
I read it in James Webb Young’s early 20th-century book. I hear it in David Hackworthy’s presentation at last year’s AAAA’s Planning Conference (Shakespeare’s 7 plots). I see it reinforced first-hand in daily work and second-hand in the work of others.
The fundamental truths are there for us to play with. To shape and pound together like clay or weave into a rich garment.
But, I mentioned a change.
The Catalyst
Last Monday, my position was eliminated. It wasn’t much of a surprise — economy being what it is and all. My former employer, GCG Marketing, and I took a collective risk together. We shifted my responsibilities away from dedicated account service and into account planning/strategy and business development.
For an advertising agency of fewer than 30 people, this was a bold move. We had some great successes, but in the end, there were not enough sustained billings to support a full-time position. I believe that if we had started it two years ago, it would have had enough inertia to weather this fiscal storm.
GCG made the right business decision. And, I have a new opportunity.
The Opportunity
Since that first job, I’ve spent more than 15 years exploring the ways in which we connect. I’ve worked with and for some amazing professionals and seen how the wisdom of the ages, those seven original ideas, can be interpreted and combined into an infinite number of solutions. An infinite number of eighth ideas.
Now that I’m a free agent, I see a chance before me to help others discover their own eighth idea. That’s why I’m starting my own business and calling it 8th Idea.
8th Idea is bent on helping those in the “care” industries (healthcare, hospitality, not-for-profit) and small- to mid-sized advertising and public relations agencies define and refine their marketing strategy, insights and implementation. I have particularly deep experience in each of these narrow areas, so that’s what I’m going to do. Help a specific group discover that 8th Idea that will connect businesses and customers. Organizations and donors. People and people.
The Future
For one, stay tuned to this space. Subscribe to the RSS feed, sign up for emails or become a fan of 8th Ideas on Facebook. In the rush to get this business going, I haven’t been able to post as frequently as I’d like and I also have to launch a Web site.
As the days and weeks advance, I plan on not only doing business, but also doing some good. I’ll continue to use this blog as a place to seek insight and explore truth. However, I’ll also try to help “care” industry marketers with some insight particular to their industries.
I want to know what you think. Do you agree that there are only seven original ideas? Or, do you believe there are still as-yet undiscovered gems?
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