Choosing Vermont for the "Drive" event, initially a decision of convenience, unintentionally became a core part of its brand. The unique location became part of the product itself, attracting attendees looking for an experience beyond a typical conference in a major city, making the setting a key selling point.

Instead of a generic conference happy hour, Harris Kenny organized a sponsored, invite-only laser tag event. This unconventional approach generated significant buzz, attracted a highly targeted "if you know, you know" audience, and reinforced the brand's unique identity in a stodgy enterprise sales space.

To capture a client's attention, ask for permission to skip the standard agency background and strategy slides. Dive straight into the creative concepts, which is what they are most eager to see and discuss, and read the rest later.

Use the analogy of elite special forces (SAS) to quickly communicate that your marketing services are highly specialized, tactical, and targeted, not broad-stroke campaigns. This frames your agency as a precise, high-impact unit for clients.

To stand out, Ramp creates highly specific, memorable experiences for key personas. For example, they hosted a suite at a Beyonce concert and specifically invited women CFOs, encouraging them to bring their children. This creative, thoughtful approach generates significant interest and goodwill.

To give the board tangible visibility into marketing, MasterCard's CMO sets up demo kiosks outside board meetings. During breaks, board members can interact with new campaigns, watch videos, and speak with the marketing team. This experiential approach builds confidence and understanding far more effectively than a slide deck alone.

To break through a "sea of sameness," brands must find their "Pink Batman"—an unexpected, slightly weird element that makes them instantly memorable and distinct, just like imagining the iconic character in a surprising color you can't unsee.

Gensler's strategy for post-pandemic work is to transform the office into a compelling destination people choose to visit. This involves reducing individual desks in favor of diverse, flexible collaboration spaces that offer experiences and social connections unavailable at home, making the commute worthwhile.

This simple mantra is their starting point for brainstorming. They generate attention and differentiation not by improving on the status quo, but by intentionally subverting it. This creates marketing that doesn't feel like marketing and ensures their product remains unique and memorable.