Dear friends at DraftFCB (and those elsewhere pondering, “are we sure we want to do this?”),
Thank you so much for Kmart’s “Ship My Pants”. Millions of us have enjoyed the commercial, and are waiting to hear how the television run plays out for you. I loved the ad before, but love it even more knowing that the account is under review, and that your future with this client is probably closely linked to the success of this spot. I’m not sure how much you were crossing your fingers when this launched, but I’ve got to believe it felt a little like a roll of the dice. For your sake, and what it means for everyone involved, I hope it was a winner.
You need to know I’ve always struggled with the battle between gut and data. I lean towards more ‘practical’ marketing – even my ‘big bets’ can be calculated – so I applaud those who are willing to gamble a bit. I worked with a brand manager a few years ago who used to talk about perusing the grocery aisle where her product lived, and “just knowing in her gut whether a competitor product would sell.” Never mind what the data said (a fact that, as owner of the data, I found infinitely frustrating) – she figured she had her finger on the pulse of the space and could predict what products would make it.
Recently, though, I’m starting to appreciate the role the big-bet guys play in our business. Two weeks ago, Ron Johnson’s ouster at JCPenney dominated business and marketing headlines, with most pointing to gut reliance as the source of his failure. Ironically, the article I resonated with most strongly was this HBR blog post, “What Ron Johnson Got Right”. I found myself applauding his willingness to think big and swing for the fences on behalf of his struggling brand. His mindset made sense to me: “To do things that haven’t been done before,” he says, “you need to trust your intuition.”
When big bets go awry, there’s always room for the marketer who wants to swoop in with safe tactics. He or she will have a better chance at success because someone else went big first. That’s why I applaud you, and everyone else, who is willing to push the envelope a little, and embrace the inherent risks that come with innovative marketing. Thank you for launching a campaign rooted in bathroom humor. Thank you for being the one to take on the discomfort, and experience the momentary cringe that will come when the ad reaches the masses. Thank you for leading with a great idea, regardless of where the data shook out. And thank you for creating a larger safe space for the rest of us to market in.
You and others who expand the marketing world deserve our respect and our gratitude, no matter the outcome.