Be the Unicorn

One thing I love about advertising is the need to take the expected and flip it on its head. Not so much to the point where someone won't understand what they're looking at, but enough to make them double take or think to themselves, "Oh, that was clever."

A unicorn in the advertising world is someone who can do the flipping and make it make sense in just about every way. Of course something can look good, but if it doesn't resonate with the right audience on the right platform, what good is that? Essentially, useless. A unicorn can combine creativity with strategy and pivot when needed to get results. And yes, it is a rare breed.

Or the Purple Cow

I recently finished reading a book titled, Purple Cow by Seth Godin. It's a great read if you're looking for a recommendation. The author states how important it is to stand out when marketing your product or business and the key to doing so is to simply: be remarkable. (AKA, be a Purple Cow.)

It's so simple, yet many companies can't seem to do this successfully. Here's why it's important:

What would make the logos on the right stand out? If one of them went back to its original logo on the left. Study your competition, don't just copy them. Following suit and trends can sometimes make you blend in rather than stand out. The logos on the right are not remarkable.

According to Zippia, the average American sees between 4,000 - 10,000 ads per day. When you stop your scroll or unmute the television to watch that one ad, ask yourself, "Why?" Think about what made you do so. Think about all of the projects you have on your plate and what you can do to make them remarkable. To be a unicorn, you have to think like one.

Disregard the Neighsayers

Not everyone is going to agree with or like the fact you think differently. It's important to prepare yourself to be told no or face challenges when it comes to executing your ideas - especially when younger in your career. But, here's what you can do:

Write down all of your ideas.

You never know if there's a future project they are perfect for.

Arm yourself with knowledge and data.

It's nearly impossible to say the numbers lie, but even then, you'd be surprised.

Channel your energy into something that matters.

Use your unicorn powers elsewhere to fulfill that need. (Create, volunteer, freelance)

"You don't need passion to create a Purple Cow. Nor do you need an awful lot of creativity. What you need is the insight to realize that you have no other choice but to grow your business or launch your product with Purple Cow thinking. Nothing else is going to work." -Seth Godin, Purple Cow