Should creativity be #RVA’s “new” history

WARNING:  This blog post will be highly promotional in nature, contain excessive name dropping and probably piss off a lot of people.  Also I will likely forget to name people or agencies and for that I apologize.

It seems like once a week, our old friends and colleagues at The Martin Agency announce that they reeled in another big brand.  Today MorganStanley, last week Tylenol and Motrin, a couple of weeks ago Pizza Hut.  This on the heels of our “alma mater” being named Adweek’s agency of the year.

There is no question that TMA is on a roll in the ad world.  The big question is when will they be recognized as the core of  a jobs creation engine, an engine that many of us in the “creative” community needs to be celebrated and publicized?

For years the Richmond region has banked on its history as a driver for tourism and jobs creation.  While that has been effective, it is also a message that resonates more for the tourist and traveller and less for those who want to relocate their businesses here, or want to start one from scratch.

In that sense Richmond needs to celebrate its past but look to the future.  And its future is in creativity.

Powered by TMA, Richmond likely has spawned more marketing-related agencies and companies than almost any city its size in the United States.  We started The Hodges Partnership almost eight years with two people.  Our PR/social media shop just hired its 14th person, bought into a building in Shockoe Bottom and are renovating the building with an expansion planned for completion by the end of the year.  Our small contribution to economic development.

We are not alone.  Our friends (and sometimes competitors) at CRT-Tanaka have grown and bought like agencies in New York and Washington.  Established ad agencies like Siddall and Barber Martin Agency do national work for national clients.  Growing agencies like Elevation and Madison & Main do great work and are expanding their client base and their employee base.  Small agencies like our friend Maggie Backstoffer’s MBM Marketing do great work.  Agencies specialized in niche fields medical marketing (ND & P and Franklin Street Marketing) are recognized nationally.

Online and social media agencies like Compleo Apps are working for national clients.  Richmond’s social media club is among the largest and most active in the United States.

The VCU Brandcenter is the number-one ranked ad/branding program in the country, keeping some of the talent home and sending it to some of the most well-known agencies and companies in the world.

Despite the tough economy, this creative engine is creating jobs and opportunities.  In recent years, Richmond’s quality of life has improved to support this creative work force with more choices for arts, music and food to feed its collective hunger.

Is it easy to quantify the economic impact we have as a creative community?  No, it isn’t.  My guess is though that there is little room left at the inn at Shockoe Slip these days.  It is also hard even for us to keep track of the new marketing firms that spawning on a daily basis.  BTW, many of them including ourselves call Downtown Richmond home.  This is the center of the “creative hub.”

All those firms big and small have clients.  They travel to them, their clients come here.  They stay at hotels, eat in restaurants.  Big companies come here to think about relocating.  They love to know that some of the world’s most talented marketing minds are literally around the corner, down the block, or a short ride away.

This all doesn’t include the slew of support firms for media buying like Lewis Media, or production like Thoughtstream or the countless number of sole practitioners supported by groups like Ad Club ,  AMA or PRSA.

The only thing missing in my opinion is a strategy to market Richmond as the best place to tap into this collective marketing power.  It isn’t easy.  You can touch, see and feel history.  Creativity is a little smushy.

You would think since we’re so creative we could figure this out?  We can.  We just need some focus, some direction and to be set loose to make it happen.

Richmond’s history is in its past.  But its present and future is in its creativity.  Others are recognizing us for this every day.  Now we have to seize on that and make sure the rest of the world knows.