How Great Challenges Can Create Great Opportunities
By: Mark Winter
As painful as the economic downturn was for most businesses, that unprecedented time of turbulence also created great opportunities for those of us who dared to think differently.
I credit the first two quarters of 2009, arguably the scariest six months in Identity’s 14-year history, with changing our course of history in many positive ways. Instead of ignoring or retreating from reality or blaming the economy for our challenges, we took full responsibility for our future. We were not going to sit back idly and watch the “story” unfold. We were not going to break up our rock star team. And, we were not going to compromise on our core values or integrity.
I remember the staff meeting like it was yesterday. I said simply – “We will not blame the economy today….or ever. We will control our own destiny.” And with the help of everyone in the agency, we did.
The foundation for our fully integrated PR model grew out of the downturn. The Identity Way of reporting and measuring successes was also developed during that time. Our discovery processes for our specialty areas were enhanced greatly by a strategic hire. And, we finally defined our “why”, or our purpose—Great Marketing Has the Power to Change the Course of History.
We built processes. We put systems in place to clearly define value and success with each of our clients. We became laser focused on measurement and reporting. Although these changes were in response to a world that became singularly ROI focused overnight, they have positively changed our agency’s “outlook” forever.
Who says that processes can’t drive a creative agency? Dare to think differently.
