So you’ve just graduated from Hogwarts – congratulations!
Perhaps you were a brave Gryffindor who spent your life fighting for the underdog, or a hard-working, steadfast Hufflepuff. Or maybe you were an analytical Ravenclaw who lived in the library for days on end. Or a Slytherin, whose ambition helped you climb to the top of your class. Regardless, you’re here now in the world of advertising, wondering how to manage clients and accounts without breaking a sweat. In order to be successful, you must be a well-rounded Hogwarts alumni. Sure, you may pride yourself on being the most creative in your class or the biggest risk-taker, but you shouldn’t let those qualities define who you are and the work that you perform.
Here at Miller, we have a wonderful array of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins and, according to Pottermore, one or two Slytherpuffs. Sure, we clash and curse each other with jinxes throughout the day, but alas, we must coexist and work together to achieve our common goals. This same concept applies to our clients in overcoming our differences of temperament and opinion. To be the best advertiser you can be you must be brave, hard-working, ambitious, and intelligent; taking on qualities of all four Houses. Sounds easy, right?
Be Brave. Be Bold.
Now, my fellow witches and wizards, your clients come first. They came to you for expertise. Give them a game plan. Provide them a battle strategy to conquer their specialized field. Be the leader they want you to be and don’t be afraid of pitching them a bold plan of attack. Granted, you should temper your Gryffindor boldness with a dose of practicality, but do not go gentle into that good night.
Be Smart.
Employ those Ravenclaw smarts to your clients’ needs by doing your research. Sure, you might have written a few feet of parchment for Professor Snape’s Potions class, but your clients’ game plans shouldn’t be drawn up overnight by the light of a Lumos. Take your time, and do your homework the right way – the Ravenclaw way. Ask for the expertise of your media buyers and art department, and gather the full facts of the story. Look at the big picture and keep your bias to yourself. Objectivity is key.
Be Dedicated.
Client relations require a significant amount of tough love, similar to the process of raising a Flobberworm. After all, love is patient, love is kind. Tap into your Hufflepuff side, and employ some hard work into making your clients’ dreams come true. Although, as much as you should be dedicated to fulfilling your clients’ needs, you need to also manage their expectations. After all, Hogwarts was not built in a day and neither should your clients’ website wireframe. Be polite yet firm with your clients and use compassion when communicating with them – understand where they’re coming from, but let them know what’s possible and what’s not.
Be Crafty.
Last, but not least, you should never forget your Slytherin side when involved in advertising. And no, I do not mean channeling He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Several accomplished wizards have graduated out of this House without fitting the “evil” stereotype, myself included. Do you want to hook your audience with the ads you make? Get crafty, get cunning – to catch interest, you need to delve into the puzzle that is your target audience’s mind and live there. Figure out what makes them tick, and use it for your benefit. Have them eating out of your hand. Be the puppet master – just try to avoid using any and all Unforgivable Curses while doing so.
So, hopefully, you didn’t just exile yourself in your House common room during your seven years, and instead picked up a character trait or two from your peers. If so, you will be an advertising great in no time.
Just remember, Albus Dumbledore was not born one of the greatest wizards of his time, and neither were you. As he once said to Harry Potter,
“It is our choices…that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
Albus Dumbledore
