All the pieces matter
Seven quotes from The Wire that apply directly to life in an advertising or PR agency.
One of my favourite TV shows is Spaced. One of my favourite episodes is "the Resident Evil one" (Art, S1 E3). In it, Daisy smokes a joint before a job interview. When she arrives, she tells another candidate, "I almost didn't make it today; I was followed here by a squirrel. Must have seen it 4 or 5 times". The other candidate says, "How do you know it wasn't four or five different squirrels?".
I've been feeling the same, except you can replace 'squirrel' with 'cold'. I've either had the same cold for weeks or three or four different colds.
The only plus side of a low-level illness is bingeing season one of The Wire again. Confession - I struggled with it the first time around. It was so dense that I didn't properly get into the show until season two (aka the docks one).
On my rewatch, I noticed how many of the show's most iconic quotes came from that first season. And also, just how impressive it is, vying for number two on my all-time favourite TV shows list alongside Mad Men.
I use plenty of those same Wire quotes all the time, particularly at work. So here's a collection of my favourites and where I think they apply to agency life (for any non-agency readers, hopefully, you can lift and shift the scenarios to suit).
"The game is out there, and it's either play, or get played".
Now, of course, working in an advertising/PR agency is not at all like selling drugs. But it has its structures, its codes and various rules (both written and unwritten). And you need to be aware of all those factors; otherwise, as the show's antihero Omar says, you’ll end up "getting played".
That includes knowing that any pitch process involving a high number of agencies is either a lottery or a done deal. Knowing that sometimes you'll put blood, sweat and tears into campaigns that never see the light of day. That, sometimes, relationships at the very top of a business hold more sway in the agency selection process than any work you deliver. It's "all in the game", as Omar would say (RIP Michael K Williams).
"All the pieces matter".
I've put this into at least one deck, probably more. Particularly when you're in planning mode, you need the whole picture. All the details - no matter how small or irrelevant they might seem at first glance, save them down somewhere for future reference.
Planning and strategy are primarily processes of refining research and thinking to get to the simplest possible articulation of the job to be done. Don't miss a critical ingredient that might benefit the outcome.
"Follow the money, and you don't know where it's gonna take you".
Reading about a company's finances shouldn't be limited to those working in financial comms. Everyone should have a degree of financial literacy, and anyone wanting to understand a new or potential client should start by reading their annual reports, earnings reports, letters to shareholders or investor communications.
That doesn't mean ignoring your other research avenues (see the previous point), but you can always find planning-based gold in how a business communicates its financial position. Follow the money and see where it goes.
"Look the part, be the part".
This is easily The Wire quote I use most often in day-to-day life (sometimes with the expletive, mostly without). It's also been the cornerstone of my promotion pushes over the past few years. You want to make the next step up the ladder - show you deserve it by looking the part and doing what's expected of that role. You want to be seen as more creative, or more strategic, or with more gravitas - identify what you need to do and do it. Don't wait for permission; start the process and see where it takes you.
I also like this quote because I'm always the person who asks, "What clothing vibe are we going for?" ahead of a pitch or new business meeting.
"A good churchman is always up in everybody's [business]".
Replace "churchman" with "agency worker", and this quote rings true. Working with a long-term client, particularly if multiple client teams are involved in your work, means keeping your ear to the ground for any helpful information.
Asking the pertinent questions, but most importantly - actively listening and paying attention to what's happening in a business. What people are up to, which way the wind is blowing, how the company is performing, who else has been in to see your clients - it's all potentially vital information. Remember (again) that all the pieces matter.
"You show loyalty, they learn loyalty. You show them it's about the work, it'll be about the work. You show them some other kind of game, then that's the game they'll play."
In the final episode of season one, Lieutenant Daniels gives a powerful speech to his new sergeant, who happened to get promoted as a direct result of providing information up the food chain.
He talks about leadership and how your actions as leaders set the tone for your team's behaviour. I've worked in agencies for over 20 years and have seen firsthand how this works. Behaviour filters downwards, and one of the most challenging lessons to learn when you move into a leadership role is that you need to model the behaviour you want to see. If you work late and send emails in the evening, your teams will follow your lead. If you set boundaries around work/life balance, your teams will feel more empowered to do the same. As James Whatley said the other week, "Good leaders are defined by the leaders they leave behind them".
"This is me, yo, right here".
I'm an agency guy through and through—I've no imminent plans to do anything else. My six months of gardening are nearly done, and while I've absolutely loved the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get paid for looking after my daughter and playing guitar, I'm not ready for retirement just yet.