Not in a dramatic, throw-your-laptop kind of way…just your standard Tuesday at an advertising agency. A campaign idea I loved went through the usual gauntlet: Slack threads, Google comments, endless piecemeal feedback. Bit by bit, it lost its shape. What was once exciting became safe. Unremarkable. Dull.
It didn’t wither because of bad feedback. It withered because of how we gave it.
You want to push your advertising further? Know the enemy.
In this case, it’s not a competitor, or a misconception, it’s the rise of transactional feedback. Slack. Google comments. Docs filled with notes from “anonymous animals.” We’ve made collaboration faster, but in doing so, we’ve made it fragmented, rushed, and often shallow.
Yes, it’s efficient. But creativity isn’t supposed to be efficient. It’s supposed to be thoughtful, messy, alive.
When we let quick comments replace real conversations, we lose the plot. We fix fragments instead of focusing on the whole. And too often, ads get chipped away until there’s nothing left but something “unremarkable.”
The smartest move you can make for your idea? Slow down. Talk it out. Real feedback, the kind that actually makes work better, doesn’t live in Slack or margins. It lives in conversation. The kind where people can push, question, and explore together.
Here’s how to make feedback count:
A creative idea is like a piece of music. Strategy sets the rhythm, media drives tempo, creative brings melody, and account keeps the group in tune. When everyone plays their part, the piece sings.
But sometimes, the drummer grabs the sax. The violinist jumps on percussion. The music? It starts to wobble.
The best feedback comes when each person speaks from their strength. Strategy checks the idea’s alignment. Media ensures the right audience. Creative guards the storytelling. Account watches for brand fit.
It’s not about staying in a silo. It’s about making the whole stronger by contributing from your seat.
So before chiming in, ask: Am I playing my part, or someone else’s?
Yes, everyone’s voice matters. But someone’s voice has to matter most.
Every advertising campaign needs a guardian: the person who holds onto the core vision as it weaves through the feedback maze. This person listens, considers, and ultimately decides. Not every comment gets actioned. Not every suggestion belongs. But the best ones? They fuel the idea, without derailing it.
Without a vision keeper, you end up with a pile of notes and no direction.
We worship speed: faster turnarounds, quicker approvals. But sometimes, slowing down is the most strategic thing you can do.
Not everything needs to be solved in Slack or Google comments. Not every idea should be sliced into fragments. Some ideas deserve protection. Some need air, not urgency.
So next time you’re firing off feedback, ask: Are we making this better? Or just making it different?
And remember: if you want to make something truly great, first, you need to know the enemy. And in this case, it’s the kind of feedback that values speed over depth, transactions over conversations.
Vince brings bold thinking and craft to every brief. With work spanning Princess Cruises to Visit Seattle, he’s a multidisciplinary creative leader who believes in the power of the unexpected to make everyday brands unmissable. His calm, collaborative style pushes teams to do their best work.
