Having been a ‘creative’ now for over…err… let’s just say a very long time, things are so different. Drawn in wide-eyed during the early 80’s (see there’s a timeline clue) by the exciting world of advertising, it’s been a career of wide ranging changes. From the introduction of the Apple Mac (yes, there was a time when you did type layouts on tracing paper and many a night was spent cutting and pasting galley typesetting on an artboard to kern a letter here, change a line length there by yours truly) to the development of the internet and now the huge growth of Social Media. It’s certainly changed. Good concepts. Big ideas. The need for them is (and always should be) still there. As is the ability for them to work even harder. That love of communication. A desire to surprise. To involve. And the satisfaction of a great piece of communication creating a fantastic impact. Those are still vital, but that goes without saying.
Which is why, as a creative, over the past 18 months or so, the development, growth and impact of Social Media has been so compelling. And truly exciting. Now you can see the effectiveness of your ‘big idea’ in real time. Happening on a screen/mobile/app near you. Not only that but, doing it in our andsome hands-on way, you can get involved yourself. (No sitting navel gazing in some artistic ivory tower for us.) Talk to the people you’re targeting. See their enthusiasm. (Or not, in some cases.) Feel their interest. Feed their desire. Get them involved. This is advertising Jim, but as we’ve never known it before.
An appreciation of hits, click-throughs, views, likes, retweets, comments, followers, etc – would be something I’d never dreamed I could be so absorbed or even interested in. But it’s true. Sure, we creatives love our accolades of shiny glass or metal, but for some of us just seeing how our thinking, ideas or concepts can excite someone online is more than award enough.
andsome blog 
@Shottty Said:
on 03/01/2011 at 11:33 am
Very true, whilst not a creative, am responsible for augmenting recruitment campaigns with social media activity. The satisfaction of candidate engagement is worth the persistence sometimes required, because when you do, it feels like getting a Blue Peter badge…but at big school!