Breaking The Routine

We all have routines, set patterns we sink into. Why? Because they’re comfortable and predictable and dependable – they’re like a commitment to the status quo. We can only deal with so many unknowns throughout the day!

I’ll admit to a few routines. Three times a week, I start the day at my gym, working on the same equipment in the same order with the same vain hope that I’ll lose a few pounds. Every week day, I stop off at the same coffee shop down the street from the office right around 9:30 and place the same order (it’s a tall cappuccino with a sprinkle of cinnamon in case you were wondering), probably in the same tone of voice. The barista confirms my routine by nodding and saying the same bright “Hi!” she said yesterday and will say tomorrow. I’ll stop here before I bore you too much.

And that’s my point, really. Routines are boring. They don’t challenge us in any way. Having a routine is just a way of walking around and telling everyone that you’re happy with the way things are.

But listen: can something routine ever really produce the results we desire?

The answer is no – not really. Not when it comes to advertising and marketing your brand. Those routines of mine? They’re meant to serve as a stable ground allowing me to reserve my most creative and innovative thinking for the day’s work. For every routine solution to your marketing challenges, there’s a revolutionary one as well.

Advertising agencies all talk about how dynamic and vibrant their creative implementations are, how forcefully the message is communicated. That’s all important, sure, but what about at the ground floor of your relationship with the agency – Account Service? Even here you want a representative who is vigorous and energetic in their thinking, a person who sees those predictable ways of moving your account forward and chooses instead to present new strategies and solutions to you. Maybe you’ll have an impulse to start consulting a bunch of charts with old, irrelevant data. But just remember, at an advertising agency, even your Account Service needs to be fully engaged in changing the conversation, breaking routines and delivering real results. So, take this opportunity to find the pirate buried deep inside you – break the mold, raise the sails, and head for un-chartered waters. You may be surprised at the results you’ll find.

Now, if you’ll excuse me. It’s 9:30 and I’m jonesing for some caffeine.


Elisabeth Arnold – Vice President, Account Services
The Russo Group