Mad Men is AMC’s brilliant television series that revolves around the world of advertising executives in the early 1960s. It is rich with atmosphere, full of compelling story lines, stocked with complex characters who behave badly and sometimes admirably.

The main character is Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm), the thirtysomething executive who heads up the creative department for the firm of Sterling Cooper. In the season finale, when the firm is acquired by another, Don is told that “good creative is important, but it can’t run the show.” Don fires back that he “sells products, not advertising.” When I heard that comeback, I started my fist pumping.

It’s true in advertising and marketing that good creative doesn’t run the show. Good creative is the show. 

Creative carries your message to the market. It’s how your customers and prospects first experience your company. This applies in all cases: from a six-word search engine keyword ad to a home page, from a highway billboard to a 30-second radio spot, from a print ad to a business card.

Thank you Don Draper. His comment also got me thinking about Klein Marketing. I don’t sell marketing services. I sell clear positioning that makes you stand out from the noise of competitors; focused, relevant messages that are noticed, understood and remembered by your target audience; positive results on lead generation, long term branding, and corporate communications programs; and expert strategy marketing strategy, budget development, and program management.