A great advertising concept is just that—a concept—until your customer hears it and acts on it.  An insightful campaign with a catchy YouTube video is just white noise until someone forwards it onward.  And your offer of “buy one get one free” is just another coupon until someone cashes it in.

A lot of times we get really comfortable as marketers with the creative concept and the planning side of marketing.  And yes, personally I find the creative process, the reviewing of graphics, new websites, advertising taglines, and great videos to be among the most rewarding parts of my job.

But until the prospect sees my marketing, internalizes it, and does something with it, it’s just an academic exercise for which no benefit has accrued to me or my company.  We need to remember that there’s a line between the agency and their creative process, and the skill and discipline of marketing itself.  Let the agency submit the ad campaign for an award and pat themselves on the back, it may be that it’s well deserved.  Just don’t pat yourself on the back until the order comes through.