1. SUE AMSTERDAM
20 things
YOU SHOULD KNOW
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

2. 1. Be original, but don’t be obsessed
with originality. We’re in the business to create
stuff that works, not stuff that impresses other
creatives.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

3. 2. We’re not in the entertainment business,
but in the business business.
Beauty is a means not an end to itself.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

4. 3. We don’t hope, we measure.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

5. 4. Awareness metrics are utter crap.
I am aware of Hitler, but I’m not a nazi. Have more
ambition with what you measure.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

6. 5. Producing crap takes just about
as much time and effort as producing
stuff that’s good or better.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

7. 6. Temper your ego.
We’re in the business of helping
our clients to score. Never forget that.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

8. 7. If you wouldn’t share the idea
with your FB friends, then
the idea just isn’t good enough.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

9. 8. First contribute to the success
of SUE and SUE will contribute
to yours. The other way around
never works.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

10. 9. There is no such things as
highly talented people with an ego.
In a creative agency, the group is more
important than the individual.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

11. 10. Agencies don’t make
great work, clients do.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

12. 11. Great ideas get born in the intersection
between our know-how
and those of our clients. Try to create
as much opportunities for intersections.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

13. 12. There’s great power in
postponing the conclusion.
Postponing a conclusion is
creating the space for new ideas
to emerge. A bit like in sex.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

14. 13. Producers are the real heroes
of the agency. Worship them. They
get things done.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

15. 14. Great ideas require a creative process. Protect
this process, both against yourself, your colleagues
and your clients. Sometimes this implies protecting a
client from screwing up things. Clients will
never blame you for trying to protect
the quality of your work.
maandag 26 maart 12

16. 15. Be tapped into digital culture.
The internet is one gigantic ocean of
ideas, memes and stories that spread.
Make sure you know what gets people excited. It’s the
essence of your job.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

17. 16. Don’t be modest.
Modesty never blows people away. And False
modesty is ego in disguise. Be eager.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

18. 17. An idea for an idea is not
an idea: prototype your idea and ask others
what they think and feel.
Always look for ways to make
the idea better.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

19. 18. Embrace failure and critics.
It’s really OK to come up with bad ideas.
They sometimes form the basis for a brilliant idea.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

20. 19. Do everything you can to protect
the creative climate: a great creative process
is a jam session. Soloists often ruin
a good jam session.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

21. 20. We design behavior.
Worship behavioral experts such as persuasion
designers, behavioral economists, game designers
and analytic ninjas.
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12

22. SUE AMSTERDAM
@SUEAMSTERDAM
HELLO@SUEAMSTERDAM.COM
WWW.SUEAMSTERDAM.COM
SUEAMSTERDAM
maandag 26 maart 12