“My Mind Flies”

In our ever growing, always evolving role as the defining link between art and commerce, we are constantly looking for fresh voices to merge with our own as a tool to fortify the bridge we are gapping. Well a new and innovative voice found us this time, in the form of Saundra Marcel joining our tribe! Check out her bio on the right to learn all about our newest diplomat. Here is a taste of what you’ll be reading/learning from her in future Visual Ambassador posts.

Welcome Saundra!

My Mind Flies

I’m stuck in Charlotte. Weather conditions are preventing my plane from taking off. It’s late, it’s stuffy in here, and we’ve been motionless for over an hour already. But something interesting is happening. Even as I gaze out my small porthole to the muggy night my attention is being held inside, to the front of the plane. The lone flight attendant is directing a game of charades. She just finished conducting a pop culture quiz over the intercom (“ring your call button if you know the answer”), and shortly before that took and delivered drink orders for the whole plane. She knew we’d be here for a while. She’s managed to keep a full flight of passengers content—even enjoying themselves. I’m impressed.

I have a soft spot for flight attendants. I’ve seen them snapped at, interrogated, and blamed for delays. We all know the industry’s been in a tough spot. They have more challenges and less support.

This particular flight attendant has got my mind wandering. I’m sure, just like the rest of us she has her own personal challenges. She might—like the majority of working Americans—fear being laid off. Perhaps she recognizes that we’re keeping her company in business. That keeping us happy and entertained might bring us back again as loyal customers to the airline, ensuring her employment. Maybe she didn’t come to that realization alone, maybe there was a company-wide meeting for all flight attendants. Maybe the executives apologized, asked for over-the-top service from here on out. “You’re on the front lines,” I can imagine the speech. “There will be challenges. You’re the face of our company, please keep the customers happy.”

It hasn’t escaped my notice that she’s the only flight attendant. On a plane this size I imagine there should be three. And she’ll be home late tonight, just like the rest of us.

I know what that feels like, one person doing the work of three. That’s going to be a common theme as we trudge too slowly out of this recession. I can imagine similar conversations happening all over the country about keeping customers happy. Competition is higher and budgets are smaller. Clients aren’t just clients anymore, they’re the next paycheck. That’s just a reality.

Creatives have notoriously struggled with appeasing clients. We’re hired for our expertise but when it comes down to it we’re overruled by personal preference, company politics, egos, and the worst—committees. On one hand we want to deliver the highest quality work, on the other is good customer service and professionalism. We need to know when and how to push and when to be complacent.

Will we become too complacent? As an industry are we going to take a collective step back and become artistic yes-men, not willing to risk a good client by challenging what they think is best and what we know we should tell them? We’re not just an industry of Apple Mighty Mouse-pushers. We’re a collection of creative experts, thinkers, leaders, and yes, skilled artists. It’s taken some time for our expertise to be regarded as important additions to marketing and business plans. Our worth has been called to question time and time again. “Why so expensive? It’s just art.”

Being complacent won’t work. If the client is always right—regardless of whether they’re right—then what do they need us for? Our worth will be diminished. We need to push, provide the highest quality solutions, and offer examples of unrivaled creative thinking. The only way to combat design-by-committee is to wow the committee.

Let’s keep our customers happy by knocking their socks off.

artwork: Penelope Dullaghan