Ice Cream to Collar Seams – Every Profession Is Art and Science

Jan 2, 2019 | Commentary, Strategy

Have you ever watched someone do some everyday task but find yourself struck by how efficiently and effectively they do it? Whether it’s the speed and precision of a master tailor or the perfectly round ice cream scoops at your favorite parlor, with practice and repetition, people can make anything interesting.

It’s easy to detect the artistry or science behind some professions, but others require a closer look. Take the retail cashier for example. Watch how they handle money and deliver change. The true pro will do the math in their head almost instantaneously and will handle the money fluidly, executing a complex process quickly without needing the aid of a computer’s calculator. The opposite is true as well and it’s easy to spot the trainee.

Beyond individuals, all businesses are utilizing some combination of skill and creativity no matter what they do. Some focus on the artistry, others on the science and others seek the balance between the two. The variation in these approaches and the possibilities for innovation are endless. Best practices are replaced by innovations which become the new best practices and this process repeats itself indefinitely.

It is this variation and competition that makes digital marketing so exciting. Not only is the field of digital marketing a combination of the two sides of the brain, but so is every profession that we serve. The ability to effectively promote a business comes in how well we have identified the art and science of our field.

While this post attempts to contextualize our “part art, part science” approach to digital marketing, I hope it gets you thinking deeply about your business. Often we get caught in the weeds of the day-to-day and lose sight of what makes our profession interesting and exciting. By taking a minute to see our work from outside of ourselves, we can identify its uniqueness.

This uniqueness and nuance are what makes digital marketing strategies and messages less annoying and more effective. We are often inundated with messages that barely scratch the surface of what we as consumers want. “Buy now and save 10%” or “buy one get one free” or any other sales cliché may drive some short-term gains, but that isn’t necessarily sustainable in the long-term.

It is our mission to not only find the right balance of art and science for digital marketing tactics, but to help our clients identify these two sides of their business and industry. Many have an intuitive understanding of this already, but it’s our job to bring out the artistry and science in tangible forms and marketing strategies.

If nothing else, start thinking deeply about your own business and identify what you would label as the science (rules, formulas, materials, chemistry, etc.) and what you would label as the art (work product, creative process, visual elements, etc.). Armed with this understanding, you can promote your business in a way that is interesting, unique and effective in the long-run.

If you’re looking for a partner to not just “do” digital marketing, but to offer creative marketing solutions customized for your business, contact us today.