Get Real, 2017

Nobody is going to disagree, 2016 was a rollercoaster. Between the celebrating, the weeping and the surprise slaps in the face, last year was psyche shaking, physically scarring and emotionally draining. Many of of us are left feeling bruised, grated and uncomfortably raw. 

As the dust starts to settle, there is an undeniable optimism, hope and motivation in the air. And now, more than ever, is the time to get real and do something. 

Do anything but nothing. Whether it’s a change in your behaviour, your decisions or your actions, make a change that will positively affect yourself and someone else. Make a difference in your life, in another’s life, or even in your pet’s life. And when you do, keep these three things in mind:

1. Learn to be powerful with your voice, but be careful with your words 

In 2017 it will be more important than ever for agencies to get real and initiate change on behalf of brands. Ad people need to get real with themselves in order to drive agencies effectively. That’s because the relationship between agencies, brands and consumers is cyclical. Agencies need to know who they are and what they stand for in order to lead brands effectively. Brands need to be willing to take the risk of getting real in order to affect consumers. That’s because agencies are responsible for guiding their brands to find their true purpose and a meaningful place in consumers’ lives. Without this connection, brands won’t gain attention, will appear irrelevant and won’t receive consumers’ loyalty.

Consumers are so over-stimulated that they often edit on auto-pilot. They will cruise right over a message or a brand if it means nothing to them. Worse yet, if you happen to grab their attention in a disturbing or negative way, they will be socially vocal and aggressively hateful in their response. People are closely connected to friends and loved ones and can easily share their lives, ideas and thoughts with the touch of a finger. This means a hate party of one can quickly become a community of negativity. Thus, brands need to be provocative, but not offensive. Interesting but not consuming. Informative but still concise. It’s not an easy job. 

2. Take risks that mean something, so if you fail, it’s worth the fall 

In order to strike the right balance, marketers need to have faith in their brand, pride in its purpose, and a commitment to making it meaningful. This requires taking risks and carving a new path to create a change your brand believes in. It will take time, so stay patient. Change is about forward movement, forward thinking and the scary (exciting) territory of the great unknown.

3. Empty the trash more frequently (both literally and figuratively)

So how do you as a person, as a brand, as an agency, start getting real in 2017? Know who you are and what your purpose is. If you don’t know yet, take stock, and filter out all the clutter. Then take a walk around the block and do it again. Leave behind the façade of what you think you have to be or what you feel you should do. Keep following these steps until the simplest version remains. That will be the most important and most meaningful piece—the one that can effect change and be different. Find yourself, find your purpose, and then go do something.  

Life is filled with changes, uncomfortable nuances, and transitions. It has always been so. It’s how we grow, change, learn and become better.