June 07

CG 4 Year Birthday Blog

Phillip Oakley

Guess what? This May, Common Giant turned four! We’ve been busy having a wild time and we decided to reflect on who and what we’ve become since 2012. Without a doubt, things have changed and we’ve become better at what we do. Over the past four years, our development has stemmed from many ideals. Here are four we feel are important: 

  1. Growth Means Different Things – Growth means different things to different people. For us, it’s not about the general size of our staff or who’s on payroll. We measure growth in other areas. For example, revenue is an obvious form of measurement, but what about the development of skill sets? We measure both and more. Our growth is also determined by the depth and breadth of our partnerships. As previously stated, if our partners grow, so do we
  2. Learn To Set Trends – Marketing and advertising are shifting and evolving beasts. Because of this wild dynamic, those who continue to learn find great success. This entails the constant absorption of media. From marketing podcasts to pop culture , learning when new waves will hit can help one ride on top of the newest trends. Learn to watch for the crests and how they can help your clients and/or partners. It can mean the difference between a good campaign and a stellar one. 
  3. Understanding Value – Not everything is transactional as in: “We did service ‘A’ and you owe us ‘X’ amount.” We’ve learned to see value in different ways, not just in dollars and cents. If we believe in a project, we’ll seek ways to do it. In some cases, we’ve actually formed partnerships for equity in exchange for our services. We’re willing to work with people and companies who we believe in. The flip side to this is working with those who believe in us. We strive to work with people, businesses and corporations who seek a dedicated and bespoke process. Ever hear of the Infinite Monkey Theorem? It states, “The Infinite Monkey Theorem is a proposition that an unlimited number of monkeys, given typewriters and sufficient time, will eventually produce a particular text, such as Hamlet or even the complete works of Shakespeare.” This sounds very similar to throwing “options” against the wall and seeing what sticks. People come to us for clear solutions that work, not options that have been haphazardly produced.
  4. Don’t Be Afraid To Be You – It’s easy to become panicked when looking at your competition. If one isn’t careful, this worry can actually result in imitation. We’ve always taken pride in sticking to our roots and who we are. Everyone at Common Giant is unique and we all come from diverse backgrounds. It makes us unconventional and downright weird sometimes, but hey, it’s who we are. People see this and it results in the formation of new relationships. Believe and be true to yourself first, everything else will fall into place.

Four years seems like a long time, but for us, it feels like the blink of an eye. We’ve been able to hold onto who we are as an agency and become a bit wiser through these ideals. We’re excited for what the future has in store for us and maybe we’ll have the chance team up. Take confidence in knowing that our uncommon approach is definitely here to stay.