Right-brained or left, you can achieve with a few questions and a touch of statistics
The Gallup organization calls them signature themes; I call them compulsions. Either way, Analytical ranks as one of my top StrengthsFinder themes, meaning I lean more heavily on data than hunches.
Now I’ve also been around long enough to know that in an agency pitch, with eye-popping creative and quick self-assured answers will woo an eager client. But, I’ve also learned that analytical strategies that deliver budget-friendly results can win budget-sensitive customers.
Advertising, marketing, and public relations attract a lot of creative people. I like to think I’m one of them. But these days I’m wired for “prove it” … “says who?” … “can that be measured?” Bring me your creative intuition or hunch, and I’ll want to use the scientific method to test it.
I wasn’t always this way. I came into this profession as a creative with a fear of math. I was a writer with a love for publication design. I believed creative was magic. What I found was a world of subjective “likes.” If a client or boss liked my work, it was deemed good. If not, it was bad. But, if a well-liked campaign failed to achieve results, I found those who liked it were as quick to be justifiably critical.
Like the Michael Lewis book and Brad Pitt movie, Moneyball in PR is all about the analytical, the measurable, statistics, and challenging seat-of-the-pants ideas with research. But I’m also convinced you don’t have to be a data geek … or even good at math … to find Moneyball success. Are you competitive? Willing to challenge PR norms? You could be a Moneyball PR pro waiting to happen.
Step 2: Challenge authority!
What if they’re wrong … even some of the time?
