Building an agency culture during a pandemic is not easy. Sure, we do what we can to build camaraderie and team spirit: Outdoor offsites. Group walks. Sporting events. All good ways to develop rapport, loyalty and trust.

But somethings are still missing. It has been well documented that millennials are missing out on mentoring. This is true. We are used to passing on values by example, by osmosis, in the moment. Didactic learning and discussions. It is difficult to share real life lessons through an e-mail recap.

Gone too are the human instincts that flourish in an office environment. Peer pressure. Competitions. Accountability. Fighting in foxholes. Public glory…or perhaps, embarrassment. Stuff that naturally drives people to work harder.

So, to wit, we have written down some of the truisms that drive us. If you know us, you’ve probably heard many of these before. Here are 20.

“It’s not just what you say but how you say it.”
“It’s one thing to make a claim. But much better to demonstrate it.”
“Diversity of ideas and perspectives makes for better advertising.”
“The client sees the world through their eyes. So, we need to see it through their consumers’.”
“Good advertising kills bad products. Great advertising kills itself.”
“Everything is a function of expectations.”
“Research is like food. In front of the beast, it is life-giving and nourishing. Behind the beast, it is poo.”
“Confusion defaults to inaction.”
“Consumers can’t articulate production values, but they feel them.”
“Every brand claims to improve your life. So, we need to be more specific.”
“We are modern day matchmakers of clients and customers.”
“A shorter message requires a bigger idea.”
“We can no longer hide the lack of an idea behind big production budgets.”
“If you have one false note in your message, the whole thing falls apart.”
“Testing rewards the familiar, which usually isn’t good.”
“Everyone says they love brands that support a cause. The reality is less convincing.”
“Don’t expect the consumer to do any work to get your message.”
“Synergy is key to every brand.”
“The order in which you view components of an ad can change the then entire message.”
“The only reaction we care about is the initial one.”