Brands, Agencies and Publishers Make the Case for Optimism in the Creative Industry

Optimism is a hard sell these days, but some leaders in the marketing industry view it as both worthwhile and necessary. During an Advertising Week panel called "A Business Case for Motherf*ckin Optimism," executives and experts from brands, agencies, publishers and academia discussed why businesses should be paying more attention to that particular attitude. "Being optimistic doesn't mean everything is shiny and happy at all moments," said Liz Mascolo, business unit director for General Mills who works on the Cheerios brand. "It's about seeing the possibility rather than the difficulty of the situation that you're in." Mascolo, who's worked in Switzerland for the past three years, said brands in the U.S. have been asked to take a stand more often lately because of the divisiveness across the country. [kickout id="1"] "This is how people make decisions now. People will buy from you if they share your values and like the product," she said. Gabriele Oettingen, a professor of psychology at NYU and the University of Hamburg, presented some of her team's findings from a study about optimism and motivation over the past 25 years, including that companies should start embracing a more positive mentality by focusing on what they truly want and examining what obstacles stand in their way. "You need to think about the future while you energize people," she said. "You can't get moving with cynicism or pessimism." Oettingen synthesized her advice into an app designed to decrease stress and increase engagement in your work, among other benefits, and that promises people can program themselves to think and act in a more desirable way. Ben Goldhirsh, CEO of GOOD Worldwide + Upworthy, leads a publishing company he said was started from a place of "pragmatic idealism as a counter to cynicism in media." His teams' posts have a share rate about three times greater than that of their competitors. That success, Goldhirsh said, comes directly from the company's ethos. "People are less likely to share negative stuff," he said, "and positive or aspirational posts are our No. 1 driver of shares. You share what you want to communicate to others with something that represents you." For Goldhirsh, it's important for a company to start experimenting with optimism or at least be ready when the opportunity presents itself. "There used to be a time when you could stay on the sidelines, but now, it feels like the fight can pick you pretty quickly," he said. "Plus, it's easier to improve swimming while you're actually in the pool." There are plenty of good things about working at ad agencies, but there are also drawbacks. Long hours and work-life balance are among many complaints people in the industry face. But there are ways around it, according to Glenn Cole, founder and creative co-chair of 72andSunny and the moderator of the panel. "Cynicism is the death of the creative industry," said Cole. "It chokes the oxygen out of the room." Instead, he suggested companies should focus on ignoring negative motivators, like fear and cynicism, to see what kind of results optimism can bring. "By putting your ego aside and working with the creative, intelligent people that you know, you'll make an idea better than you ever could alone," he said.

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Brands, Agencies and Publishers Make the Case for Optimism in the Creative Industry

Consumers want brands to take a stand

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