Babita's Blog: Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 
And never brought to mind? 
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 
And days o’ lang syne!

New Year is not complete without the tunes of Auld Lang Syne. It brings back memories of yesteryear, good wishes, promises and more.

Robert Burns wrote this poem on whether it is right that old times be forgotten. It’s a call to remember long standing friendships.

My first blog of 2012 for Campaign India today is simply sharing  and remembering things that always work….old acquaintances, old ways of working, long standing client relationships; and learn from them as we walk into the new year.

Writing this in the stereotypical “list” symbolic of New Year promises:

• Talk to the people who were big in advertising ten years ago. Find out what they believed in, how they made things work. After all, we are about both pimples and wrinkles.
• Fewer e-mails, more drives to the client office. Even if it is about that mistake in the print ad in this morning’s paper.
• More chats with the client on the business and challenges, and not just about creative work and brief. Be real partners.
• Meet more often internally- walk down to each other’s work stations, share a coffee, talk about work, kids, weather, holidays. Just talking creates bonds.
• Upgrade the good old processes to digital, not make them obsolete. ( Yes for the uninitiated, am talking guardbooks, archives, storehousing and showcasing work that worked… and did not)
• Not make a fuss about walking into office on time. So long as the work gets done on time and commitments are met. It’s all about the 'World Being Flat'.
• No lonely lunches- share, laugh, diet… together at work.
• Go out for that movie once in a while… team work is not just Facebooking together and Likes on updates.
• Read books on advertising. Quotes from famous personalities. Be inspired.
• Make more print and posters. A good test of whether an idea works as an IDEA and not a TVC.
• More off-site workshops on agency tools, team work etc, while we are in the age of Live Web meetings. Off-sites show we care. Good break. Great Fun.
• Stay in the industry for the love of the work. The monies will never be the same as some others.

There were and will be many more.

For me. For everyone out there.

Shows us all that history and experience are the best ways to learn .

And Unlearn; while we embrace new thinking, bold work and new media.

Happy New Year everyone.

The views expressed are the author's independent views as an ad professional and do not reflect the organisation's viewpoint.